Kimi ni Todoke (film)
Encyclopedia
is a 2010 Japanese romance drama film based on the manga of the same name. The film is directed by Naoto Kumazawa, who also co-wrote the film's script with Rika Nezu. The film stars actress Mikako Tabe
, who plays the role of Sawako Kuronuma, also known as "Sadako", and Haruma Miura
, who plays the role of Shota Kazehaya, an outgoing teenager who is popular with his classmates.
Kimi ni Todoke was released in Japanese cinemas on 25 September 2010. It was subsequently screened at the 10th Asian Film Festival of Dallas
on 17 July 2011. The film grossed a total of $18,027,475 in Japan.
. They believe that when one stared into Sawako's eyes for more than three seconds, bad luck will befall the person. They also believed that she could summon ghosts. These rumors got worse because Sawako is unable to express her views openly. However, Sawako is a kind person whose motto is "to do one good thing once a day". Shota Kazehaya, on the other hand, is an outgoing student who is popular with his schoolmates, especially the girls.
On the first day of school, Sawako helped Kazehaya, who was lost, to find his way to the school. Since that day, Kazehaya treats Sawako with kindness, making Sawako respect and admire him. Sawako also made friends with her classmates Chizuru Yoshida and Ayane Yano after she agrees to play the role of the ghost in their class's "Bravery Challenge" activity. With their help, she manages to gain self-confidence and interacts better with her classmates. The rumors about her also began to subside. However, Ume Kurumizawa, an admirer of Kazehaya, starts to become jealous of the way Sawako is being treated by Kazehaya.
Strange rumors like "Chizuru has slept with 100 guys" started spreading. Sawako distances herself from her new-found friends, believing that they were targeted by the rumors because they were close to her and she did not want them to get hurt because of her. Both Chizuru and Ayane felt hurt after they overheard Sawako saying that she did not regard them as friends. However, with advice from Kazehaya, Sawako stands up to the people who were spreading the rumors. Sawako did not back down in spite of violence, and Chizuru and Ayane were greatly touched by Sawako's actions. Their friendship becomes stronger.
At a sports festival, Kurumizawa, on the pretense of being Sawako's friend, confessed her feelings for Kazehaya to Sawako and asked Sawako for her help. Sawako refused, saying that Kazehaya was also special to her. Kurumizawa then tried desperately to turn Sawako's attention to Ryu, even to the extent of secretly arranging a meeting between them so that she could "coincidentally" walk past with Kazehaya. However, the plan backfired as Kazehaya got jealous and grabbed Sawako's hand and pulled her away. Chizuru and Ayane later discovered Kurumizawa's plot and cornered her, warning her about breaking apart Kazehaya and Sawako. However, Sawako begged both of them not to reveal this incident to Kazehaya. Kurumizawa later confessed her feelings for Kazehaya, who rejected her but said that he was happy that she confessed to him.
As winter came, Sawako's father requested that she take a bus home instead of walking because he was concerned for her safety. When applying for the student concessionary pass, her teacher misplaces her student handbook, which contains treasured items such as a cherry blossom leaf Sawako picked up on the day she first met Kazehaya, causing her grief. Kazehaya and Sawako also begin to spend less time together, because Kazehaya used to walk Sawako home. Kazehaya then tries desperately to go with her on a date and to confess to her, but Sawako always misunderstands and invites Chizuru and Ayane along.
Out of desperation, Kazehaya suddenly confesses his feelings for Sawako and asks her to be his girlfriend. He also asked if she could go out on a date with him on Christmas Eve. Sawako rejected him and ran to the bus, leaving Kazehaya feeling dejected. To make matters worse, she did not turn up at a Christmas Eve party that she promised to go to, leaving Kazehaya in a foul mood at the party. Chizuru and Ayane suggest that she go apologize to Kazehaya on New Year's Eve, when he volunteers at a festival every year. However, Sawako's father's orchestra has a concert that night, leaving Sawako conflicted over which to chose. Sawako eventually decides on Kazehaya, and apologizes to her father. Meanwhile, Kazehaya, after seeing Sawako's handbook that the teacher passed to him, finally understands Sawako's feelings towards him. Eventually, they meet up just after New Year's Day and embrace.
was first announced in the February 2010 issue of the Bessatsu Margaret
magazine. Kimi ni Todoke is serialized in the Bessatsu Margaret magazine since 2005, and it had won the 32nd Annual Kodansha Manga Award
. The manga was also made into an anime
series in 2009, and it was translated into English in North America by publisher Viz Media
. No other details were released, though the announcement contained a message from the manga artist Karuho Shiina.
