Takeshi Kaneshiro stars in his first Japanese production since the sci-fi actioner Returner way back in 2002. In Sweet Rain (subtitled Accuracy of Death) he plays a grim reaper named Chiba, snappily decked out in a sharp-fitting black suit and ably supported by a talking black Labrador sidekick. When given his assignments – to escort the dead to heaven – he must observe his target for seven days before passing judgment on their fate. He is able to interact with people, but not touch them, and it soon becomes apparent that Chiba is dissatisfied with his lonely, rather morbid, existence – even if most people would consider having a talking dog pretty cool. Add to this his naïve, literal interpretation of the world around him and the fact that he never sees clear blue skies – it rains whenever he appears on Earth – and the audience quickly feels sympathy for this devilishly handsome harbinger of death.

Sweet Rain is an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Isaka Kotaro and benefits from a carefully worked, if not overly complex, narrative structure. The film follows Chiba as he oversees three cases – a young female office employee (Manami Konishi) being harangued by a persistent customer; a yakuza lieutenant (Ken Mitsuishi) who may have upset the wrong rival gang once too often, and an elderly hairdresser (Fuji Sumiko) who yearns to see her estranged grandson before she dies. In each case he works his way into their lives and observes them, before deeming whether or not they have yet ‘served their purpose’ on Earth. Each segment of the story takes place in a different decade – the 1980s, the present day, and the near future – apparently for the sole reason of announcing that one of the secondary characters is in fact a robot.

What makes the film enjoyable – and it most certainly is that – is Kaneshiro’s central performance. His music-loving, parlour game-playing reaper is totally endearing, if slightly too enigmatic. We never learn if he once lived a normal human life or how he came to be the angel of death. We simply know that he has been doing this job for a long time and that he has never spared a life yet. In fact, the opening scene shows Chiba leading a 10-year-old girl away from her own funeral, leaving behind her distraught parents as she happily walks hand-in-hand with Chiba into the next life. It is a set-up that could have effectively presaged a far darker and more sinister drama but, perhaps mercifully, the story told is much lighter, focusing more on Chiba’s growing appreciation for life and understanding of the human condition. All that being said, Sweet Rain doesn’t seem to have much of a message for its audience. There is comedy, some action, drama and even a little pathos, but no real examination of the true cost of human life, or the lasting effect death has on others. Sweet Rain ultimately seems more concerned with how Chiba’s decisions affect him, rather than showing him learn from his actions on others. The result is that, while entertaining and occasionally quite tenderly played, Sweet Rain ultimately misses the opportunity to be something genuinely special.

James Marsh