Film

The 8-Year Engagement (Japanese Movie Review)

• Genre: Romance
• Japanese Title: 8-nengoshi no Hanayome: Kiseki no Jitsuwa
• Date Released:  December 2017
• Based on a book about a real-life romance story of Hisashi Nakahara and Mai Nakahara.

Cast:

• • Takeru Satoh as Hisashi Nakahara
  • Tao Tsuchiya as Mai
  • Hiroko Yakushimaru as Mai’s mother
  • Tetta Sugimoto as Mai’s father

 

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I have been waiting for this film like forever.  I love both the leads.  For their young age, they have consistently showed good acting.

The story also sounded really interesting.

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This is a gentle melodrama, which has a happy ending.

Hisashi is a hardworking car mechanic.  He had been suffering from stomach ache but still got roped into going to a dinner party, where single available girls were also invited.

During the dinner, Hisashi appeared sullen due to his achy tummy.  One of the girls told him off for being aloof.  The girl was Mai.

Hisashi quickly explained to Mai that he was in pain, with the stomach ache.  Mai understood and they clicked immediately.

They started dating and really get on very well.  Mai introduced him to her parents who liked him as well.

He asked Mai to marry him and she happily agreed.  They quickly book their wedding for the 17th of March which was just a few months away.

Sadly their happiness was cut short as Mai started suffering from forgetfulness and paranoia.  Hisashi brought her to the hospital while she was having her ‘turn’.

She was then diagnosed with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, which is caused by a tumour growing on her ovary.

She ended up in a comatose state for a year and all this time, Hisashi remained devoted to her, visiting her in the hospital every single day.  Making vignettes of videos which he sent to her mobile for her to see when she wakes up.

Mai’s mother and father were told that Mai had to have an ovariectomy to cure her illness.  Hasashi agreed to the procedure.  He was told off my Mai’s mother, saying that he was not family and therefore doesn’t have any say.  He was also ordered to stop coming to the hospital to see Mai. They don’t want to ruin his life.  This part was so sad.  I ended up crying.  Takeru was so quietly sad at first and it was heartbreaking to watch.

Hasashi was in bits.  His life was Mai.  Against their order, he went back to see Mai again.

Mai’s mother warned him that she might be comatose forever, and asked if he was prepared for such a situation, in which he answered in the affirmative.

Mai’s mother then thank him sincerely and told him that her daughter found a good man.

Mai finally woke up after a year.

But she was different.  The doctor said that she was like an infant, she is reset to zero, born again.  She needed to be taught everything.

She started to remember everything except Hasashi.

Mai was desperate to remember Hasashi and even went on a rather dangerous mission of finding inspiration to remember.  She started complaining of pain in her head, which alarmed Hasashi.

Finally, Hasashi had to give up.  He thought he had to remove himself from Mai’s vicinity to give her some peace and quiet time.

After some more time, Mai was allowed to go home.  The first thing she found was her mobile phone.

She tried to start it, but she does not know the pass code.  She is back to her cheerful self once again.  She was in her wheelchair visiting places when she encountered the kindly wedding planner who recognised her immediately.in

The wedding planner asked her if she was ready to get married.  Mai found out that Hasashi kept their booking for March 17, paying each year for it.

Mai then tried the 0317 to unlock her mobile phone and it worked.  She then found more than 500 unread messages Hasashi, which were the videos he made.  This scene was so painfully beautiful, I cried so much.

Mai went to find Hasashi (he has been gone for more than a year), who was now working on an island.

Mai confessed to him that she still cannot remember him but she wants to fall in