More details for this film adaptation were revealed on 2 April 2010. It was announced that director Naoto Kumazawa, whose previous works includes the 2006 film Rainbow Song
and the 2008 film Dive!!, will be directing the film. The cast members of this film includes Mikako Tabe
, who had previously starred in television series
such as Yamada Tarō Monogatari
(2007) and films such as Kenta to Jun to Kayo-chan no Kuni (2009), plays Sawako Kuronuma in this film. In addition, actor Haruma Miura
stars as Shota Kazehaya in Kimi ni Todoke. He had previously starred as the male lead character Hiroki Sakurai in the 2007 film Koizora
.
. The scenes featuring the cherry blossoms were filmed in Orihime Park, while the school scenes were filmed in the former Ashikaga West High School campus. The was also featured in Kimi ni Todoke as the location of the New Year party in the film. The filming at this location took place during a 40-day period from 27 April 2010 to 6 June 2010. In addition, some scenes in Kimi ni Todoke were filmed in Kiryū city
, Gumma Prefecture.
A "End of Filming Ceremony" was held on 8 June 2010 at the former Ashikaga West High School campus, with all the cast members appearing in their school uniform costumes. At the ceremony, actor Haruma Miura said that he felt no discomfort about playing the role of the "real Kazehaya", describing it as a "tailor-made" role. He also took the opportunity to thank his father.
. This was revealed in an announcement made on 14 July 2010. Flumpool member Ryuta Yamamura, who revealed that he loved reading the manga Kimi ni Todoke, said that "We (the Flumpool members) believe that many people who had read the manga attributed the qualities of "courage" and "kindness" to the work. The single album for this song is released in conjunction with the film's release.
The music video of the song Kimi ni Todoke was filmed at an undisclosed junior high school in the Kanto Region
. It involved over 200 high school students chosen from the Flumpool fan club and they will star as the audience in the concert where the band performed in a schoolyard.
Kimi ni Todoke made its international debut at the 10th Asian Film Festival of Dallas
, where it was screened on 17 July 2011. It was subsequently released in Singapore
under its English title From Me to You by distributors Golden Village Pictures and Encore Films on 6 October 2011.
Mikako Tabe
is a Japanese stage and film actress who is from Tokyo. She has played the role of Yaten Kou in the Sailor Moon musicals. She also starred in the comedy series Yasuko to Kenji.-Movies:*Kimi ni Todoke *Fish Story *Kowai Douyou...
, who plays the role of Sawako Kuronuma, also known as "Sadako", and Haruma Miura
Haruma Miura
is a Japanese actor and singer. He is part of the Amuse agency, and debuted as one of the members of Brash Brats, a J-pop group. However, they are currently on hiatus, while Haruma is still active as an actor. He gained popularity with Gokusen 3 and 2007 film Koizora...
, who plays the role of Shota Kazehaya, an outgoing teenager who is popular with his classmates.
Kimi ni Todoke was released in Japanese cinemas on 25 September 2010. It was subsequently screened at the 10th Asian Film Festival of Dallas
Asian Film Festival of Dallas
The Asian Film Festival of Dallas is a film festival held annually in July or August in Dallas, Texas. The festival programming consists of international films from Asia as well as Asian-American features and shorts. The festival is held primarily at Landmark Theatres' Magnolia Theatre in the ...
on 17 July 2011. The film grossed a total of $18,027,475 in Japan.
Plot
Sawako Kuronuma has always been avoided by her classmates because her name resembles that of "Sadako", the main character in the 1998 horror film RingRing (film)
is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Ōtaka as members of a divorced family...
. They believe that when one stared into Sawako's eyes for more than three seconds, bad luck will befall the person. They also believed that she could summon ghosts. These rumors got worse because Sawako is unable to express her views openly. However, Sawako is a kind person whose motto is "to do one good thing once a day". Shota Kazehaya, on the other hand, is an outgoing student who is popular with his schoolmates, especially the girls.
