Mitsue was raised in a small town called Asahikawa, Hokkaido. Searching for a bigger meaning in life, she leaves her hometown for Singapore. But upon arriving in Singapore, a city smaller than her hometown Asahikawa, she feels frustrated as her life sits at a standstill. When nothing seems to go her way, Mitsue receives a message and it recalls her to her hometown. When she’s back in Japan, she resumes her past life and finds friendship in her ex-lover who is now her colleague. Amid all her moves, she strives to find her identity. As a resident of a young city, she seeks change and adventure, but at the same time, she feels lonely when she finds it difficult to find a place to call home. This film makes us ponder upon the act of “pausing” the journey of self-discovery. It’s an impressive debut feature of the cinematographer turned director, Shaun Neo, while protagonist Banzai Mitsue’s way of expressing delicate psyche stands out. (CHUN Jinsu)