Dito Shows How A Father Tries To Repair His Relationship With His Daughter
The Japanese film includes Filipino actors Mon Confiado, Buboy Villar, and Lou Veloso
One of the movies included in this year’s Japanese Film Festival is DitO, which stars Filipino cast members Mon Confiado, Buboy Villar, and Lou Veloso. Boxing icon and politician Manny Pacquiao made a cameo appearance.
Directed by Takashi Yuki, the film was shot in Japan and the Philippines and explores the boxing world. But more than the sport, it also touches on a father’s relationship with his daughter.
In Pursuit of Boxing
Eiji Kamiyama (Eiji Kamiyama) is a Japanese professional boxer who left his family and country to become a star. He landed in the capital of Manila in the Philippines and has since been trying to get matches but to no avail.
Kamiyama’s life changes when his daughter Momoko (Momoko Tanabe) arrives and informs him that his wife has died. This forces Momoko to live with him in the small house he has in the Manila area. Momoko meets the people in the gym her father has been with like Joshua (Buboy Villar), a young and promising boxer, Sese (Mon Confiado), the trainer at the gym, and his wife Analyn (Lesley Lina). She also meets Tamagon (Lou Veloso), the gym owner.
Having been estranged from Momoko, the relationship had a rocky start. They search for a new place to live, only to be swindled of their money. As Eiji waits for matches he can fight, Momoko adjusts to the city. She becomes friends with Joshua and Analyn, who guide her, teaching life in Manila.
Never Giving Up
Joshua lands a match and prepares for it. During the Eiji, Momoko and everyone from the gym rallied to support him. Unfortunately, a jab to the chin knocks Joshua unconscious, and he is briefly unconscious. When he wakes up, he is devastated to find out he lost the fight.
Because of his defeat, Joshua quits boxing and returns to the province. Eiji visits and tries to convince him to return. Meanwhile, Momoko learns Filipino and lands a job in a restaurant.
She later visits Joshua and encourages him to come back to boxing.
After many setbacks, Eiji knew he had to do something for himself and spoke to Sese, who agreed to train him again. As they trained together, his relationship with Momoko gradually improved.
His hard work is noticed by boxing champion Gabriel’s team, who invited him to be his sparring partner. Seeing potential in Eiji, who turned 40, Gabriel reminds him that age doesn’t matter. Eiji is later informed that he was invited to do the under-card match for Gabriel’s big fight.
During the match, Eiji battled in the ring and got hit after hit. Joshua, who was watching, later talks to him, and after the encouragement from the team, he gives it all and wins the match.
In addition to winning the match, Eiji and Momoko were able to return to Baguio, a place Momoko remembered so well from her childhood, and they slowly bonded again.
Dito Is Relatable Among Fathers And Daughters
Dito is not just about boxing, it’s about the relationship between fathers and daughters. Eiji and Momoko were estranged after not seeing each other. Circumstances forced them to reunite and as they try to mend their relationship, they also see what they missed from each other.
Eiji knew he wasn’t a good father after leaving Momoko and his late wife. He slowly builds his relationship with her and in return, Momoko supports him as he trains for his match.
One of the important scenes involves Baguio, wherein Momoko vividly remembers being brought to by her family. And when she and Eiji returned, it reminded her of her childhood and made her smile.
Just like Momoko and Eiji, there are fathers and daughters out there who may be estranged from each other. It’s not easy to mend it and there will be some reluctance on the daughter’s end. But just like Momoko and Eiji, both did not give up on each other and they bond again.
More about parent and child relationships
4 Father And Daughter Lessons We Learn From Dingdong and Jayda Avanzado
Reparenting: The First Step to Becoming the Parent Our Children Need
