is a 2007
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
written by Yoshi and directed by
Kazuyuki Morosawa. The film stars
Keiko Kitagawa
is a Japanese actress and former model. She was an exclusive model for the Japanese '' Seventeen'' magazine from late 2003 to mid-2006, and quit modeling when she left the magazine. Her first acting role was Sailor Mars in the Sailor Moon live ac ...
and
Yuika Motokariya
is a Japanese actress. She is signed with the Stardust Promotion agency.
Filmography
Dramas
* '' 3 nen B gumi Kinpachi sensei Season 6'' (2001)
* ''Satokibi Batake no Uta'' (2003)
* '' Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu'' (2004)
* ''Fight'' (2 ...
in its lead roles. It is adapted from the manga ''Dear Friends'' by YOSHI, and art by
Ayu Watanabe.
The tagline for the film is "''Are friends necessary?''" The theme song is also called "
Dear Friends", which is performed by
Soulhead
Soulhead (known as SOULHEAD in Japan) is a Japanese urban contemporary/ R&B duo consisting of sisters Yoshika Sawayama (よしか) and Tsugumi Sawayama (つぐみ). Both were born in Hokkaidō; Yoshika was born on July 20, 1978 and Tsugumi was bo ...
.
Plot
''Dear Friends'' follows a high-school student named Rina (played by
Keiko Kitagawa
is a Japanese actress and former model. She was an exclusive model for the Japanese '' Seventeen'' magazine from late 2003 to mid-2006, and quit modeling when she left the magazine. Her first acting role was Sailor Mars in the Sailor Moon live ac ...
) who believes that friends are not necessary and that they can only be used in times of need. Thus, she is unable to maintain a decent relationship with her friends and classmates. Her family's relationship is also lacking; her father does not care much about his family and her mother is over-protective.
Rina spends a lot of her time going to a club in
Shibuya
Shibuya (wikt:渋谷, 渋谷wikt:区, 区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern ...
where Yousuke (played by
Masaya Kikawada
is a Japanese actor. His most prominent role has been as Takeshi Hongo in the film ''Kamen Rider The First'' and its sequel '' Kamen Rider The Next''. He was also in ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' as Sailor Jupiter's love interest Motoki Furuh ...
) is the disc jockey with her friends Hiroko (played by
Airi Toriyama
is a Japanese actress and singer who is affiliated with Sony Music Entertainment Japan through Cast Corporation, until October 8, 2009.
Filmography TV series
Films
References
External links
Official website at Sony Music Entertainment Ja ...
) and Emi (played by
Hatsune Matsushima). (In the opening scene, Rina has "borrowed" Hiroko's boyfriend for sex, infuriating Hiroko.) Yousuke falls for Rina, but her attitude has a feral edge, and they neck but stop short of having sex.
After obtaining a large amount of money under false pretenses (i.e. claiming she is pregnant when she is not and forcing the guy
ot Hiroko's boyfriend or Yousuketo pay for the abortion) and spending it on a bottle of
Dom Pérignon
Dom Pérignon (; ) is a brand of vintage Champagne. It is named after Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk who was an important quality pioneer for Champagne wine but who, contrary to popular myths, did not discover the Champagne method for making ...
(which she sprays over everyone at the club), Rina collapses on the dance floor. She eventually discovers that she has
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
(
non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), also known as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is a group of blood cancers that includes all types of lymphomas except Hodgkin lymphomas. Symptoms include enlarged lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and tirednes ...
) and becomes hospitalized for an indefinite amount of time. In the hospital, she is not visited by her family, but by one of her classmates named Maki (played by
Yuika Motokariya
is a Japanese actress. She is signed with the Stardust Promotion agency.
Filmography
Dramas
* '' 3 nen B gumi Kinpachi sensei Season 6'' (2001)
* ''Satokibi Batake no Uta'' (2003)
* '' Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu'' (2004)
* ''Fight'' (2 ...
). Although Maki tells Rina that they were friends in primary school, Rina does not remember her, so Maki takes the opportunity to re-connect with her. A young girl, Kanae, (played by
Mao Sasaki) who is also hospitalized tries to become friends with Rina, but she holds fast onto her mantra of friends being unnecessary.
