What Critics says about "When I Met You in Tokyo"

"Sometimes you meet the right person at the wrong time, but in our case, it was the right time, the right place, and the right person." - Azon

Plot Description: "In Japan, Azon and her friends work as servants at a hotel in Tokyo, while Joey is a farmer working on a rural farm with his friend Akira and a man recently annulled from his marriage. Azon meets Joey at a bar during a party with her friends, and they are scolded by Joey for being rowdy. Afterwards, a drunk Azon punches him in the face, and her friends drag her away. Later, Azon and Joey meet again when she buys vegetables from him, and they recognize each other from the bar the previous night. After several more encounters, Azon and Joey forgive each other for their misunderstandings and start going out together with their friends. Azon learns that her brother Marlon is a gambling addict after his daughter Hannah secretly contacts her and says that had squandered her remittances. This leads Azon to stop giving him money. Marlon, deduces that Hannah ratted him out and slaps her for being a "traitor." After several months, he apologizes to Azon, promising to change after visiting their parents' graves. Meanwhile, Joey is close to his daughter Charlene but has a strained relationship with his ex-wife Susan. With Akira's advice about forgiveness, Joey decides to forgive Susan and move on from their past mistakes. Azon and Joey gradually develop a romantic relationship, while in the Philippines, Hannah becomes close friends with Joey's grandson Jomar.

Azon and Joey eventually get married and move to Joey's home, enjoying a loving relationship. However, due to their age, they are unable to consummate their love on their honeymoon. Their marriage lasts six years, but Azon develops osteoarthritis in her leg, creating challenges for Joey, who secretly suffers from heart problems that only he and Charlene know about. Azon becomes angry when she learns that Joey kept his illness a secret from her, but eventually forgives him and resolve to make the most of their time together. After taking a walk in the snowy mountains, Azon and Joey rest at home. While Azon goes to get water, Joey suffers a heart attack. She returns to find him collapsed, and he tells her he loves her before dying. Both Akira and Azon are devastated by Joey's death. Azon informs Charlene, who is also deeply saddened. Afterward, Azon reflects on the valuable lessons Joey taught her, including gardening, farming, and how to cut a bonsai tree, which taught her patience. The film ends with Azon narrating about finding one's soulmate and how they are meant to be together." Wikipediia (READ MORE)

What Critics Says

Undeniable Spark - "...Look, it’s tough for this movie to live up to masterpieces like Broken Marriage, or Relasyon, but the legendary chemistry between Vi and Boyet is still very much alive and carries the whole thing. The plot feels a bit like recycled melodrama at times, but their performances are so controlled and natural that they honestly save the film. Between their undeniable spark and that catchy theme song, it’s easy to see why fans are loving it despite its flaws." - Rendt Viray 2023 (READ MORE)

Winsome As Ever - "Azon (Vilma Santos) worked as a housekeeper at a hotel in Chiba Prefecture. Even if she was unmarried, she still sent money home to her brother Marlon (Gabby Eigenmann), whom she trusted to build her house in Manila. She was also supporting the education of her niece Hannah (Cassy Legaspi) and Drew (John Gabriel). On Azon's birthday, she was brought by her co-workers Sonia (Kakai Bautista) and Anita (Lynn Cruz) for a night of fun. Joey (Christopher de Leon) owned his own flower and vegetable farm, also in Chiba, which he ran with his best friend Akira (Jackie Woo). His marriage from his wife Susan (Gina Alajar) had been annulled for several years. His daughter Charlene (Lotlot de Leon) already had a teenage son Jomar (Darren Espanto). On Joey's birthday, Akira treated Joey out to the same nightclub, where he saw Azon and friends making a scene with their noisy drunk dancing. Honestly, based on the trailer, this film was not exactly among my priorities. I thought the plot would just take the usual obvious rom-com route. However, during the MMFF Awards Night, this film pulled a big surprise by bagging an unprecedented accolade for "4th Best Picture," while Vilma Santos won Best Actress from out of the blue. Because of this, I became very curious about this film directed by duo Rommel Penesa and Conrado Peru.

So indeed, the two senior protagonists meet under unpleasant circumstances, to the point of calling each other "bru" (short for "bruha" or witch). However, as expected, they began to like each other when they got to know each other better, then eventually fall in love. Despite being the overdone romance cliches that they were, these scenes were the best parts -- so sweet and heartwarming. I was smiling, laughing and actually tearing up in spite of myself. I would have wanted the film to end when Azon and Joey got married dressed in kimonos. The story already felt perfect told as it was at that point. However, there turned out to be another hour worth of story left to tell. The delightful senior-citizen romantic comedy turned into a totally different movie, albeit also a familiar Pinoy film story -- a melodrama about illnesses. Predictable and sappy, this part of the movie was not my cup of tea anymore. Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon had done more than 20 films together, the last one being "Mano Po 3" (2004). Santos at 70 and de Leon at 67 looked very good, still able to elicit romantic thrills with their killer onscreen chemistry. Santos was as winsome as ever, so cute, always a contender for Best Actress. De Leon was very dashing, so cool and relaxed. His acoustic guitar version of Apo Hiking's "When I Met You" can still make titas swoon." - Fred Hawson, ABS-CBN (Fred Said vlog), 08 January 2024 (READ MORE)

