My Rainy Days

Prepare yourself to cry

I came across this movie almost 10 years ago, when I was finishing high school and was feeling gloomy about my future. I decided to watch it because of one specific scene I saw on Tumblr, instantly I knew this would make me cry my eyes out and that was exactly what I needed at that point, but it also made me cheer up. The movie starts quite cheerful and it feels just like another high school love story, until all the characters personal issues starts to unfold, and it shows that everyone is living ther rainy days. However, by the end of it we realize that, despite of our decisions and actions in the past, no matter how bad they were, there's always a chance to become a better person and overcome those reiny days.
By the way, Nozomi Sasaki's acting in this movie is just amazing, she swings perfectly from cute to dramatic without overdoing it.

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Innocence of high school love and maturity of adult love

To anyone who is put off by the idea of student-teacher relationships, this might not be for you. However, I would still suggest to everyone to watch this and keep an open mind. This is far from the casual depiction of that trope. Considering this was Kanchiku Yuri's debut film, it was risky. However, she pulled off one of the most taboo tropes and turned it into a beautiful film. Yuri preserved the playful innocence of high school love while adding in the mature nature of an adult relationship. The development of the characters was a sight to behold. It wasn't forced, but out of pure reasons why they did it.

This is one of the best depictions of love in a romance film. Yuri didn't need to write a lovey-dovey, showy, in-your-face couple to make the audience feel love. She showed it through Rio and Kouki; her innocent and cheerful approach to win Kouki, and his mature and reality-driven way of wanting to be with her while tittering along the lines of society-approved and too much. I can go on for hours explaining parts of the movie and what it meant to the whole story, but I'd rather everyone watch and share their thoughts with other people.

Do search what this kanji means (愛染明王). I'd say it is one of the few easter eggs that I loved, and I give props to Yuri for thinking it was necessary to put in the movie. This is a definite must-watch and repeatable film.

じゃあね

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Umm...

Actually, I initially couldn't bear to continue this movie. At first, the female lead's character was so bad as that is one of the people I disdain the most. The peer pressure, gaslighting, etc., she did make me uncomfortable. So, I dropped it. Then, for some reason, I picked it up again.

I thought that the "Professor" would date her after she turned 18, a legal age. However, I was proved wrong lol. But then, I tried to understand him. He probably thought he didn't have much longer to live, so he pushed it. Otherwise, he couldn't contain his feelings, but as an adult who is 18 years older, he should have been rational. But then again, regardless of his reasons, I wished that he hadn't given the girl any hope, or maybe he could, but he should have firmly rejected her, considering his situation, their age gap, and her still being a minor. She might have experienced awful things at a young age which caused her to mature way too early, but that's the more reason.

I don't know what occurred that made him suddenly kiss her and take one closer step into the relationship as she even got into his house. Still, I was disappointed.

Though I'm glad that the female lead had character development, for some reason, it felt too sudden. I can understand why she cut off her previous relations, but not in a way that she suddenly became soft-hearted. For me, there should have been an additional drive that changed her step-by-step. Anyway, as for the acting, I don't know, I think it lacks a little.

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मैले यो चलचित्र हेर्नुको एक मात्र कारण टिकटकमा देखेको भिडियो थियो। मैले सोचेको थिएँ कि यो एउटा राम्रो रोमान्स चलचित्र हो, तर म एकदम गलत थिएँ।

चलचित्र सुरु भएको १० मिनेट भित्रमै मैले थाहा पाइसकेको थिएँ कि यो कथा मैले सोचे जस्तो होइन। यस कथामा सहपाठीहरूलाई धम्की दिने र नाबालिग केटीहरूलाई वेश्यावृत्तिमा संलग्न गराउने जस्ता सामग्रीहरू छन्। म यो चलचित्र हेर्दाहेर्दै यति आश्चर्यचकित भएँ कि मैले आफूलाई सोधेँ - “म यो के हेरिरहेको छु?”