On the first day of school, Sawako helped Kazehaya, who was lost, to find his way to the school. Since that day, Kazehaya treats Sawako with kindness, making Sawako respect and admire him. Sawako also made friends with her classmates Chizuru Yoshida and Ayane Yano after she agrees to play the role of the ghost in their class's "Bravery Challenge" activity. With their help, she manages to gain self-confidence and interacts better with her classmates. The rumors about her also began to subside. However, Ume Kurumizawa, an admirer of Kazehaya, starts to become jealous of the way Sawako is being treated by Kazehaya.
Strange rumors like "Chizuru has slept with 100 guys" started spreading. Sawako distances herself from her new-found friends, believing that they were targeted by the rumors because they were close to her and she did not want them to get hurt because of her. Both Chizuru and Ayane felt hurt after they overheard Sawako saying that she did not regard them as friends. However, with advice from Kazehaya, Sawako stands up to the people who were spreading the rumors. Sawako did not back down in spite of violence, and Chizuru and Ayane were greatly touched by Sawako's actions. Their friendship becomes stronger.
At a sports festival, Kurumizawa, on the pretense of being Sawako's friend, confessed her feelings for Kazehaya to Sawako and asked Sawako for her help. Sawako refused, saying that Kazehaya was also special to her. Kurumizawa then tried desperately to turn Sawako's attention to Ryu, even to the extent of secretly arranging a meeting between them so that she could "coincidentally" walk past with Kazehaya. However, the plan backfired as Kazehaya got jealous and grabbed Sawako's hand and pulled her away. Chizuru and Ayane later discovered Kurumizawa's plot and cornered her, warning her about breaking apart Kazehaya and Sawako. However, Sawako begged both of them not to reveal this incident to Kazehaya. Kurumizawa later confessed her feelings for Kazehaya, who rejected her but said that he was happy that she confessed to him.
As winter came, Sawako's father requested that she take a bus home instead of walking because he was concerned for her safety. When applying for the student concessionary pass, her teacher misplaces her student handbook, which contains treasured items such as a cherry blossom leaf Sawako picked up on the day she first met Kazehaya, causing her grief. Kazehaya and Sawako also begin to spend less time together, because Kazehaya used to walk Sawako home. Kazehaya then tries desperately to go with her on a date and to confess to her, but Sawako always misunderstands and invites Chizuru and Ayane along.
Out of desperation, Kazehaya suddenly confesses his feelings for Sawako and asks her to be his girlfriend. He also asked if she could go out on a date with him on Christmas Eve. Sawako rejected him and ran to the bus, leaving Kazehaya feeling dejected. To make matters worse, she did not turn up at a Christmas Eve party that she promised to go to, leaving Kazehaya in a foul mood at the party. Chizuru and Ayane suggest that she go apologize to Kazehaya on New Year's Eve, when he volunteers at a festival every year. However, Sawako's father's orchestra has a concert that night, leaving Sawako conflicted over which to chose. Sawako eventually decides on Kazehaya, and apologizes to her father. Meanwhile, Kazehaya, after seeing Sawako's handbook that the teacher passed to him, finally understands Sawako's feelings towards him. Eventually, they meet up just after New Year's Day and embrace.
Cast
- Mikako TabeMikako Tabeis a Japanese stage and film actress who is from Tokyo. She has played the role of Yaten Kou in the Sailor Moon musicals. She also starred in the comedy series Yasuko to Kenji.-Movies:*Kimi ni Todoke *Fish Story *Kowai Douyou...
as Sawako Kuronuma, whose name is often mistakenly pronounced as "Sadako", the name of a lead character in the film RingRing (film)is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Ōtaka as members of a divorced family...
. She is actually a kind person who puts others before herself, and she is also a hardworking student who consistently scores high grades in examinations. Her birthday is on 31 December 1994. - Haruma MiuraHaruma Miurais a Japanese actor and singer. He is part of the Amuse agency, and debuted as one of the members of Brash Brats, a J-pop group. However, they are currently on hiatus, while Haruma is still active as an actor. He gained popularity with Gokusen 3 and 2007 film Koizora...
as Shota Kazehaya, a popular and outgoing student in school who has won many admirers. He fell in love with Sawako during the first time he met her. - Misako RenbutsuMisako Renbutsuis an actress in Japan. She has won the Grand Prix award at the Super Heroine Audition Miss Phoenix in 2005.-Dramas: - as Rieko Ishikawa - as Nanase Hida - as Hidemi Furusawa - as Yamamoto Tamiko...
