Hashimoto Ai, Kadowaki Mugi & Narita Ryo to star in new movie "Koko wa taikutsu mukaenikite"

Hashimoto Ai will be starring in the new real-life adaptation movie "Koko wa taikutsu mukaenikite" (It's boring here, come and pick me up) which is based on the same-titled debut novel by Yamauchi Mariko and will be directed by Hiroki Ryuuichi. Co-stars also include Kadowaki Mugi and Narita Ryo. The novel was picked as one of the novels in the 2013 Kino Best! ranking as selected by the staff of Kinokuniya Bookstore.


The story describes how two women who are bored with their lives in a suburban city, try to do something to find a place where they belong as they reminisce about their memories with a certain guy. Hashimoto plays the lead character i.e. 27-year-old "watashi" (meaning "I") who went to Tokyo with the aim of becoming somebody but ends up achieving nothing even after 10 years and returns to her hometown. As she works as a freeter while staying at her family home, her parents do not look favourably on her prospects as she seems to be living aimlessly. After a reunion with her senior high school friends, she takes the initiative to contact Shiina-kun (Narita) who she had always liked because he was cool, tall and the ace of the soccer team back then and had a tinge of wildness. On the way to meet Shiina-kun, she keeps replaying memories with him in her mind. On the other hand, Kadowaki plays "atashi" (another word for "I") who is the former girlfriend of Shiina and never ventured out of their hometown even though she aspired to go to Tokyo. Without Shiina by her side, she dates a good-for-nothing man because she finds it more troublesome to reject him while still pining for Shiina deep within her heart in a bid to bury the loneliness and boredom she feels.

Hashimoto revealed that she had read the original novel during her teens while in the bath and felt really happy to be a part of this movie for a novel she loved. To make things better, she had always wanted to work with the director so this was double happiness for her. Reflecting on the filming, the scenery in the suburbs brought back fond memories of her hometown so she was thankful for being from the suburbs rather than the city. Kadowaki commented that as people get older, they tend to seek the affirmation of people they admire and try to find the meaning of their existence while being hung up and stubborn on some things. As such, she hoped that the audience would be able to get the message of how such painful and boring periods in our lives could be good in their own ways. As for Narita, he said that with the help of the director, staff and his co-stars, he managed to experience the beauty of youth through this movie.

The movie was shot in Yamauchi's hometown Toyama from June to July last year and will be shown in cinemas this autumn.

Sources: Natalie / Yomiuri Hochi / Eiga.com / Sponichi