सन् 2009 मा रिलिज भएको यो चलचित्रको कथा कमजोर छ। यस चलचित्रमा काम गरेका अभिनेता र अभिनेत्रीहरू राम्रो छन्, तर कथाको कमजोरीका कारण कथा एक दिशाबाट अर्को दिशातर्फ यसरी जान्छ कि हेर्ने मानिसलाई अप्ठ्यारो हुन्छ।

चलचित्रको अर्को ठूलो समस्या यसको लम्बाइ हो। मलाई बुझिएन किन यो दुई घण्टा लामो बनाइएको हो। ईमानदारीका साथ भनूँ भने, यसलाई एक घण्टाभन्दा बढी हेर्न गाह्रो हुन्छ। यदि यो चलचित्र एक घण्टासम्म सीमित गरिएको भए, सायद केही हदसम्म मन परिन्थ्यो पनि। कथाको गति सुस्त छ, र कलाकारहरूले संवाद बोल्दा बीचबीचमा यति लामो पज लिन्छन् कि दृश्यहरू निस्तेज लाग्छन्।

मैले सुरुवातमा यो चलचित्रलाई एउटा रमाइलो प्रेमकथा ठानेँ, तर अन्त्यमा निराशा मात्र हात लाग्यो। यदि पहिले नै थाहा भएको भए कि यसमा यस्ता परिपक्व र असहज विषयहरू छन्, म यो हेर्ने थिइनँ। टिकटकको एउटा क्लिप देखेर म भ्रममा परे।

म यो चलचित्र अरू कसैलाई सिफारिस गर्दिनँ।

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I have to admit, I was skeptical going into this movie because I’m not a fan of student-teacher romance storylines. But somehow, this one managed to feel painfully romantic. Maybe it’s the cinematography, maybe it’s the way everything looks almost unreal, like a dream—you can forgive a lot when it’s that cinematic. But… is it really okay? That’s the question that lingered the whole time I was watching.

Plot*
17-year-old Rio is a high school student who is always the center of attention thanks to her beauty. Because of her traumatic past, she’s learned to care only about herself. Friends and boyfriends exist mainly for her amusement or gain, and she’s focused on money and fun above all else. One day, Rio takes some photos to develop and is handed the wrong envelope. Inside, she finds pictures of a man and falls for him at first sight. Determined to find him, she begins stalking him, unaware that he has been diagnosed with cancer, and the photos are essentially his death portraits. From there, the story follows Rio pursuing him while he tries to keep her at a distance.


Controversy / Thoughts:
Here’s where the movie gets complicated. Rio’s behavior can feel disturbing, she pushes and chases, sometimes aggressively, and the story romanticizes it. Her lifestyle, dating older men, living extravagantly in Louis Vuitton, is glamorized in a way that feels unrealistic and morally grey. And yes, Kouki’s illness is used to soften the situation, but it doesn’t fully justify the age gap or the way her behavior is romanticized. Watching it, I constantly wrestled with these feelings: part of me cringed, part of me couldn’t look away.
And yet… despite all that, I found myself genuinely invested. Rio’s persistence, her raw emotions, the way the cinematography captures her and Kouki, it’s hard not to get swept up in it. The movie makes you feel her heartbreak, her obsession, her hope. I hated that I was enjoying it at times, but I couldn’t help it. There’s an undeniable emotional pull here. I found myself rooting for her, for him, for them, even when logic screamed that none of this should feel romantic.

One of the things that struck me most is how exaggerated and unrealistic Rio’s life is! her sugar baby lifestyle, her outfits, the extravagance of her world. But instead of feeling shallow, it adds a certain energy to the movie. It makes her character fascinating to watch and gives the film almost dreamlike quality. Watching Rio navigate her obsession, her heartbreak, and the consequences of her choices made me reflect on the way movies can make impossible or uncomfortable things feel emotionally real.

In the end, I can’t fully say this movie is “okay” in terms of ethics or realism. But as a story, as an emotional experience, it works in a way I didn’t expect. It made me feel conflicted, moved, and strangely connected to characters I probably shouldn’t have. I disliked parts of it, and yet, I can’t deny how much it stayed with me.
This is one of those movies that will make you question what you feel and why you feel it, and somehow, that makes it unforgettable.

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One of my favorite J-movies, I could watch it over and over and over again.
However, considering the fact that I haven't seen it in awhile, I gave 7/10 for music as I can't really remember the songs from the movie, except for the one at the ending, which was perfect and it just amplified the amazing ending.

EDIT (15-12-16):
Having recently seen a few scenes from this movie I was convinced I wouldn't like anymore, so I decided to rewatch it.
I spotted many flaws and story lines left open; the decisions characters make are easily justified without much of a struggle or anything else. However, I still loved the movie - I guess you could say it's just one of those guilty pleasures.

