This was dubbed as the No.2 movie in Japan last year behind Sekai no Chuushin Ai wo Sakebu as one of Jun-ai (pure love) movies which enjoyed immense popularity. Starring Takeuchi Yuko and Nakamura Shido (a famous kabuki actor), the storyline is rather simple and minimal dialogue is used. This was also the movie which was said to have made Nakamura smitten with Takeuchi and tried to woo her. Not a verified rumour though... (Side note: I wrote my review on 31 March 2005. In just five years, the two leads in this movie went through a brief courtship, a short-lived marriage and parenthood.)
Anyway, the story is narrated by a 18-year old senior high Year 3 boy who is watching the rain from his classroom as he recaps the love story between his parents and what happened one year after his mother died when he was 5. As a result, the person who does the most talking is the son and there are less than 3 lines spoken by Takeuchi and Nakamura although they are the leads of his movie. Most of the dialogue is spoken by the narrator or by subs rolling across the screen. We see the characters' expressions and get to know how they feel through the words on the screen instead of them speaking.
The parents met each other when they were in Year 2 of senior high and were sitting next to each other for 2 years. The boy liked the girl first but he was too shy to make the first move. Besides, the girl appeared uninterested in relationships so things between them were icy-cold. One year after they graduated, the boy decided to call the girl out so that she can return the pen he left in her autograph book when he signed a message for her on the last day of the school. The boy makes use of this opportunity to make known his feelings and they started to date since then. However, the boy had to quit school because of a illness and even wanted to break up with the girl. Nevertheless, the girl decides to stick by him and they get married and give birth to a son. Although they thought that they would be happy from then on, the girl dies when her son is 5 and promises to return in the rainy season to see her husband and son. One year later, father and son happen to meet a woman who looks like the dead wife and mother and they live together for 6 weeks before the woman disappears again...
What's interesting about this movie is the use of minimal dialogue and the overall melancholic yet sweet mood. With the use of words rolling across the screen, it gives a different feeling as compared to hearing it from the characters. Although the wife/mother died early, when we see the love story between her and her husband, it feels really sweet and that we can sense the happiness she experienced while she was alive. One memorable scene was when the guy was sending her home and he told her to put her hand in his pocket to feel warmer. Then he proceeded to hold her hand and that's how they got started. After that, the words roll saying that he took 3 years to hold her hand, would they take another 3 years to kiss? Somehow, it feels really sweet like puppy love when we see the love story development between the leads and for Takeuchi fans, this is a must-see since she looks VERY VERY sweet in the movie. I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of her especially after Fukigen na Gene but she has got to be one of the few actresses in Japan these days who can be so sweet and yet gutsy in her drama roles.
For someone like me who doesn't like draggy love stories, this was suprisingly more interesting than what I had imagined. Although I don't like Nakamura with Takeuchi (he looks much older than to be Takeuchi's classmate), the story made the weird combination bearable. Out of 10, I'll probably give this movie a 7.
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