Throughout her hospitalization, Rina begins to lose hope as her well-being falls apart. Her hair falls out from the chemotherapy and she looks pale and thin. Rina learns that Kanae also had cancer (
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...
), and has died after a bone marrow transplant failed. Rina must undergo a
mastectomy
Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. A mastectomy is usually carried out to treat breast cancer. In some cases, women believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operat ...
as the cancer has spread to her left breast. She decides to commit
suicide by jumping off the hospital's rooftop. Before she can jump, however, she is confronted by Maki, who stabs herself in the chest with a knife and declares that she will share the same pain as Rina and that she does not want to lose her friend. Maki has suicidal tendencies (as evidenced by scars on her wrist), but sees in her relationship with Rina a reason to keep living. Rina shows some hope again when she realizes that she can find friendship in Maki, but she does not see Maki while the latter recovers from the stab wound.
Hiroko and Emi then visit Rina in the hospital ward. Hiroko throws away a love letter from Yousuke to Rina that she was supposed to deliver, then claims that she and Emi had three-way sex with him. Emi acknowledges this (even though it is new to her).
After treatment, Rina is discharged. She tries to go back to her party lifestyle, but cannot force herself to behave as she once did. She goes back to the club, where Emi apologizes for the hospital visit (claiming that Hiroko put her up to it) and states that Hiroko overdosed on drugs. Rina decides she is ready to have sex with Yousuke, but he has second thoughts after seeing Rina's mastectomy scar.
Rina goes back to the hospital rooftop to jump, but is stopped by the head nurse. The head nurse says that Maki wanted her to live, but Rina claims that Maki has not seen her recently. Then, another nurse pushes a zombie-like Maki in a wheelchair onto the rooftop. Maki says that the only reason she is still living is so that she could meet friends like Rina. Maki has a terminal illness: an unspecified
neurodegenerative disease
A neurodegenerative disease is caused by the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, in the process known as neurodegeneration. Such neuronal damage may ultimately involve cell death. Neurodegenerative diseases include amyotrophic ...
. Rina finds her purpose in life, fully recovered from cancer, applies to nursing school, becomes a nurse, and takes care of Maki during her final days. After three months, Maki dies.
Cast
*
Keiko Kitagawa
is a Japanese actress and former model. She was an exclusive model for the Japanese '' Seventeen'' magazine from late 2003 to mid-2006, and quit modeling when she left the magazine. Her first acting role was Sailor Mars in the Sailor Moon live ac ...
as Rina
*
Yuika Motokariya
is a Japanese actress. She is signed with the Stardust Promotion agency.
Filmography
Dramas
* '' 3 nen B gumi Kinpachi sensei Season 6'' (2001)
* ''Satokibi Batake no Uta'' (2003)
* '' Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu'' (2004)
* ''Fight'' (2 ...
as Maki
*Airi Toriyama as Hiroko
*
Hatsune Matsushima as Emi
*
Masaya Kikawada
is a Japanese actor. His most prominent role has been as Takeshi Hongo in the film ''Kamen Rider The First'' and its sequel '' Kamen Rider The Next''. He was also in ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' as Sailor Jupiter's love interest Motoki Furuh ...
as Yousuke
*Mao Sasaki as Kanae
*Avery Fane as Club DJ
*
Naoko Otani
is a Japanese actress. She made her screen debut in ''The Human Bullet'' while still a high school student, and became popular for her role in the NHK Asadora
, colloquially known as , is a serialized, 15 minutes per episode, Japanese televi ...
as Rina's Mother
*
Ren Osugi
, born was a Japanese actor. For his work in ''Cure'', ''Hana-bi'' and other films, Osugi was given the Best Supporting Actor award at the 1999 Yokohama Film Festival. He often worked alongside Takeshi Kitano and Susumu Terajima. In the DVD comm ...
as Rina's Father
External links
Official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dear Friends (Film)
2007 films
Japanese drama films
2007 drama films
2000s Japanese-language films
ja:Dear Friends リナ&マキ#映画