Film Name: 夏日友晴天 / Luca
When creatures from other worlds come to Earth, there are generally three possible outcomes. First, they are destroyed. Second, they are assimilated. Third, they form emotional bonds with Earthlings and then depart.
The third type is what we see most often. These stories typically unfold from a human perspective, tracing a journey of discovery, acceptance, misunderstanding, joint struggle, and reluctant farewell. The longer the contact with humans, the deeper the mutual affection grows, making the parting all the more poignant and moving. Take Doraemon, for instance. When he eventually leaves Nobita, who could hold back their tears? While he was present, he was Nobita’s everything; when he departed, he left Nobita with everything. Truly heartwrenching.
The film “Luca” falls into the second category. These stories are usually told from the perspective of the otherworldly creature, depicting the stages of discovery, acceptance, obstacles, overcoming challenges, and assimilation. Sometimes, these beings appear in human society in their true form, like the Smurfs. Other times, they disguise themselves as humans, like Superman. Eventually, people discover that this “human” is not truly human, and all the emotions and conflicts build up to this moment.
As a sea creature fascinated by the human world, Luca disguises himself as a human. Ultimately, he faces two challenges. One challenge stems from the opinions that hinder his integration into human society. These include conservative attitudes from parents and selfish motives from friends. While his companion Albert opens the door to the human world for him, Albert doesn’t truly wish Luca to integrate into human society. He merely desires a fellow creature to accompany him in freely exploring the world. This is fundamentally a selfish mindset.
Another challenge lies in the overwhelming sense of rejection that will inevitably arise when humanity discovers he is a sea monster. The film delivers a breathtaking and profoundly moving portrayal of this moment. A pivotal scene occurs when Albert reveals his true form as the sea monster, instinctively declaring “He is the sea monster” to protect himself. He must have been terrified—terrified that this rejection would crush him, rendering him unable to live among humans and forcing him to return to the depths of the sea. Another pivotal moment occurs during a torrential downpour. To rescue Albert, who has been captured, he willingly abandons his disguise, revealing himself as the sea monster—presenting his true self. He makes a courageous decision, a monumental choice, one he will never regret: standing by his friendship in the face of potential, overwhelming rejection.
When Albert invites Luca to his secret tower-like fortress, he unconsciously opens his heart to this lifelong friend. When his feelings are hurt, he instinctively retreats to his fortress seeking security. But when Luca comes to apologize, warmth once again fills his fortress. In truth, everyone has a fortress within their heart, and everyone has a scooter. Sometimes, the poster of that scooter that races across the world is plastered on the walls of that fortress.
Does Luca have a fortress? Yes, he does. It might be the small sea cave where he hides from humans while herding fish, or perhaps his warm bed of seaweed. But clearly, he stepped out of his fortress sooner than Albert, achieving spiritual independence earlier.
Unlike conventional tales of alien creatures arriving on Earth only to be assimilated, where the story typically centers on a single visitor and its conflict with humanity—or, if two arrive, the second serves as an adversary whose defeat becomes the alien’s pledge of assimilation—”Luca” features two protagonists from another world who are friends. Neither must trample the other to prove their assimilation to humans. The film prioritizes their friendship narrative over assimilation. This approach infuses warmth while significantly diluting the weight of assimilation itself.
There is no ultimate villain here. The true obstacles are personal fears and insecurities—the entrenched notions, prejudices, and mental fortresses within each individual. With his sincerity, Luca shatters Albert’s fortress of inferiority and breaks down the barrier of misunderstanding between humans and sea creatures. To Luca, whether it’s a racing bicycle or a train bound for the big city, they’ve all become stepping stones for his motorcycle to roam the world.
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