'Close range love' ~ because a movie with a Sakanaction song cannot be bad

It's my intuition. Insight. Second sight. When I doubt, I doubt. When I don't, I seldom make mistakes. If I see that this movie is different from the beginning, then it proves to be different to the end.

story and characters

When I tried to retell the story to my friend, I realised how plain it is. She is emotionless, he is sneering at her, she is in trouble, he lifts her and brings to the infirmary accompanied by some solemn music. Others try to split them but they won't let them. Then he learns of her dream and decides to let her go by lying that he does not love her any more, but she then understands it was a lie. What can be easier?

In fact, it gets very sweet by the end and I would probably throw rotten tomatoes at such scenes

if not for that fact that something makes it different from your usual Japanese romantic movies. And that something is...

acting

Well, undfortunately I am not speaking of the main Heroine, Komatsu Nana, because she was your usual pretty Japanese girl who looked like she had to use eyedrops in the scene when her heroine was crying.

And that infamous Japanese romance! Not suspicious at all, aha.

Okay, okay, I'll finally tell you what's good in this movie. I think you guessed already, if you saw the cast.

I mean, I'm not a fan of Yamapi, even though I've seen a lot of movies with him. I kind of admire him from afar, I'm not a fangirl, I don't swoon when I see him. I simply think he's attractive and plays his roles a bit better than other actors do, because I do think Japanese cinema actors, as opposed to theatre actors, suck at acting, since most of them are there for their looks.

But here Yamasisa (as my friend once called him and that became the way we call him among ourselves and therefore the way I am used to call him) was so incredibly hot I almost evaporated during the first 10 minutes. I loved his acting, I loved how he portrayed the character, I loved his changing facing expressions.
Other actors were just normal, I wouldn't mention anyone in particular, but maybe, just maybe, Kotaki Nozomu was cute. Oh yes he was. Extremely. Yeah... It titillates my maternal instinct. Not that I find him attractive, but rather I want to punch other children who are offending him. or give him a candy...

music

Like I said, this is a movie that looked not alike other ones that I've seen, and when the end titles start, I suddenly hear this masterpiece

Not a touching song by Shiina Ringo, not a cute one by Ikimonogakari, not a pompous song by some band like Alexandros, not a glitzy piece by Juju, but an extremely stylish, slow, picturesque 'hasu no hana'. I couldn't wish for a better ending.

Though I can't say I liked the OST particularly, the 'epic song' in the epic scene was really impressive =)

conclusion

As a person who cannot sit still when he knows there is an original work this movie is based upon, I started reading the manga already. And what was my surprise when I saw that the movie scenario was better. Those moments showing how the teacher could read the Heroine's emotions by her subtle gestures, those moments when they both doubted and reflected their feelings, even the romantic moment in the classroom - all things that happened in the first volume very quickly, took some time in the movie and therefore, were much more profound and expressive. To be honest, after the first 4 chapters I just stared at the screen and thought - 'if in the manga she yielded so fast, what are the remaining 9 volumes about?'