Tatchi

I have not read the manga (or the original "comic") before watching this movie but I was prompted to pick up the DVD as I've heard many good things about both the comic and the movie; the DVD was actually just sitting on my shelf for about a month, not having been opened and what not, until a friend of mine finally persuaded me to watch it with him -- the movie is basically about two twins and a girl-next-door whom dream to one day reach Koushi'en: a haven of high school baseball in Japan, much like what Wembley is to English football.

Although it was pointed out that some details of the movie actually differs from the manga, (but then again, what adaptation is 100% faithful to the original?) the movie does an excellent job in depicting high school baseball in Japan, quite possibly something japanophiles might want to study up to :)

Overall, great plot and good casting guarantees that this movie will be 116 minutes of your time well spent -- I suggest you invest on it as soon as possible!

I remembered reading Touch as manga back in the day. Touch authored by Mitsuri Adachi is about a story of twin brothers and the girl next door growing up together. The girl, Minami Asakura, made a pact with the twin brothers, Kazuya and Tatsuya. The pact was taking her to the Koshien (yearly tournament where the best Japanese high school baseball teams meet and compete).

I don't remember much of the details other than that(except for some major plot development which I won't disclose). I must say I didn't have any expectation going into seeing this movie. And after viewing it, this is well done adaption. The romance was done well. I had a few tearjerker scenes with the mom of the twins. The lead actress, young Masami Nagasawa has done a great job portraying Minami. Her silent determination, and wide-eyed enthusiasm really fills the screen. The twin brothers are played by Keita and Syota Saito respectively. The viewers might get confused trying to distinguish them, however the subtle difference is still there: the more playful older brother, and the more reserved younger brother.

I highly recommend this movie for those who want to reminiscent about youthful romance. Even though baseball serves as the backdrop of the story, it's the character development between Minami, Kasuya, Tutsuya that shines through.