I first watched Radio no Jikan many, many years ago on SBS in Australia and I though it was an incredible movie and I would have no hesitated in putting it into my top 10 Japanese movies list.
Radio no Jikan was for me, the ultimate Mitani Koki movie. The idea of a radio drama gone horribly wrong when all the actors started wanting to get their own way and everyone trying to fix the story was brilliant.
Many, many years later, rewatching Radio no Jikan for the second time, I did not find it as funny as I remembered it.
I still laughed at various jokes and characters but I really noticed that many scenes were way too long and the movie wasn't as tightly paced as the incredible
Kisaragi.
Both are similar in that both movies are based on plays set in one location except the momentum of Kisaragi is constant while Radio no Jikan feels like it needs an experienced editor to hold the director back.
I'm not saying its gone from a must watch movie to a bad movie. Its pretty much gone down to just watchable for me with the added benefit of young Suzuki Kyoka and Karasawa Toshiaki who still look the same.
As for what I now think Mitani Koki's best work is? Its definitely
Warai no Daigaki / University of Laughs which he wrote the script for. Still, I have not seen his last 4 movies so one day I'll have to catch up.
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