"Ayu" (2009)

Overview

Ayu is a high school student who wakes up one day and finds herself leading a life which feels familiar but somehow strange to her. After running into a series of bewildering incidents, she comes to the conclusion that just like ALICE IN WONDERLAND she lands in a fantasy world where only an old and lonely businessman would talk to her. The man takes Ayu home to keep her warm and looks after her with love and care. Yet Ayu begins to behave bizarrely –she can’t recall anything she has done and falsely accuses the maid of stealing. The old man tolerates all these erratic behaviors, but as he has no one to share his burden, he is getting ever more desperate. Ayu feels the distant memories are hidden in her and she tries hard to retrieve them. However, she doesn’t realize her search for the lost memories has inflicted pain on people close to her. As the old man’s care and company gradually bring Ayu to her past, she finally understands that it is she herself that she has lost…