Amazon Prime 'Seven Meetings' | The corporate darkness born from quotas, and the 'Japanese constitution' that Hakkaku spoke of at the end

I watched the movie 'Seven Meetings,' which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

It is a corporate drama based on the novel of the same name by Jun Ikeido, starring Mansai Nomura.

My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

In a nutshell, it is a work that very realistically depicts the structure of how people, chased by company quotas, are driven into cover-ups and data falsification.

The protagonist is Tamio Hakkaku, a perennial section chief at the mid-sized manufacturer Tokyo Kenden. He appears to be a 'lazy employee' who is always dozing off, but he begins to expose the darkness hidden within the company. There is an interesting aspect to how your initial impression of him is gradually overturned.

What was good about this movie is that it does not portray the people who get involved in misconduct as simple 'bad guys.' Under the pressure of having to produce results, ordinary people cross the line little by little. That is precisely why there was a fear that, as a salaryman, I could strangely relate to.

And what left the biggest impression on me personally was the long monologue Hakkaku gives toward the end. It is essentially about how 'misconduct will never disappear, as it is the Japanese constitution.' There was a depth unique to this work that didn't let it end as a simple, thrilling tale of good triumphing over evil. The idea that company common sense becomes more important than societal common sense—I think anyone who works has probably experienced something like that somewhere.

I especially recommend this to those who like Jun Ikeido, or those who enjoy 'Hanzawa Naoki' or 'Shitamachi Rocket'.

I have summarized the specific content of Hakkaku's speech and the points that made me think while watching on my blog, including spoilers. Please feel free to check it out if you'd like.

▶ 'Seven Meetings' Full Review (Nemuranai Eigakan)