Respond to these rapid questions in our Ikiru quiz and we will tell you which Ikiru character you are. Play it now.
Kanji Watanabe has been in the same monotonous bureaucratic job for thirty years and is about to resign. His wife is no longer alive, and his son and daughter-in-law, who reside with him, appear to be primarily concerned with Watanabe’s pension and their future inheritance. He contributes to continuous bureaucratic inaction at work. In one instance, a group of parents is directed to one department after another when they want a cesspool removed and replaced with a playground. Watanabe tries to accept his imminent death after learning he has stomach cancer and has less than a year to live. He intends to inform his son about the cancer, but changes his mind after his son ignores him. He then seeks solace in the pleasures of Tokyo’s nightlife, aided by an eccentric novelist he has recently encountered. Watanabe requests a song from the piano player in a nightclub and performs “Gondola no Uta” with great sadness. Those who observe him are moved by his singing. He sees this is not the solution after spending one night immersed in the nightlife.Editor’s Picks
Ikiru Quiz
Watanabe dies, and his former coworkers assemble at his wake, following the opening of the playground, to try to figure out what caused such a dramatic shift in his behavior. They are perplexed by his change from listless bureaucrat to passionate advocate. As the coworkers drink, they gradually realize that Watanabe had to have known he was dying, even though his son disputes it because he was ignorant of his father’s condition. They also learn from a witness that Watanabe sat on the swing at the park he built in his final minutes. He sang “Gondola no Uta” as the snow descended. The bureaucrats swear to conduct their lives with the same zeal and zeal that he did. But when they return to work, they lack the courage that comes with their renewed conviction.Also, you will find out which character are you in this Ikiru quiz.For more personality quizzes check this: North By Northwest Quiz.