can i just say that this one is a prime example of how realistic koreeda's works are AND that's what i love about his filmography to be honest this is such a weird film to me in a good way...it's so comforting yet so devastating at the same time. the diverse personalities of the characters really added so much to this film. akira is the one portrayed to be the most mature one since he's the oldest despite only being 12 years old, i noticed that he's the only one who can actually talk to their mother about serious stuff but as the film progresses, akira is torn between taking care of his siblings like how he was taught to do so as the eldest sibling and enjoying his youth like a normal 12 year old kid. kyoko on the other hand is the most interesting character for me, she was still very fond of their mother even after realizing that she abandoned them already. i can tell that she really admires their mother and is afraid to disappoint her well that's how i interpreted the nail polish scene but it can also be her wanting to try the nail polish on might be the closest way to experience the freedom only their mother gets to experience. LASTLY the mother's character is also really complex, she appeared to be very childish and you can clearly see this during that one scene of her with akira before she abandoned them. the amount of times she emphasized that akira takes after his father who is a pilot (iirc) already suggests that she thinks akira is more capable than her. overall i loved the way koreeda portrayed the children in this film, everything they did and the way they responded to everything just showed that at the end of the day, they're still kids. (i lowkey have more to say but I CAN'T form my words properly bc i'm sleepy but yea it's a great film i liked it!)