as Chizuru Yoshida, a ex-delinquent who comes from the same junior high school as Yano and Ryu. She secretly likes Ryu's brother, though this later changed when she found out that he was engaged. - Natsuna WatanabeNatsuna Watanabeis a Japanese actress and former model. When she graduated from high-school she decided to focus her career entirely on acting.As of November 1, 2009 she shortened her stage name and is now simply going by "Natsuna" .-TV Drama:...
as Ayane Yano, who is not good at expressing herself like Sawako. Her best friend is Chizuru, whom she was classmates with in junior high school. - Mirei KiritaniMirei Kiritani-Filmography:*Hanazakari no Kimitachi e *Otomen *Kimi ni Todoke *Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac *Snow Flake *Usagi Drop *Gyakuten Saiban...
as Ume Kurumizawa, a girl who had a crush on Kazehaya since they knew each other in junior high school. He was the reason why she enrolled in this high school. - Haru Aoyama as Ryu Sanada, a star of the school's baseball team. He confessed to Sawako that he likes Chizuru, whom he has been friends since they were young.
- Yuta KanaiYuta Kanaiis a Japanese actor.Kanai starred as Tamotsu Yoshizawa in L: Change the WorLd. He has also starred in Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit.-External links:*...
as Soichi Shironouchi - ArataArataArata may refer to:* Arata , a Japanese actor* Aratta, an ancient stateMay refer to a unique Hawaiian Style Sushi Bar in Big Sky Montana-Names:* Arata, an Italian surname particularly from Genoa* Arata, a Japanese name :...
as Kazuichi Arai, the class's homeroom teacher. He is neither passionate nor responsible, and does things according to his own liking. However, he sometimes gives his students useful advice. - Yasuko TomitaYasuko Tomitais a Japanese actress. She won the Award for Best Newcomer at the 6th Yokohama Film Festival and at the 8th Japan Academy Prize for Aiko 16 sai. She also won the award for best actress at the 9th Yokohama Film Festival for Bu Su.-Filmography:...
as Sawako's mother - Masanobu Katsumura as Sawako's father, who plays the clash cymbalsClash cymbalsClash cymbals or hand cymbals are cymbals played in identical pairs by holding one cymbal in each hand and striking the two together.-Terminology:The technical term clash cymbal is rarely used...
in an orchestra. - Rena Haruyama
Development
A live-action film adaptation of the manga Kimi ni TodokeKimi ni Todoke
is a romance shōjo manga by . It has been published by Shueisha in Bessatsu Margaret since 2005 and collected in 14 tankōbon volumes as of September 2011. In 2008, it won the Best Shōjo Manga award in the 32nd Annual Kodansha Manga Award. The series was also nominated for the first Manga Taisho...
was first announced in the February 2010 issue of the Bessatsu Margaret
Bessatsu Margaret
, or for short, is a shōjo manga magazine published monthly in Japan by Shueisha. It is targeted at girls aged roughly 12-17. It is a spinoff of the magazine Margaret.-Current:*360° Material - Touko Minami*Acanthus - Izumi Yamaguchi...
magazine. Kimi ni Todoke is serialized in the Bessatsu Margaret magazine since 2005, and it had won the 32nd Annual Kodansha Manga Award
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
. The manga was also made into an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series in 2009, and it was translated into English in North America by publisher Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
. No other details were released, though the announcement contained a message from the manga artist Karuho Shiina.
More details for this film adaptation were revealed on 2 April 2010. It was announced that director Naoto Kumazawa, whose previous works includes the 2006 film Rainbow Song
Rainbow Song
is a 2006 Japanese film by director Naoto Kumazawa and produced by Shunji Iwai . Kumazawa had worked with Iwai before, having directed the making-of documentary for Swallowtail Butterfly.-Plot:...
and the 2008 film Dive!!, will be directing the film. The cast members of this film includes Mikako Tabe
Mikako Tabe
is a Japanese stage and film actress who is from Tokyo. She has played the role of Yaten Kou in the Sailor Moon musicals. She also starred in the comedy series Yasuko to Kenji.-Movies:*Kimi ni Todoke *Fish Story *Kowai Douyou...
