(Jmovie Review) Uchi no Ototo domo ga Sumimasen

 Original title:  (うちの弟どもがすみません ) by Ozaki Akira (オザキアキラ)

English title: Ito and Her Brothers, Please Excuse My Younger Brothers

After what felt like forever searching for this movie, I finally stumbled upon it on the streaming platform Bstation. It’s not available on any official legal platforms, which explains why it was so hard to track down. I’d read the manga years ago but never finished it, so I was really curious to see how the story wraps up in the film.

The manga cover

Synopsis: Ito, a second-year high schooler and only child, suddenly has her life turned upside down when her mother remarries. She moves to a new city and overnight becomes the big sister to four stepbrothers! Cue the start of a family-love-comedy full of chaos and charm.

From the very beginning, the manga struck me as odd. How does someone get married without introducing their families first? Ito had no clue she’d suddenly inherit four brothers—one of them even the same age as her. And then, after the wedding, the parents leave the kids behind to work in another city. Imagine a mother leaving her daughter with four boys she barely knows! Luckily, the boys turn out to be decent.

Photo taken from mydramalist

Ito-chan had always lived with just her mom, and the story never really explains whether she was the one taking care of her hardworking mother instead of the other way around. Suddenly, she’s thrown into a household with four brothers who eat like bottomless pits. Cooking, cleaning, laundry—it’s all on her. The movie even points out that Ito-chan tries way too hard to be liked. Still, for fans of shoujo manga with a reverse harem twist, it’s pretty entertaining.

Sure, the plot has plenty of questionable moments, but I stuck with it because the cast is just too cute. Mei Hata as Ito-chan feels a bit repetitive—she often plays awkward characters in dramas I’ve seen. Sakuma Ryuto as Gen, the eldest brother, also tends to get typecast as the tsundere type. Maybe it’s just his face that fits the role, haha. Meanwhile, Nasu Yuto as Raku, the second brother, comes across as more mature both in looks and personality. Turns out he’s actually a year older than Sakuma Ryuto in real life. The third brother, Shu, becomes a hikikomori after being bullied at school. That raised another question for me: how can having two popular brothers not shield you from bullying? Shu’s looks aren’t bad at all, but maybe living in their shadow made him insecure and an easy target.

photo taken from mydramalist

All in all, whether you’re reading the manga or watching the movie, it’s fun—though it leaves you with unanswered questions. Like, what would really happen between Gen and Ito if this were real life? A romance between step-siblings seems pretty impossible outside of fiction. But hey, that’s shoujo for you—stories made to delight the girls. Lol.

Casts:

Hata Mei as Narita Ito

Sakuma Ryuto as Narita Gen

Nasu Yuto as Narita Raku

Oriyama Nao as Narita Shu

Uchida Kirato as Narita Rui

Story: 7/10

Music: 6/10

Casts: 8/10

Re-watch value: 7/10

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