Upon finishing the film I'm left feeling a mixture of feelings. While the first half I disliked characters Hiro and Mika, (Hiro for seeming to use Mika and discard her quickly after, and Mika for blindly loving Hiro even after all the turmoil he caused her directly/indirectly,) I'm now trying to recover from what I can honestly say was one of the most grueling and heartbreaking love stories I've ever seen!
Taking a step back, I will admit my doubts at the beginning of the film. For starters, I felt the chemistry between Hiro and Mika was definitely lacking. Within hours of first meeting, Hiro has somehow managed to persuade a cautious and reserved Mika into bed with him?! It felt cheesy and rushed and very much like a shallow and melodramatic romance between teenagers who are falling in love for the first time.... oh wait..! Perhaps that is exactly what we are meant to feel? I was reminded of my first High School romance... and I reflected AND cringed at the similarities. Not in the awful rape scene or the premature sex per say, but more in the mushy gooey "I know we've just met, but you are my everything!" behavior. Keeping in mind that the characters are in fact young teenagers at the beginning of the film, and incredibly impressionable in Mika's case (as was I at that tender age), it is easier to watch and digest these beginning scenes.
The film didn't begin to leave a major impression on me until after the couple's spilt and I saw Mika's world without Hiro. Her reluctancy to let him go and then her syrupy-sweet and gentle new relationship with Yu. (What a lovely boy he was!) Beyond this, I found it incredible just how much Yui Aragaki was able to embody Mika's character through her loss of innocence and maturity throughout the film's progression. Her character at the beginning and ending of the film seemed entirely different not only in behavior, but outwards appearance...
And then Mika's first encounter after quite some time without Hiro at the spot they promised to meet and remember their unborn child... seeing Hiro again, but now sporting a hat... and paler face. Instantly I put the pieces together, something Mika's character only realizes later down the road.
When she has discovered Hiro's sickness, there is only brief hesitation over whether to leave her healthy relationship with Yu. This... was a bit far fetched to me. How can you, now having matured and promised Yu a relationship, so quickly run away? These are issues I would not have dealt with so rashly... but then again this was not me.
Returning to Hiro... the scene in the hospital room and our first encounter with a deteriorated and sickly boy instantly tore at my heart. Whether you loved or hated him before, now you feel pity. Entirely stripped of the ridiculous silver hair and tough boy facade ... you see him plainly. I need not gush over the hugely talented Haruma Miura, or remind you he was only 17 upon the movies release (so only 16 during filming?) , but I will anyway. Tackling roles dealing with terminal illness is tricky to begin. Throw in the fact you're still so young, hardly lived life's hardships firsthand, and this seems like a recipe for disaster yet.. one Haruma conquered delicately and with eerie realism. This film is a testament to his talent.
Interactions between the two from this point onward were so beautifully acted. I'm reminded AGAIN that both were still teenagers themselves with these roles... and that just blows me away. The romance we're shown at the end of the movie is entirely different. It's... so natural. Small tiny interactions that were so minute yet pivotal in making the relationship seem realistic. And the scene at Hiro's favorite spot, where he went to feel strong, but now cries against a tree for a life he knows he will not have... Needless to say I was a mess of tears the remainder of the film. To describe these interactions is hard, but for this portion of the story alone the film is worth watching.
The ending will take your already tender heart, stomp on it repetitively, and then calming walk away leaving you.... exhausted from crying. But it takes you on a journey. An incredibly tragic coming of age tale with no frills, very much realistic when you take a step back and compare it to others in this genre.
Would I recommend this? Yes. ONLY, though, to those who are prepared for a tragic story, those with an open mind, and those with a box of tissues near by. We were all teenagers once, perhaps you still are. There is something very real and very honest about this story. Watch if you're prepared for that. If anything, marvel in the talent of Yui Aragaki and Haruma Miura. This film was brought to life through them.
Taking a step back, I will admit my doubts at the beginning of the film. For starters, I felt the chemistry between Hiro and Mika was definitely lacking. Within hours of first meeting, Hiro has somehow managed to persuade a cautious and reserved Mika into bed with him?! It felt cheesy and rushed and very much like a shallow and melodramatic romance between teenagers who are falling in love for the first time.... oh wait..! Perhaps that is exactly what we are meant to feel? I was reminded of my first High School romance... and I reflected AND cringed at the similarities. Not in the awful rape scene or the premature sex per say, but more in the mushy gooey "I know we've just met, but you are my everything!" behavior. Keeping in mind that the characters are in fact young teenagers at the beginning of the film, and incredibly impressionable in Mika's case (as was I at that tender age), it is easier to watch and digest these beginning scenes.
The film didn't begin to leave a major impression on me until after the couple's spilt and I saw Mika's world without Hiro. Her reluctancy to let him go and then her syrupy-sweet and gentle new relationship with Yu. (What a lovely boy he was!) Beyond this, I found it incredible just how much Yui Aragaki was able to embody Mika's character through her loss of innocence and maturity throughout the film's progression. Her character at the beginning and ending of the film seemed entirely different not only in behavior, but outwards appearance...
And then Mika's first encounter after quite some time without Hiro at the spot they promised to meet and remember their unborn child... seeing Hiro again, but now sporting a hat... and paler face. Instantly I put the pieces together, something Mika's character only realizes later down the road.
When she has discovered Hiro's sickness, there is only brief hesitation over whether to leave her healthy relationship with Yu. This... was a bit far fetched to me. How can you, now having matured and promised Yu a relationship, so quickly run away? These are issues I would not have dealt with so rashly... but then again this was not me.
Returning to Hiro... the scene in the hospital room and our first encounter with a deteriorated and sickly boy instantly tore at my heart. Whether you loved or hated him before, now you feel pity. Entirely stripped of the ridiculous silver hair and tough boy facade ... you see him plainly. I need not gush over the hugely talented Haruma Miura, or remind you he was only 17 upon the movies release (so only 16 during filming?) , but I will anyway. Tackling roles dealing with terminal illness is tricky to begin. Throw in the fact you're still so young, hardly lived life's hardships firsthand, and this seems like a recipe for disaster yet.. one Haruma conquered delicately and with eerie realism. This film is a testament to his talent.
Interactions between the two from this point onward were so beautifully acted. I'm reminded AGAIN that both were still teenagers themselves with these roles... and that just blows me away. The romance we're shown at the end of the movie is entirely different. It's... so natural. Small tiny interactions that were so minute yet pivotal in making the relationship seem realistic. And the scene at Hiro's favorite spot, where he went to feel strong, but now cries against a tree for a life he knows he will not have... Needless to say I was a mess of tears the remainder of the film. To describe these interactions is hard, but for this portion of the story alone the film is worth watching.
The ending will take your already tender heart, stomp on it repetitively, and then calming walk away leaving you.... exhausted from crying. But it takes you on a journey. An incredibly tragic coming of age tale with no frills, very much realistic when you take a step back and compare it to others in this genre.
Would I recommend this? Yes. ONLY, though, to those who are prepared for a tragic story, those with an open mind, and those with a box of tissues near by. We were all teenagers once, perhaps you still are. There is something very real and very honest about this story. Watch if you're prepared for that. If anything, marvel in the talent of Yui Aragaki and Haruma Miura. This film was brought to life through them.