Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 10+
Mother-daughter story is bold and moving but fat-phobic.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Nikuko gets drunk a couple of times. Adults drink beer and alcohol. Flashbacks to a cabaret and restaurants where adults drink.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
Brief scenes and references to Nikuko's many failed romantic relationships. A flashback explains how Kikuko's mother ends up unexpectedly pregnant. Nonsexual references and comments about periods, breast growth, and puberty.
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Language
a little
Occasional language includes "damn it," "heck," "gross," "dirtbags," "chick fight," "kick butt." Bathroom and body humor: jokes about diarrhea, "the runs," the "smell" of obese bodies, gas, snoring, and more.
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Violence & Scariness
very little
Scenes of Nikuko crying and upset after her partners leave her. A scene takes place in a hospital. A character has appendicitis. Mother and daughter both cry.
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Positive Messages
some
Ultimate message is a positive one about importance of family, both by birth and by choice (found family). Stresses the power of communication, of looking beyond the superficial to see a person for who they are rather than what they look like.
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Positive Role Models
some
Nikuko is a loving and attentive mother who believes in Kikuko. Meanwhile, Kikuko is intelligent and thoughtful, if hard on her mother.
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Diverse Representations
a little
On the upside, movie depicts a Japanese family and their small fishing town in respectful detail. But it also depicts a large woman in a negative light, focusing strictly on unsavory and untrue stereotypes about a fat woman who eats nonstop, snores too loudly, passes gas, smells, etc.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is an anime movie based on the same-named Japanese book and manga. Produced by Japan's famous animation Studio 4°C, it chronicles the everyday adventures and challenges of a preteen girl named Kikuko (voiced by Cocomi) whose mother is large and loud. The film has a lot of body and bathroom humor, with jokes about and references to overeating, sleep apnea, body odor, and other aspects of the titular character's size and weight, many of which play into stereotypes. Expect a few uses of words like "damn," "dirtbags," and "kick butt." There are flashbacks to failed romances and a single woman's unexpected pregnancy. Adults drink beer and other liquor a few times, and a character gets drunk. Kikuko and her classmates discuss or think about puberty, periods, and bra sizes. The story has a happy ending with positive messages about family and friendship, but those sensitive to fat-phobic or fat-shaming humor should know that size and weight are a focal point of the movie. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
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Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko
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What's the Story?
FORTUNE FAVORS LADY NIKUKO is an animated adaptation of a Japanese novel and manga about a preteen girl named Kikuko (voiced by Cocomi) who lives in a seaside town with her fat, jolly, and boisterous mother, the titular Nikuko (Shinobu Ôtake). The two live on a houseboat in a fishing town, where Nikuko works at the local grill house and is known as "The Meaty Lady." Kikuko's narration explains that her mother has had a series of unlucky relationships with scheming men who left her destitute but never dispirited. Kikuko finds her extroverted mother cringeworthy and mostly keeps to herself at school, where she deals with typical coming-of-age issues regarding social circles and a broody crush. The incredibly dissimilar mother and daughter alternate between a peaceful and fraught relationship.
Is It Any Good?
This memorably animated adaptation is both a big-hearted and disappointingly fat-shaming story of a mother and daughter who share little in common except their love -- and love of food. The filmmakers focus on Nikuko's weight from the beginning of the narration, when Kikuko divulges that her mother is the equivalent of 4'11" tall and weighs 150 pounds but is somehow depicted as round as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. There are multiple jokes (puns) about how stinky she is, how much she overeats, and how her sleep apnea snoring is earth-shattering. The caricature continues throughout, with Nikuko nearly always eating, thinking about eating, or preparing food -- to eat, of course. It's not necessarily always mean-spirited, because Nikuko is vivacious and kind, but the constant focus on her weight and eating will likely make some viewers cringe. At least the animation is wonderfully precise, depicting the setting and the food in such detail that audiences may be inspired to seek out the Japanese snacks and treats in the movie.
In contrast to Nikuko's antics, the slender, young Kikuko is afraid of puberty and hopes that her chest never grows and her period never starts. The parts of the movie set at school or among Kikuko's peers include bittersweet coming-of-age storylines, tension with her friends, and a mysterious boy with his own secrets. This isn't a plot-heavy film but rather a character study about a quirky mother and daughter who might be fish out of water but, thanks to Nikuko's exuberance, have managed to make a small place for themselves. There's also an ultimately lovely, gentle message about family and love -- but there's no way to ignore the sour taste of the fat jokes that pepper the first half of the film in particular.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of anime. How do anime films and shows compare to other types of animated entertainment?
Discuss the way the movie depicts Lady Nikuko's size. Do you think it could be considered fat-shaming?
What are the movie's messages about family and found family? What do you think of the mother-daughter relationship?
Talk about the importance of food in the movie and how it's animated. How is food often an important part of a national or cultural identity?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 3, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: July 19, 2022
- Cast: Cocomi, Shinobu Ôtake, Natsuki Hanae
- Director: Ayumu Watanabe
- Inclusion Information: Asian actors
- Studio: GKIDS
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Book Characters, Friendship
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Empathy
- Run time: 97 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: August 19, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
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Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko
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