Boku no hatsukoi wo kimi ni sasagu

This movie is beyond my wildest imagination about romance. Nowadays, nobody sacrifice so much that they give all to their loved ones. After watching you will learn that

This is probably not the film for optimism and hope but it is definitely the best film for love and life. Living is sad with heartbreaks. Even so, if I knew what await me, I would still meet you and fall in love with you. Because knowing you is the best thing I have done.

It does not matter what await me at the finish line, what matters is I have spent my time, life, and love for you.~

The film reflect truthful about a life of a person with heart condition since born, Takuma. Especially, when doctor diagnose that he could not reach his 20. Surprisingly, he does not fear of death. Instead, he is very well- prepared. What he fears lie in people he loves.

Again this film marks one of the many I've missed from last year's Tokyo International Film Festival, so I'm pretty glad it finally made its way to our shores. The premise is a sure giveaway of the plot, but anyone wishing to watch a Japanese romantic weepy will know what you're in for from the start. I Give My First Love To You doesn't deviate from the formula, but like others that came before it and for others in the same genre to come, what fans almost always do is to hold onto whatever sliver of hope there is for the couple in question to be together forever in a happily ever after, against the odds of what medical condition one or both of them suffer from.

Here the lovebirds are portrayed by Masaki Okada as Takuma Kakunouchi, the boy who suffers from a weak heart condition and is given a death sentence that he will not cross 20 years of age, and Mao Inoue as Mayu Taneda, the daughter of his doctor (Toru Nakamura) with whom he falls in love with during his frequent trips to the hospital when young. Needless to say they grow up together, and in one of their childish games, he promises that he will survive and marry her, wished upon a four leafed clover she finds in the field. They grow up as a couple and have each other for support in school, but as Takuma is aware, his days are numbered and are looming over the horizon, and so is contemplating giving her up so that hopefully she can find someone else to grow older with.

Much of the scenes that require you to pull out your tissue packs involve how clingy Mayu can be in not relenting in her feelings and her resolve that one day Takuma may just pull through his condition, or that the proper heart donor may just come along, which the narrative of course will introduce, but not without putting the characters through some morality checks, and in so take the opportunity to explore why the necessity to keep some red tape onto these medical administration and the technicalities and rationale behind such confidentiality clauses, otherwise, well, you can see how family members can be put in a spot, be it the donor's or the recipient's. There's a key scene that makes one think how what can be perceived as selfishness, is nothing more than again that bit of hope every family member and loved one hold on to.

The narrative doesn't promise much about how Takuma tries to scout for an appropriate chap for his girlfriend to fall in love with, since Yoshihiko Hosoda's Takashi was a little too pushy and in fact, irritating to begin with, nor does it have a lot of screen time to dwell on the potential distraction Takuma faces with another fellow female patient Ryoko (Yoko Moriguchi), but whatever it managed to cover in between the primary couple's life touches on the necessity for them to spend almost every waking moment with their significant other and to make such moments count, which Mayu knows and Takuma finally learns to appreciate a lot more. The latter half of the film then switches tact to demonstrate the extent how a loved one will likely go through in their grief and hanging onto whatever little hope a situation may bring, and that extends to family members as well, not such the romantic other half. After all, any death or potential death affects a larger community.

I will not deny this makes a perfect date movie, since the message here is quite clear on the appreciation of someone else no matter how quirky they can be, and never to doubt anyone's commitment. Between the two leads whose performances were key in fleshing out the intricate characters and making them believable and engaging, Mao Inoue shines as that cheerful ray of sunshine in Takuma's life, and her antics are what brings about the light hearted moments in the film. It's melodramatic territory sometimes, but your typical Japanese romantic movie that will tug at your heartstrings this will be. Be prepared and pack those tissues. Recommended.

Right from the beginning of the movie, it is obvious the viewer has discovered something especially heartbreaking and emotionally beautiful. The natural environments, which are vividly colorful, and heighten the impact of the scenes occurring there, contrast with the dull bleakness of the school and hospital rooms the film is primarily centered around. Over the course of the feature, selfishness is an important theme discussed, both visually and through dialogue. Takuma (Masaki Okada) discovers as a young boy that he won't live to see the age of twenty with his current heart-condition, this shocking truth additionally hurting Mayu (Mao Inoue), his closest companion and paramour, who he promises to marry when they are older. Despite the revelation that Takuma's health may restrict him from such a commitment, Mayu's unwavering affection is brilliantly portrayed, though at the same time, Takuma is concerned for the future, and the agony his inevitable passing will bring if she remains close to him.

Takuma's narration assists the audience in comprehending how dear Mayu is to him, and contextualizes the reasons behind why he may eventually choose to leave her. However, despite their characters sharing considerable proximity over the course of the feature, I wondered if the leads were totally aware of each others feelings, and though these are presented visually, this could have been heightened verbally, there being one scene in particular where the leads argue as to whether they unanimously understand one another. It should be noted moreover, for the most part, the dialogue is entertaining and mature, fitting perfectly with the story.

At the same time, Kou (Yoshihiko Hosoda) is unmoved by the fear of being selfish, his arrogantly inconsiderate character, though well portrayed, nefariously affecting the mood of the film, his infatuation with Mayu jeopardizing the relationship between the leads. Though there is reason for his character's repetitive appearance, other individuals in the film with less screen time deserved greater attention. This is especially true for Dr. Takahito (Toru Nakamura), who is an entertaining, yet sympathetic figure, his professional devotion and critical evaluation of himself being well delivered, while the relationship between he and his daughter Mayu potentially needed further attention to accentuate their father-daughter bond. The passing of Mayu's mother before the story begins is barely touched upon, which could have proved a sub-plot capable of heightening Mayu's desire to never be without Takuma.

Moreover, Teru (Natsuki Harada), who, like Takuma, suffers a rapidly declining heart condition, is a character that he is able to relate towards due to their similar circumstances, her role deserving further attention to heighten their prior knowledge of each other (which is only briefly discussed), while additionally fleshing her character out further. Tetta Sugimoto and Yoko Moriguchi as Takuma's father and mother admirably portray parents stricken by grief, who only want the best care for their child, the acting by the cast being potentially one of the film's most brilliant qualities. Though humor is, on occasion, used, a scene where Mayu addresses the entire year level and confesses her love for Takuma being especially comedic, the profound realism exhibited by the melodramatic seriousness of the plot makes the feature feel all the more believable, none of the scenes appearing forced or out of place.

Despite the film containing a romantic narrative, the theme of death is strongly discussed, especially by Takuma, the film addressing the thought-provoking notion on whether death is more difficult than life, or if it's in fact the other way round. Furthermore, the luxury of hope is well included in the story, and despite the ending undoubtedly provoking a teary-eyed response, the film concludes in a manner that efficaciously, beautifully and romantically, closes this particularly touching feature.

I caught this film on an ANA flight from L.A. to Japan as a previous poster had too. The plot is about 2 kids who grow up together in love but face difficulties, the main one being Takuma's heart condition that will not allow him to live past a certain age. The film's characters embraced their roles well and the 2 main characters had good chemistry with one another. The film had a good flow to it except for one part that felt a bit awkward (it was when Takuma meets Teru) but otherwise it was enjoyable. The kids who play the main characters in the beginning of the film are absolutely adorable and gives the film an innocent tone from the get-go. And yes, the film had me feel like I was cutting onions in certain scenes.