What¡¯s in a name? For the eponymous couple in Chihiro Amano¡¯s ¡°Sato and Sato,¡± not much. Even before they hook up at university, Sachi (Yukino Kishii) and Tamotsu (Hio Miyazawa) already share Japan¡¯s most common surname.
When they finally decide to become Mr. and Mrs. Sato nearly a decade later, Sachi jokes that they won¡¯t have to change their names again if they get divorced. This being a film that likes its dramatic irony thick, that comment will come back to haunt her.
The reason they¡¯ve delayed their nuptials for so long is because Tamotsu wanted to pass the bar examination first, but he keeps coming up short. Sachi thinks she¡¯s being supportive when she offers to become his study partner, only for her to ace the test instead. One unexpected pregnancy later, she¡¯s become the family¡¯s breadwinner in her new legal career, while her husband is at home looking after the baby ¡ª and the cracks in their relationship begin to show.
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