The disappearance of his fiance, Ritsuko, puzzles Sakutaro. He
travels to Shikoku in search of her, to a town where he experienced
his first love, Aki, a high school classmate. Things he sees after
seventeen years vividly refresh his memories of vision making him
feel as though he were travelling backward in time
At age sixteen, Sakutaro falls for Aki, the class idol, who is cast
as the heroin in the school play of Romeo and Juliet. Another boy
plays Romeo but Aki calls Sakutaro Romeo. Evidently, their love is
mutual. However, her parents interfere with their romance by
forbidding her to use their phone, so she must communicate with
Sakutaro via recorded cassette messages that a little girl
delivers. The young lovers enjoy the springtime of their lives and
spend a night alone together on an otherwise deserted island.
Then Aki learns that she is suffering from leukemia and her days
are numbered. Her dream is a tour to Ululu in Australia, the
pictures taken and, for fun, pose for a photo of their imaginary
wedding. On a stormy night he secretly spirits Aki from the
hospital to the airport, but all flights
are cancelled owning to the storm. Then a lit attacks her. Though
confined to the hospital, she sends her tapes to Sakutaro, except
for the last one that is missing.
After seventeen years, Ritsuko, Sakutaro's fiance, visits the photo
studio in Shikoku and finds the pictures of Sakutaro and Aki in
bridal costumes. She was the little messenger girl, and now she
learns how desperately in love they were. Akis final tape, long
missing, at least reaches its destination
Genre: Drama/Romance
Director: Isao Yukisada
Starring: Takao Osawa, Kou Shibasaki, Masami Nagasawa, Mirai
Moriyama
RunTime: 2 hrs 18 mins