, who had previously starred in television series
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
such as Yamada Tarō Monogatari
Yamada Taro Monogatari
is a Japanese manga series created by Ai Morinaga. The manga series, published by Kadokawa Shoten, ran from 1996-2000 with a total of fourteen volumes. Besides, after the ending of the series...
(2007) and films such as Kenta to Jun to Kayo-chan no Kuni (2009), plays Sawako Kuronuma in this film. In addition, actor Haruma Miura
Haruma Miura
is a Japanese actor and singer. He is part of the Amuse agency, and debuted as one of the members of Brash Brats, a J-pop group. However, they are currently on hiatus, while Haruma is still active as an actor. He gained popularity with Gokusen 3 and 2007 film Koizora...
stars as Shota Kazehaya in Kimi ni Todoke. He had previously starred as the male lead character Hiroki Sakurai in the 2007 film Koizora
Koizora (film)
is a 2007 film based on a cell phone novel of the same name. The film is directed by Natsuki Imai and it stars Yui Aragaki and Haruma Miura.Koizora debuted at the Japanese box office on 3 November 2007...
.
Filming
Kimi ni Todoke was mainly filmed in Ashikaga, TochigiAshikaga, Tochigi
is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Ashikaga is located north of Tokyo.As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 153,766, with a household number of 59,219, and a density of 864.73 persons per km²...
. The scenes featuring the cherry blossoms were filmed in Orihime Park, while the school scenes were filmed in the former Ashikaga West High School campus. The was also featured in Kimi ni Todoke as the location of the New Year party in the film. The filming at this location took place during a 40-day period from 27 April 2010 to 6 June 2010. In addition, some scenes in Kimi ni Todoke were filmed in Kiryū city
Kiryu, Gunma
is a city in Gunma, Japan, near the cities of Ōta and Ashikaga. Incorporated on March 1, 1921, Kiryū is considered both a city and part of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area, although it is still widely thought of as a rural area...
, Gumma Prefecture.
A "End of Filming Ceremony" was held on 8 June 2010 at the former Ashikaga West High School campus, with all the cast members appearing in their school uniform costumes. At the ceremony, actor Haruma Miura said that he felt no discomfort about playing the role of the "real Kazehaya", describing it as a "tailor-made" role. He also took the opportunity to thank his father.
Theme song
The theme song for the film Kimi ni Todoke is the song Kimi ni Todoke, which is sung by Japanese pop-rock band FlumpoolFlumpool
Flumpool is a four-man Japanese pop-rock band. The band, originally from Osaka Prefecture, was formed in January 2007...
. This was revealed in an announcement made on 14 July 2010. Flumpool member Ryuta Yamamura, who revealed that he loved reading the manga Kimi ni Todoke, said that "We (the Flumpool members) believe that many people who had read the manga attributed the qualities of "courage" and "kindness" to the work. The single album for this song is released in conjunction with the film's release.
The music video of the song Kimi ni Todoke was filmed at an undisclosed junior high school in the Kanto Region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
. It involved over 200 high school students chosen from the Flumpool fan club and they will star as the audience in the concert where the band performed in a schoolyard.
Release
Kimi ni Todoke was released in Japanese cinemas on 25 September 2011, where it was shown on 285 screens throughout the island. That day, the film had an opening ceremony held at the Toho cinema in Roppongi Hills. Director Naoto Kumazawa and the film cast members made an appearance there, where they were greeted by a hall full of fans. There, Haruma Miura read out a letter which was written by Karuho Shiina, the manga artist of Kimi ni Todoke, and was addressed to him and his co-star actress Mikako Tabe. The message, which said that "Haruma's perserverence to date should absolutely be delivered to the whole of Japan", moved Haruma to tears.Kimi ni Todoke made its international debut at the 10th Asian Film Festival of Dallas
Asian Film Festival of Dallas
The Asian Film Festival of Dallas is a film festival held annually in July or August in Dallas, Texas. The festival programming consists of international films from Asia as well as Asian-American features and shorts. The festival is held primarily at Landmark Theatres' Magnolia Theatre in the ...
, where it was screened on 17 July 2011. It was subsequently released in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
under its English title From Me to You by distributors Golden Village Pictures and Encore Films on 6 October 2011.