We Couldn't Become Adults (2021) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Makoto keeps the postcard because it symbolizes his last connection to a time when he believed in living freely and pursuing dreams. While he divorced Megumi and moved forward with his career, the postcard served as a tangible reminder of Kaori and the ideals she represented, spontaneity and rejecting conventional life. Finding it among Megumi's belongings reactivated his nostalgia and set the stage for his later reflection on how his life diverged from those early aspirations.

• postcard
• kaori
• nostalgia
• divorce
• memories

Kaori left Makoto because his demanding job consumed all his time and passion, preventing him from pursuing the creative dreams she encouraged. She was a free-spirited person who rejected an ordinary life, but Makoto's work at the graphics company kept him constantly busy. The strain of his career overshadowed their relationship, ultimately leading her to depart despite their deep connection.

Foreshadowing: Early in their relationship, Kaori pushed Makoto to pursue creative work, hinting at the eventual conflict his job would create.

• kaori
• breakup
• career
• free-spirited
• job

Makoto remains single in 2020 because his career advancements came at the direct cost of his personal relationships. His rise from a small graphics office to a larger company required constant late nights and work focus. This pattern repeated throughout his life, his relationship with Kaori ended due to his workload, his marriage to Megumi failed, and subsequent connections like Su also didn't lead to lasting bonds. His pursuit of professional success left no room for meaningful romantic relationships.

Foreshadowing: The film shows Makoto transitioning from the bakery to graphics work, establishing early that work would dominate his life.

• single
• career
• relationships
• work
• loneliness

After leaving Makoto, Kaori eventually married and had children, settling into the conventional life she once rejected. When Makoto receives her Facebook friend request in 2020, he discovers she has abandoned the free-spirited ideals they shared. This revelation deeply affects him because he clung to her philosophy of living freely, only to find that she herself chose the ordinary domestic path he avoided.

Foreshadowing: Kaori's early rejection of 'ordinary life' and her marriage to another creates dramatic irony about her future choices.

• kaori
• marriage
• children
• facebook
• ex-girlfriend

Makoto met Su at his favorite hangout, Nanase's crossdressing pub, which he frequented to escape his lonely present. Su was a performer or patron he connected with that evening. However, when they left together, Makoto discovered she was involved in prostitution, forcing him to confront an uncomfortable truth about seeking connection and the transactional nature of some relationships. This encounter further illustrates his pattern of failed intimate connections.

• su
• nanase
• pub
• prostitute
• failed relationship

After reuniting with Nanase, Makoto wanders through Tokyo visiting locations tied to his past with Kaori, where they met, the love hotel they used, and other meaningful spots. This wandering represents his final confrontation with nostalgia and regret. Discovering that the love hotel has closed symbolizes the end of that chapter in his life. He grapples with the realization that he never fully embraced adulthood while others around him moved on with conventional lives.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene establishes Makoto's late-night wandering habit, setting up this final reflective journey.

• tokyo
• wandering
• love hotel
• memories
• closure

At the start, Makoto's friend suggests only 1% of the world is truly happy because they are ignorant, this frames Makoto's entire journey. The philosophy implies that those unaware of life's deeper meanings or missed opportunities can live happily, while people like Makoto who reflect deeply are doomed to regret. This resonates with Makoto throughout the film as he confronts his failed relationships and choices, suggesting his unhappiness stems from his awareness of what he lost.

• 1 percent
• happiness
• philosophy
• ignorance
• regret

Makoto transitioned from working at a bakery to becoming a graphics designer, a path encouraged by his manager Nanase who gave him flowers upon his departure. However, rather than pursuing creative freedom as Kaori had urged, he ended up in demanding corporate work that consumed his time. The career provided financial success and status but directly prevented him from nurturing relationships or creative passions, illustrating how practical choices often override idealistic dreams.

Foreshadowing: Nanase's farewell gift of flowers hints at the emotional connections Makoto will prioritize over career advancement.

• graphics
• career
• bakery
• nanase
• work

Makoto's marriage to Megumi Ishida ended in divorce, though the specific reasons aren't detailed. The divorce occurs in the past timeline, with Megumi collecting her belongings from their shared home. The broader context suggests Makoto's inability to commit fully to relationships due to his work commitments and lingering feelings for Kaori contributed to the marriage's failure. The divorce marks another in his series of failed romantic connections.

• megumi
• divorce
• marriage
• breakup

Inu-cara was Kaori's pen-pal identity when she first corresponded with Makoto through a personal advertisement. 'Inu-cara' appears to be a playful or alternative-style name that fit her free-spirited personality and rejection of conventional identity. She initially used this pseudonym before revealing herself to Makoto in person, and their relationship progressed from written correspondence to meeting at a bakery where he worked, eventually leading to their intimate relationship.

• inu-cara
• pen pal
• kaori
• personal advertisement

Nanase, who appears both as Makoto's bakery manager in the past and as a pub owner in the present, runs a crossdressing pub in 2020. The film presents this as his chosen lifestyle without extensive explanation. In 1998, he managed the bakery and encouraged Makoto through personal ads to find love. By 2020, after his pub closed, he was ejected from another establishment, showing his downward trajectory. His crossdressing represents his non-conformist identity spanning both timelines.

• nanase
• crossdresser
• pub
• bakery
• manager

Makoto attended the farewell gala because he previously worked as a graphics designer for the long-running television show. At the event, hosted by Mitsuo Oguro, he connected with a performer and spent the night with her in his hotel room. This encounter represents his continued search for human connection while reflecting on his past, mixing nostalgia for his career history with present-day loneliness.

• farewell gala
• mitsuo oguro
• graphics
• performer
• tv show

The title reflects Makoto's inability to fully embrace adulthood and its responsibilities. Throughout the film, he remains stuck in nostalgia, revisiting past relationships and idealizing former flames rather than accepting his present reality. While others like Kaori transitioned to conventional adult lives with marriages and children, Makoto stayed emotionally suspended in his memories. His wandering through Tokyo at the end, refusing to fully let go of the past, embodies this failure to mature and commit to adult responsibilities.

• adulthood
• title
• maturity
• regret
• growing up