It's rare indeed that I ever wished a new Japanese film were longer — and I am not the only one. "This could be shorter by (name your number) minutes" is such a cliche of Japanese film reviewing and commentary that I inwardly groan every time I read or hear it; and yet more often than not, it's right. The two-hour film that crams in as many characters and story lines as possible from its source manga/novel/TV drama has become the industry standard.