Higher Standard - "I’ve never been a Vilmanian (Sharon Cuneta is my own showbiz sacred cow), but then, I’ve never seen Vilma on the big screen. Any experiences I have had of Philippine cinema’s “Star for All Seasons” were limited to late-night movies of hers shown on TV. If the lines outside the movie theater for When I Met You in Tokyo were any indication, Vilma Santos-Recto truly has a different pull. The audience, for example, was an interesting mix: all genders, all ages, all economic brackets. Some less fashionable people were up in front, but a chic mother and daughter pair (making Vilma’s reach intergenerational) answered my question in the affirmative whether their spot was the back of the line for the Vilma movie (it was a long line, just to enter the cinema)...

This new movie shows them as Filipino migrants in Japan, of advanced age. Ms. Santos plays Azon, a hotel cleaner, while Mr. De Leon plays Joey, slightly wealthier as a hands-on farm owner. Santos is an involuntary celibate, never having married at her age; while Mr. De Leon has been betrayed by his ex-wife, played by Gina Alajar...Ms. Santos makes everything feel so real: I really felt like I was watching a beloved aunt, in her gestures and her speech patterns. What’s more, despite their own advanced ages (Santos was born in 1953; De Leon was born in 1956 — you do the math), the pair can still bring a frisson of kilig to the audience: not just for the older ones, mind you, but even their younger seatmates. And what a beautiful face, by the way: in the movie, Ms. Santos punches Mr. De Leon at their meet-cute, cries and cracks her voice, and speaks Japanese with a Filipino accent and yet still looks that good. Watching a scene with Ms. Santos talking with her mouth full and discussing rent and government dues, she still looks more beautiful than many women at least 20 years younger than her. Romance blossoms between the pair, predictably so in this romantic comedy/drama, but in the hands of Ms. Santos and Mr. De Leon, teenybopper drivel becomes pure gold.

But they’re getting older, a plot point in the movie: Santos suffers from osteoarthritis, while De Leon has a heart ailment. I begin to think that as one ages, love perhaps becomes purer, regressing from the lusts of youth and ennobled by experience. We watch the pair grow more in love each day, slowed down by age. The bucolic surroundings of the outskirts of Tokyo add to the atmosphere, as well as the Apo Hiking Society’s “When I Met You” (the movie’s theme and part-namesake, sung by De Leon in a scene, and in a duet with Santos in the credits)...With age and health as a plot point, it’s inevitable that one of them dies. Mr. De Leon succumbs to his heart ailment after a peaceful evening in their garden. Followed by a camera, Ms. Santos prepares to go to bed, beckoning her husband to come, and after a search, finds him outside slowly dying. She cries for help in Japanese, and says his name, Joey, over and over. I cried.

Not just moisture that had to be patted dry with a handkerchief, but full-on crying with snot-wiping. Another actress would not have elicited this effect (except perhaps Sharon), and frankly, would have been corny. Santos, however, arrests one with a teenage star’s charm (as she had been) at the start of the movie. Backed up by skill, years of hard work, and solidified showbiz status, this charm pulls you to the very end of the film, making you feel very deeply for whoever she’s playing. By all standards, the film should have been predictable and unexciting. In the hands of other actors, this would have been filler. In the hands of Mr. De Leon, and especially Ms. Santos, the film reaches a higher standard..." - Joseph L. Garcia, Business World, 29 Dec 2023 (READ MORE)

Extra Bloat Subplot - "Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon play characters who meet in Tokyo. While their relationship is contentious at first, they soon warm up to each other and pursue romance in the Land of the Rising Sun. The story reaches a natural ending somewhere in the middle of the movie—but it just keeps going. The film then sort of becomes about what it’s like to be old and in a relationship, though it avoids building new conflicts and largely just shows two older people pretty happy with each other and occasionally encountering problems with their health. Santos and de Leon are still pretty good together onscreen, and there are cute moments scattered throughout. But the production is kind of shaky, and there just isn’t a lot of story to tell. Later in the movie, there’s a subplot involving younger relatives back in the Philippines but it doesn’t go anywhere, only creating extra bloat in a film bloated enough as it is. Rating: 2 out of 5" - Philbert Dy, Spot, 02 Jan 2024 (READ MORE)

