Thirty-seven seconds without breathing marked the start of Yuma's life, leaving her with cerebral palsy that she now navigates, at twenty-four, with quiet grace. She lives with her protective, devoted mother and manages enough independence to move around Tokyo on her electric wheelchair. She works as a manga artist, but her cousin signs all her work. It's the hunger to see her talent recognized and the drive to live new experiences—material for her art—that pushes her beyond the sheltered boundaries of her protected life. In doing so, Yuma discovers what her mother had always tried to hide, attempting to shield her. Mei Kayama, who has cerebral palsy herself, makes her acting debut as Yuma.
Her performance feels unguarded. It's her tender but hungry gaze, paired with her fragile voice, that gives the character real dimension—making credible what it means to live with a debilitating illness that doesn't prevent a full life. The story has its moments of warmth, but the plot sometimes strains credibility. After winning acclaim at the Berlin Film Festival and a successful festival run, including victory at the latest Rome Independent Film Festival, 37 Seconds (2019), directed by Hikari, was acquired by Netflix for worldwide distribution. And so this small Japanese film without famous names—which might have struggled in theaters—reaches audiences everywhere.