Learn Hardcore Japanese: kanasii eiga wo mita ga, saigo ha sukosi ansinsita. - I watched a sad movie, but I felt a little relieved at the end.

Japanese often drops subjects when they’re clear from context. Here it’s most naturally “I,” but it could be “we,” etc., depending on the situation. You can add 私は if you need to make it explicit: 私は悲しい映画を見た…

Is the が after 見た the same as the subject-marking が?

No. Here が is a conjunction meaning “but/although.” Subject-marking が attaches to a noun and marks it as the subject (e.g., 雨が降る). Conjunctive が comes after a clause (e.g., 見たが = “watched, but …”).

Can I use けど instead of が? What about けれど(も), でも, or しかし?

Yes—choose based on register and flow.

が: a bit more written/formal-neutral, between clauses.
けど/けれど(も): common in speech; けれども is slightly more formal.
でも: starts a new sentence (A. でも B.).
しかし: formal, sentence-initial. Examples: 悲しい映画を見たけど、最後は少し安心した。/ 悲しい映画を見た。でも、最後は少し安心した。

Why is there a comma after が?

It marks a natural pause between the two clauses for readability. It’s optional; 悲しい映画を見たが最後は少し安心した。 is also acceptable.

Why is は used after 最後? Why not に? What’s the nuance of 最後は vs 最後に / 最後には?

最後は: topic/contrast marker—“as for the end,” often implying contrast with earlier parts.
最後に: explicit time adverb—“at the end (then…).”
最後には: emphasizes eventual outcome—“in the end, (it turned out that) ….” All are possible, but 最後は adds a slight contrastive nuance.

Does 最後は mean “the ending was a bit reassuring”?

No. 最後 here is a time/topic phrase (“as for the end”), not the subject. 安心した describes the speaker’s feeling. To describe the ending itself as reassuring, you’d say something like 結末は少し安心できる感じだった (“the ending felt somewhat reassuring”).

What’s the difference between 安心した and 安心だった?

安心した = past of the verb 安心する (“to feel relieved”): “I felt relieved.”
安心だった = past of the na-adjective/noun 安心 (“relief/peace of mind”): “(It) was reassuring/was a relief.” Often used about a situation/thing, e.g., 結果は安心できるものだった. Note: 安心 is about mental ease; 安全 means “safe” (objective safety).

How is 安心した formed? What are some other forms?

From 安心する (a する-verb):

Plain past: 安心した
Polite non-past: 安心します
Polite past: 安心しました
Negative: 安心しない
Past negative: 安心しなかった

Why is 少し placed before 安心した? Can it go elsewhere? What about 少しは?

少し is an adverb modifying the verb, so it naturally goes before 安心した. Alternatives:

最後は少し安心した。 (natural)
最後は少しは安心した。 adds contrast “at least a little.” Avoid forms like 安心を少しした, which are unnatural here.

Could I use ほっとした instead of 安心した?

Yes. ほっとする conveys a palpable “sigh of relief” and is a bit more emotive/casual. 最後は少しほっとした。 works well.

Why 見た and not 観た? Which is better for movies?

Both are read みた. 見る is general “to see/watch” and is fine. 観る emphasizes viewing/observing (often used for movies, plays, art). Either is acceptable; 観た feels a touch more “proper” for films.

Why isn’t it 悲しかった映画?

悲しい映画: adjective directly modifies the noun—“a sad movie” (general quality/genre).
悲しかった映画: “the movie that was sad” (relative clause), often pointing to a specific movie already in context. Here, the simple descriptor 悲しい映画 is most natural.

Could I use 〜て instead of が? For example, 悲しい映画を見て、最後は少し安心した?

Yes. 〜て links events in sequence or cause (“watched, and then felt…”). が highlights contrast (“although it was sad, [I] ended up relieved”). Choose based on the nuance you want.

How do I say this politely?

Use ます-forms: 悲しい映画を見ましたが、最後は少し安心しました。 You can add 私は if needed: 私は悲しい映画を見ましたが、…

Why are there spaces between the words?

Standard Japanese doesn’t use spaces. They’re inserted in learning materials to aid segmentation. Normal writing: 悲しい映画を見たが、最後は少し安心した。

Can I end the sentence with けど or が?

Ending with けど is common in speech to soften or trail off: 悲しい映画を見たけど。
Ending with が in plain style feels stiff/unfinished. In polite speech (〜ましたが。) it can soften, but it still implies something unsaid.

Do both clauses have to be past tense? Could I say 見たが、安心する?

For a past narrative, keep both past: 見たが、安心した. Mixing tenses (見たが、安心する) sounds odd unless the second clause states a general/habitual truth.