is a 2013 Japanese film directed by Shūichi Okita. The theme song is called and is performed by

Asian Kung-Fu Generation (stylized as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION) is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Yokohama in 1996. For its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotoh, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyo ...

. The film was shown at the 13th Japanese Film Festival Nippon Connection in June 2013. It premiered in America on July 13, 2013 at the

New York Asian Film Festival The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) is a critically acclaimed film festival held in New York City, dedicated to the display of Asian Film Culture. The New York Asian Film Festival generally features contemporary premieres and classic titles ...

and has also made an appearance at the

San Diego Asian Film Festival The San Diego Asian Film Festival ( SDAFF) is an annual event organized by Pacific Arts Movement (formerly the San Diego Asian Film Foundation) that takes place every November in San Diego, California. Background SDAFF is the flagship event for ...

and the Japanese Film Festival in Australia.

Plot

The story is set in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

in 1987 where Yonosuke Yokomichi has arrived from

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole Nanban trade, port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hi ...

to study Business Administration at

Hosei University is a private university based in Tokyo, Japan. The university originated in a school of law, Tōkyō Hōgakusha (, i.e. Tokyo association of law), established in 1880, and the following year renamed Tōkyō Hōgakkō (, i.e. Tokyo school of law ...

. Relative to the other students his suit is crumpled and his hair is uncombed. He meets Kuramochi, another unconventional student at the introductory meeting, and meets the pretty Yui Akutsu at the formal registration and they agree to explore together rather than be alone. He encounters Chiharu, a would-be actress in a cafe, and she uses him to extort a car from a businessman. He tells this story to a new friend, Kato, who asks him to join on a double date. His date, Shoko Yosano, the daughter of a rich businessman, arrives in a chauffeur-driven car. They go to a cheap burger cafe but are forced to sit as two pairs. Shoko likes him and tracks him down to ask him to the pool where she introduces him to her half-brother, Katsuhiko, and his rich friends. Here he re-encounters the actress. Shoko comes to visit him at his parents' house in a coastal village. The next day they go to the beach with friends. While they are having a potentially romantic solitary rendezvous on the beach during the night, their first kiss is disturbed by the arrival of a group of

Vietnamese boat people Vietnamese boat people ( vi, Thuyền nhân Việt Nam), also known simply as boat people, refers to the refugees who fled Vietnam by boat and ship following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. This migration and humanitarian crisis was at its ...

on the beach, and during the confusion a baby is passed to them.

Cast

Kengo Kora is a Japanese actor. Career Kora has gained recognition for his roles in films such as Shinji Aoyama's '' Sad Vacation'', Yukio Ninagawa's ''Snakes and Earrings'', Tran Anh Hung's '' Norwegian Wood'', Ryuichi Hiroki's ''The Egoists'', Yoshihir ...

as Yonosuke Yokomichi *

Yuriko Yoshitaka is a Japanese actress. She has played numerous roles in film and television, including lead roles in ''Snakes and Earrings'', '' Yurigokoro'', and the NHK asadora ''Hanako to Anne''. Career At age 16, her first year of high school, Yoshitaka joi ...

as Shōko Yosano * Sōsuke Ikematsu as Ippei Kuramochi * Ayumi Itō as Chiharu *

Gō Ayano is a Japanese actor. Career Ayano was featured in several roles beginning in 2003. In 2009, he appeared in Takashi Miike's '' Crows Zero 2''. His role in the film was described by Mark Schilling of ''The Japan Times'' as "a tall, pale-faced, del ...

as Katō * Aki Asakura * Keiko Horiuchi as the mother of Shōko *

Mei Kurokawa is a Japanese actress and singer. Her given name ''Mei'' originates from her birth month (May) in English. She has been frequently featured in many Japanese dramas and Kaidan Shin Mimibukuro: Yūrei Mansion films. Filmography Film * (2005) * ...

* Noriko Eguchi *

Arata Iura , previously known as Arata, is a Japanese actor, model and fashion designer. He is the Director of fashion brand Elnest Creative Activity. He holds the position of Director at the Artisan Culture Organisation Institute. Biography Iura co-star ...

Jun Kunimura is a Japanese actor who has performed in Japan, Hollywood and Hong Kong. He won Best Supporting Actor and the Popular Star Award at the 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards for his performance in the South Korean horror film ''The Wailing (film), The Wa ...

as the father of Shōko *

Kitarō , born (February 4, 1953), is a Japanese recording artist, composer, record producer, and arranger noted for his electronic-instrumental music, and is often associated with and regarded as one of the most prominent musical acts of new-age musi ...

as the father of Yonosuke *

Kimiko Yo is a Japanese actress. She was given Best Supporting Actress awards at the 2004 and the 2009 Yokohama Film Festival ceremonies. She won the award for best supporting actress at the 32nd and at the 33rd Japan Academy Prize for '' Departures'' ...

as the mother of Yonosuke

Reception

It was chosen as the 3rd best film at the

23rd Japan Film Professional Awards The is the 23rd edition of the ''Japan Film Professional Awards''. It awarded the best of 2013 in film and it took place on June 28, 2014 at Theatre Shinjuku in Tokyo. Awards *Best Film: ''Bozo'' *Best Director: Shūichi Okita ('' A Story of ...

and as the 8th best Japanese film of the year by film magazine ''Eiga Geijutsu''.

References

External links

* * Films directed by Shūichi Okita 2013 films 2010s Japanese films {{2010s-Japan-film-stub