Love No Age - "...May oras na hindi mo na alam kung saan ba talaga papunta ang kwento at kung kailan ba ito matatapos. Hindi maganda ang pagpasok ng istorya nina Darren Espanto at Cassy Legaspi sa pelikula. May mas igaganda pa sana ito. Hindi masyadong nagamit ang karamihan sa mga cast, ngunit napansin ang nakakadalang pagganap ni Gabby Eigenmann lalo pa’t nakakainis ang kanyang karakter dito. Maalog ang ilang kuha. Biglang lalabo ang ilang parte ng eksena. Hindi man maayos ang pelikula sa usapang teknikal, angat naman sila pagdating sa ibang bagay. Simple ngunit sinsero ang atake sa mga eksena. Nakatutok ito sa pagkwento ng pagmamahalan ng dalawang bida. Naipakita kung paano sila unang nagkita at nagsimulang nagmahalan. Kasama mo sila sa kanilang paglalakbay. Because you are not blindsided by their love story, you appreciate its existence. Soon after, you become a fan of it. Mahirap hindi kiligin sa pinaggagawa nina Vilma Santos at Christopher de Leon dito. Ang saya nilang panuorin. Instant hit ang meet-cute moment nila. Ang cute ng tawagan nila. Ang lambing ng halikan nila. Ang kulit ng bed scene nila. Mapapatawa at maiinlove ka. Romcom kung romcom talaga. Hindi lang sila nagpakilig, naipakita rin nila ang kanilang husay sa pag-arte. Mararamdaman mo kapag sila’y nalulungkot at nasasaktan. Naibahagi nila ang kanilang pinagdaraan at pagmamahalan. Love knows no age. This movie shares the same fate..." - Goldwin Reviews (READ MORE)

Same Formula - The story itself is a very simple yet heartfelt “meet-cute that leads to a romance” type of film, and it’s a case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It’s the same formula that has worked for a majority of their team-ups. Movies like this depend on how well your leads can co-exist on-screen and not sound like a broken record, but that’s something that’s attributed to their tried and tested chemistry...The script (written by Suzette Doctolero from a story by Santos, De Leon, and co-director Conrado Peru) features a sincerely authentic depiction of the plight of Filipinos living and/or working abroad, which enhances the film’s connection with its audience. One thing we’d say that the movie could’ve improved on is if it held back on nearly going overboard with the Vilma and Boyet B-Rolls of them being sweet with each other (specifically between the 2nd and 3rd acts). Yes, we get that this is a love letter to their fans, but points have to be docked because of this, as this makes the film’s pacing suffer slightly as a result. This, however, is a minor nitpick that doesn’t really bring the film down. - Cinegeeks rating : A-" (READ MORE)

Overflowing Chemistry - "...When I Met You In Tokyo is a film for Vilmanian and supporters of Vilma and Christoher as a love team. The presence of the two and individually on the silver screen is still shining on the big screen. No wonder that they got multiple films together because they truly indeed have overflowing chemistry. Who would say that love is for younger people only, in this film it shows that love is for all ages. Yes they fall in love and have sweet moments in the film but what they have done in this film is still cute and appropriate for their age. You will enjoy the beauty and landscape of Tokyo while watching this film as it was effectively integrated and utilized to the flow of the film. The team up of Darren Espanto and Cassy Legaspi or (CassRen) will definitely enjoy the film as they have their moments and look promising together. Christoher and Vilma still have their brilliance in acting as they showcase their acting capabilities individually especially towards the last part of the film. Vilma is effective and shines in her quiet scenes. The film will definitely be enjoyed by seniors and fans so this is a good watch with your parents or grandparents..." - My Movie World (READ MORE)

Video credit: JG Productions Incorporated

Basic Information:
Official entry - The 49th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2023
Official Entry Manila International Film Festival (MIFF)
Directors: Rommel Penesa, Conrado Peru
Associate Director: Christopher Strauss DeLeon
Original Scrrenpaly (Story): Conrado Peru, Christopher De Leon, Vilma Santos
Adapted Screenplay: Suzette Doctolero
Cast: Vilma Santos (Azon)
Christopher De Leon (Joey)
Cassy Legaspi (Hannah)
Darren Espanto (Jomar)
Kakai Bautista (Sonia)
Lynn Cruz (Anita)
Jacky Woo (Akira)
John Gabriel (Drew)
Lotlot De Leon (Charlene)
Gabby Eigenmann (Marlon)
Kouki Taguchi (Takeru)
Gina Alajar (Susan)
Tirso Cruz III (Edwin)
Producers: Redgie Acuña-Magno
Executive Producers: Karishma Gidwani, Rajan Gidwani, Rowena Jamaji
Produced: JG Productions
Distributed by: Rafaella Films International
Release Date: December 25 2023
Running time: 123 minutes
Country: Philippines
Language: Filipino

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