Doppelganger

Michio Hayasaki works at a medical instrument company and is a timid engineer who struggles to push the robotic chair project forward. Constant deadlines and managerial pressure erode his confidence, making risk-taking feel impossible. The mounting stress leaves him questioning his own courage and value at work.

On his way home, a man who is his exact double stands on Michio's doorstep, an uncanny mirror of himself. He fears he might be undergoing a mental breakdown and recalls the legend that meeting your double portends danger. The encounter leaves him unsettled and curious.

The doppelganger is calm and reassuring, insisting there is nothing to fear and that they should talk. He smoothly invites Michio into his own home, blurring the boundary between self and stranger. Michio, bemused but intrigued, agrees to let him stay.

Inside, the two look the same, but their personalities diverge dramatically. The timid Michio is matched by a bold, unafraid version who speaks his mind, acts without hesitation, and pursues what he wants. The differences expose how differently life could unfold.

Under the doppelganger's influence, Michio's routine is rebuilt from the ground up. The double removes sources of stress, reshapes his schedule, and starts acquiring the things Michio had vowed to forsake. The changes feel liberating, even if they disturb Michio's sense of self.

The twin quietly claims opportunities, social connections, and possessions that Michio had let go of due to fear. He confronts obstacles with audacity, getting what Michio had avoided for years. This shift frees Michio from restraints but unsettles his inner balance.

The doppelganger flouts rules and expectations, performing rebellious acts that Michio never dared to attempt. He takes risks with work and life, challenging authority and social norms. The results bring both success and unease into Michio's world.

While reshaping his life, the doppelganger assists in advancing the key project—the robotic chair that could mobilize a paralysed person. He pushes technical progress, experiments beyond caution, and forces Michio to confront what he has avoided.

Michio begins to find a perverse enjoyment in the doppelganger's nihilistic approach, savoring the clarity and decisiveness that had eluded him. The new persona provides relief from stress and fuels a dangerous sense of freedom. He starts to prefer results over careful process.

Yet a seed of doubt grows as Michio wonders if the double has an ulterior agenda. The confident actions can feel predatory, and Michio questions who truly controls his life. The sense of autonomy begins to fracture.

Michio feels himself being pulled deeper into a maelstrom of thoughts and altered reality, unsure where the copy ends and he begins. The line between self and mirror grows blurred as paranoia rises. He realises he might be losing grip on his own sanity.

The story builds toward a confrontation with what he has created, leaving the future open and unsettled. The doubt about the doppelganger's motives lingers as the film closes on a fragile equilibrium. The ending hints that the boundary between self and double may never be fully restored.