366 Days

Beautifully shot with best soundtrack

Japanese romantic tearjerking genre is my favourite kind and I knew I definitely have to catch this. Though there are too many cliches and coincidence but I guess I can see past them because the cinematography is simply gorgeous. I think the casting for Eiji Akaso works best here. Some gorgeous male lead might be a hit or miss when it comes to acting but I think when he has those sad puppies eyes, my heart totally cry for his predicament. The second male lead was great too but I find him annoying. I think it’s the way the character was written. The FL has the weakest performance here, that felt stiff and awkward at times.

Another highlight for this movie was definitely the OSTs. 366 Days and 恋して by HY definitely elevate this movie with the expansive orchestra arrangement or that vibey saxophone solo. Plus the vocals by the singers are chef kiss. The last verse of 恋して perfectly summaries the sentiments of ML with the dying FL and I can’t help to cry everytime I heard it. Rarely, I will praise a Japanese drama/movie OST because they are usually not memorable. But I think these two songs are really the best choices.

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A Tearjerker Beautifully Done

A beautiful movie that touches the heart thanks to a well-executed plot supported by the amazing cast. Definitely a Tearjerker. This movie is for you if you love slice-of-live, romance, family movies. Bonus, makes you want to visit Okinawa and eat sata andagi.

The cast members were amazing in their roles but Nakajima Yuto as the second male lead Ryusei and Inagaki Kurumi as Himari in my opinion, really stole the show. Ryusei's scenes towards the end, one with Himari and one with Miu made me cry the most. In fact, you could also consider this movie as a family movie, about the love between father-daughter and how you don't have to be blood-related to be a true family.

The story involved multiple time jumps. There were three eras, the leads as high school students, the leads as young working adults, and all the way to the current time - in 2024 in their mid-late 30s. So you might need to pay attention to follow the movie. It is still relatively easy to follow.

On the downside, other than the time jump, I would say there really should be more scenes with Ryusei because he would be a fan favorite character. In fact, the character seemed a tad too flawless because of his capacity to love Miu no matter how much time passed and despite the circumstances. Anyone would want a Ryusei in their life too.

Other than that, the house Miu and Minato lived in in Tokyo seemed too expensive for two young adults who recently moved to the city for work, with one remaining unemployed.

And as much as the illness plot is cliche, it is used two times in the movie. It is still OK and I guess that's how the writers wanted to tie the story together. I understand Minato falling sick because his mother also had the same illness. But making Miu sick just to unearth their past is a bit questionable to me - especially because we were told Miu was really sick, might not have much time to live but they really only made her look super pale, she wasn't hooked up on the machines or anything and there was no explanation on what illness she had.

The movie is based on HY's song 366 days but there were other songs used too. They were all beautiful and the lyrics were beautiful. No complaints on this whatsoever.

All in all, I understand why this movie was a surprise box office hit in Japan. It wasn't just a Tearjerker or pure romance, it had so many elements so many people could relate themselves to, and it left you feeling warm. Either you're a student dealing with your parents and young love, a job seeker trying to find your place in the world, having a one-sided crush, facing the impending loss of a loved one, there's something for everyone.

Truly, there were no bad characters and you would emphatise the decisions they made even if you disagree with them. I hope this movie wins awards, especially on the acting parts.

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