Sagrada Reset Part 1 (4 Stars)

Sometimes I have problems rating a film. There's a lot that's positive in "Sagrada Reset Part 1", but it's difficult to follow what's happening. That's not because the plot is complex, it's because the characters are complex. They all have different powers, and whenever a character returns to the story after half an hour's absence I scratch my head and ask myself what his powers are.

The story takes place in a Japanese town called Sakurada where almost everyone has special abilities, i.e. superpowers. They only retain their powers as long as they remain in the town. As soon as they leave, they lose their powers, and they don't get their powers back even if they return.

Suspend disbelief.

Most of the characters in the film are schoolchildren aged 14 to 16.

Haruki is a girl who has the ability to reset time up to three days. Everyone goes back in time, and she doesn't even know that she's done it.

Kei is a boy who has perfect memory. He never forgets anything he's seen or done, not even he smallest details. This means that when Haruki resets time, he's the only one who remembers what happened before the reset, so he's the ideal partner for Haruki.

Tomoki is a boy who can send a voice message to anyone.

Yoka is a girl who can change the shape of anything. She can also make others do her will.

Eri is a girl who can make anyone forget something when she makes eye contact. Usually she makes the other children forget how to use their powers. Kei is the only one who can resist her.

Sasano is an old man who can create portals with a Polaroid camera. Either he uses his pictures himself, or he gives them to others. Anyone who rips a picture goes to the time and place where the picture was taken, but he can only remain for ten minutes.

An unnamed priestess can see the future.

Sakagami is a boy who can copy the special power from one person to another, but only as long as he's touching both of them.

Now you can see why I have trouble remembering everything. And these are only the major characters. There are other children with other abilities. 

There are confusing plots and subplots. I'll just mention the most important one. Kei's girlfriend Soma died two years previously. It was too long ago for a Reset, and Sasano wasn't there to take a photo. So how do they get her back? It's a confusing mixture of the abilities. I can't even remember what they did, I'd have to watch the film again to figure it out. But the biggest shock is that (unknown to anyone) Soma committed suicide, because she wanted to be rescued after her death. That's a risky plan.

After watching the film I read up on it. Sagrada Reset began as a comic book series. Ah ha! That explains everything. In comics many characters can be included, and it's easy for readers to follow them, especially if they're introduced one at a time. The film is obviously made for people who've read the comics.

I might watch the film again. I'll understand it better next time.