Japanese Movie 2015

Orange (Japanese Film Review & Summary)

Orange poster

• Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi, Psychological, School, Youth, Parallel World
• Release Date: 12 December 2015
• Origin: Japan
• JFilm: 2hrs 19min

Cast

• Tao Tsuchiya as Naho Takamiya
• Kento Yamazaki as Kakeru Naruse
• Ryo Ryusei as Hiroto Suwa
• Hirona Yamazaki as Takako Chino
• Dori Sakurada as Saku Hagita
• Kurumi Shimizu as Azusa Murasaka
• Erina Mano as Rio Ueda

This is a beautiful film starring two of my favourite Japanese actors:  Kento Yamazaki and Tsuchiya Tao.

I actually previously watched this film and loved it.  But somehow I remembered it as a sad suicide film.

I am glad I watched it again because it is not really about taking one’s life.  It is about growing up and taking responsibility for one’s self and grabbing happiness where you can.

This is another parallel world story.

The central character to the story is Kakeru, who is a transfer student from Tokyo.  He became friends immediately with a close-knit group made up of Naho, Suwa, Chino, Hagita and Azu.  He’s tall and a handsome boy though at times was rather melancholic.

The kind-hearted Naho took him under her wing.  This was where it got supernatural.  The 16 years old Naho was happy to be back for the second year in high school.  She was full of hope and joy under the full blooms of cherry blossom trees.  She then noticed a letter tucked in into the front pocket of her school bag.

With much curiosity, she noticed that the letter was addressed to her and the sender was herself.

As soon as she got to class, she opened the letter which claimed that the letter was sent to her 16-year old from herself 10 years into the future.

She was becoming more confused as the letter goes on.  Her 26-year-old- self was telling her to right all the regrets in her past.  There was going to be a boy, a transferee from Tokyo by name of Kakeru Naruse.  At that moment, their new homeroom teacher was introducing a transfer student by the name of  Kakeru Naruse.

Naho was absolutely flabbergasted.  The letter continues on to state not to invite Kakeru into the introduction outing.  Naho can’t really do anything about this as Suwa, Chino, Hagita and Azu all insisted that Kakeru try the new bread at a bakery with them.  They had fun and Kakeru was laughing.  Naho thought that was ok.

After that Kakeru did not appear at the school for two weeks. Naho was perturbed.  But just like that Kakeru was back at school again.

Kakeru was really a very personable young man (He is Kento Yamazaki 🙂  ).  Naho fell for his charm and so was another Tokyo transferee called Rio Ueda.

It was really unfortunate that Ueda confessed to Kakeru first about liking him.  They started going out together but Kakeru really liked Naho and Naho liked him.

He dumped Ueda, who became rather vengeful and made Naho’s school life miserable but only briefly as Naho had her posse of friends.

She later found out from Kakeru the reason why he was off from school for two weeks.  His mother died, she committed suicide.  She was bipolar and depressive.  She had her illness since Kakeru was a young boy.  His life with his mother coloured his own outlook on life and built such a huge guilt complex.  He blamed himself for not being with his mother on her time of need, he thought he could have stopped her.  Poor Kakeru was a damaged boy.  Then he suddenly died at the age of 17 by accident.

10 years into the future, Sawa was now married to Naho and they had a little baby.  They met up with the rest of the group and visited Kakeru’s grandmother for the 10th year anniversary of his death.  They found out that his death was not an accident but a suicide.  He left a note regarding it.

The friends where inconsolable with grief.  Mourning Kakeru all over again.  Naho was particularly upset.

To assuage her sadness, Sawa encouraged her to write herself a letter regarding how she feels and her regret.

Sawa wrote himself a letter too and they then buried the letters in a little tin container under the cherry blossom tree.

The letter got to their doppelgangers in a parallel world.  The friends were able to save or rather changed the suicidal tendencies of Kakeru and he lived.  He might get together with Naho in this parallel world whilst Naho is married to Sawa in another world.

Lucky Naho!!!  Both Sawa and Kakeru are eye-candies!  🙂