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Comedy, Drama, Fantasy  •  2004  •  143 min

The Taste of Tea (2004)

The Taste of Tea poster

The Taste of Tea (2004)

Rating & Dimensions

Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Center
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Family Values: Leans Traditional
Viewer Rating
8.2

Overview

A slow, dreamy slice-of-life film set in rural Japan, 'The Taste of Tea' follows the eccentric Haruno family through a series of quiet, surreal vignettes. A mother animates films, an uncle recovers from city burnout, and a young girl is trailed by a giant version of herself. Director Katsuhito Ishii keeps the mood gentle and unhurried across a generous 143-minute runtime. The Neutral label fits because the film carries almost no political or ideological weight. Its strongest signal is a warm, multigenerational family where individual quirks coexist with genuine togetherness, which leans traditional. Everything else, social commentary, identity politics, religion, is simply absent. The film is too busy watching clouds pass to pick a side.

Starring Cast

Maya Banno  •   Takahiro Satô  •   Tadanobu Asano

Where to watch

Google Play logoGoogle Play
Fandango
Prime Video logoPrime Video
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Detailed Bias Analysis

Analyzing...
Center

Primary

Political: Center
Confidence: High

The film's central themes are apolitical, focusing on personal growth, family dynamics, and the power of imagination without engaging in societal critique or promoting specific ideological viewpoints.

Diversity: Moderate
Confidence: High

The movie features a cast that is culturally appropriate for its Japanese setting, naturally showcasing diversity in age and gender within that context. Its narrative focuses on personal and familial themes without critiquing traditional identities or explicitly centering DEI themes.

Secondary

Family Values: Leans Traditional
Confidence: High

The film portrays a warm, stable, and multigenerational family unit where members support each other's individual pursuits while maintaining strong bonds. The depiction of a functional, enduring marriage and the integration of elders into the household leans towards traditional family values.

LGBTQ: N/A
Confidence: High

The film centers on a quirky family in rural Japan, exploring their individual eccentricities, relationships, and imaginative lives. There are no identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes present in the narrative, which primarily focuses on heterosexual relationships, family dynamics, and personal growth.

Trans: N/A
Confidence: High

The Taste of Tea is a whimsical and surreal film centered on the daily lives and imaginative experiences of the Haruno family. The narrative explores themes such as childhood wonder, family bonds, and artistic expression through its various eccentric characters. There are no identifiable transgender characters or themes present within the film's storyline or character arcs.

Female Combat: N/R

The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.

Gender Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film is an original work with characters created specifically for its narrative. There are no pre-existing canonical or historically established characters from prior sources whose genders are altered in this portrayal.

Race Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film is an original story with characters created specifically for it. There is no prior source material, historical record, or previous installment to establish a character's race for a potential swap.

Hinduism: N/A
Confidence: High

Not depicted in the film.

Viewer Rating Breakdown

8.2

Viewer Rating

Combines user and critic ratings from four sources

User Ratings

IMDB logo
7.6
The Movie Database logo
7.5

Critic Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes logo
10.0
Metacritic logo
7.7

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