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Me tocou

Sendo bem sincera, comecei My Rainy Days sem grandes expectativas. Só me interessei quando vi nas tags “age gap” e “forbidden love”, e confesso, a diferença de idade entre os protagonistas me surpreendeu.

Ainda assim, não foi algo que me incomodou, até porque já vi casais com distâncias muito maiores de idade. O curioso é que o filme acabou me conquistando. Achei ótimo, apesar de algumas falhas que impediram uma nota mais alta.

Começando pelos pontos que me incomodaram: quando um filme escala atores medianos em sua totalidade, a gente consegue aceitar melhor a atuação nivelada. O problema é quando se coloca um ator experiente para contracenar com novatos ainda verdes, a disparidade salta aos olhos. E foi exatamente o que aconteceu aqui. O ator que interpreta o professor é um veterano incrível, com presença e sensibilidade de sobra, enquanto o restante do elenco jovem claramente está em início de carreira. Nas cenas em que eles dividem espaço, a diferença de nível fica gritante — não chega a estragar a experiência, mas tira um pouco da imersão.

Outro ponto que pesa negativamente: o roteiro tenta abordar temas demais em pouco tempo. Bullying, suicídio, estupro, aborto, prostituição adolescente, relação proibida, câncer terminal… todos assuntos densos e pesados, que mereciam mais tempo e profundidade para serem tratados com o cuidado necessário. A sensação é que o filme tentou abraçar o mundo e, claro, acabou tratando a maioria dos temas de forma superficial. Tenho certeza que My Rainy Days funcionaria muito melhor no formato de drama.

Também me incomodou a ausência quase total de adultos. Tirando o professor, todos os homens adultos que aparecem são apenas clientes da prostituição adolescente, o que cria uma visão distorcida e incômoda do mundo adulto. E onde estavam os pais dessas meninas? Às vezes parecia que todas moravam sozinhas, completamente emancipadas. Nem na escola vemos qualquer autoridade além dos alunos. Isso tudo contribuiu para uma “adultificação” das adolescentes, muitas vezes retratadas como mulheres independentes, o que cria um tom estranho diante da história que se quer contar.

Mas apesar de tudo isso, eu gostei muito do filme.

A fotografia é linda, tem aquele estilo dramático, típico do cinema japonês, bem trabalhado e esteticamente agradável. Jamais diria que é um filme de 2009, visualmente ele é muito atual.

A trilha sonora também é um espetáculo à parte. Escolhida com cuidado, transmite vida e sensações com intensidade, você sente o mundo daquelas meninas através da música.

Sobre o romance em si: entendo as críticas, mas achei o relacionamento entre os protagonistas fundamental para o que a história queria passar. Ela, uma adolescente de 17 anos, vibrante, impulsiva, cheia de vida e vontade de sentir tudo intensamente. Ele, um professor de 37, solitário e com um diagnóstico terminal de câncer cerebral, que já havia desistido de viver. A dinâmica entre os dois é justamente o que faz a trama funcionar. Ela o lembra de como é bom estar vivo. Não há qualquer traço de malícia no que existe entre eles — é algo puro, sincero, contrastando com os relacionamentos tóxicos e abusivos com os quais ela estava acostumada enquanto se prostituía. Ver ele se apaixonando novamente pela vida, à medida que se aproxima dela, foi tocante.

E que atuação! O personagem dele é doce, contido, um homem estranho ao mundo e com péssimas habilidades sociais, enquanto ela é popular, extrovertida, cheia de carisma. A diferença entre eles, tanto de idade quanto de energia, é o que faz com que os dois se completem. A maneira como o filme abordou a doença dele me emocionou demais, chorei tudo que dava pra chorar. A forma como ele lida com o medo, a morte, a esperança… tudo foi retratado com tanta sensibilidade que me tocou profundamente.

O final me pareceu muito satisfatório e coerente com o tom do filme. Não é o típico romance proibido que apela para a polêmica pela polêmica. My Rainy Days é, acima de tudo, um drama sensível sobre dor, redenção e renascimento. Com todos os seus tropeços, ainda assim me deixou com o coração cheio. Se não fosse pelos problemas que citei, teria facilmente recebido uma nota ainda mais alta.

Recomendo, especialmente para quem curte dramas com peso emocional.

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