 Upon completion , Takita declared Departures " perfect " , and praised the crew for their self @-@ reliance in developing the content and the humble , " hand @-@ made " quality of the film . That the film 's initial success depended largely on word @-@ of @-@ mouth was also a source of pride for the director . Coffinman author Shinmon Aoki praised Motoki 's performance and the film 's ability to show the importance of family and interpersonal connections , despite his disappointment at the dropping of the story 's religious aspect . 
