Disturbing yet enthralling

Best movie of this year hands down!

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

What happens when you have so many talented actors, and a writer get together to make a movie ? The result is rather obvious.Based on a novel by Takushi Ichikawa, "Tada kimi o aishiteru" is a love story that spans several years featuring Aoi Miyazaki from her days as college student until she matures as a woman. Hiroshi Tamaki also puts in good performance as he usually does.However, the story follows a pat formula, and is rather bland. What makes it worth watching is the beautiful scenery the movie is shot under. Japanese really knows how to capture beauty in nature like nobody else.It's a bit artsy love romance movie shot at great timing when Tamaki, and Miyazaki were at the height of their youth. One of the better movies to come out of Japan in the past 10 years.

Yes, that's right. I am a real male but i cry after i watch this movie secondly, i cry, ah! Whatever, i am a real male, this movie is telling us how to give love with pure heart not with anyelse, we should give love because we should not because anything.. This movie telling us too, that we shouldn't get word "late" for anything especially for love in this case. We teached by this movie to see other not by sight but by value of truth, yes, Sizhuru is a good-kiddy girl, Miyuki is a good-mature girl. Whatever this story is good, we teached not to lie too. Yes, this movie teach us a lot about basic lesson like Sizhuru's words and Miyuki's which is told to Makoto. I cried because i remember someone (not me) i know closely, like them, oh..

This is one of those light movies that is so charming and enjoyable you can't even begrudge its slightly sappy ending. Hiroshi Tamaki stars as Segawa Makoto, a university student who shies away from people because of an unknown illness. He's interested in photography and one day while taking pictures in the woods he runs into Satonaka Shizuru, a quirky waif and classmate, adorably played by Aoi Miyazaki. The normally shy Makoto feels strangely relaxed with the energetic Shizuru, and the two form a friendship. Complications arise from Shizuru being not-so-secretly in love with the oblivious Segawa, who's instead in love with another classmate, the beautiful Miyuki, as well as Shizuru's illness.Both leads are good, though frankly this is a movie which they don't really have to do much besides act cute. Still I have to praise Aoi Miyazaki, who stole the movie. I'll be honest, I'm one of those grinches who usually can't stand the relentlessly cute and cheerful, squeaky-voiced female protagonists popular in Asian romances. But Aoi Miyazaki completely charmed me with her exuberant performance, which seemed natural despite its childishness. It took me a little while to get used to Hiroshi's Tamaki's performance, I felt he overplayed the awkwardness of his character in the beginning. But he and Miyazaki have a really nice and easygoing chemistry, and they form a realistic couple you want to root for. Supporting characters aren't annoying (if you've watched Asian dramas, you'll know what I mean).Thinking back, I'm struck by how perfectly balanced the cuteness and unforced emotion was in the movie. Too many romantic dramedies tend to overdo the former, in my opinion, and sacrifice the latter to get a tear, by setting up melodrama. Not to say that this movie doesn't do that. The ending is the cliché melodramatic ending we've see again and again in Asian romances. Yet it works because the movie has engendered so much good will along the way and it shows just enough restraint.The cinematography is adequate. I feel it didn't quite utilize the full beauty of the title forest(there was perhaps a little too much light in the scenes). That perhaps speaks for the movie as a whole. It's a little too fluffy to be substantial, there have been more original and sensitive versions of its basic plot line. But I recommend it, mostly because of the performance of the female lead.

From the writer of Im ai ni yukimasu ( that happens to be one of my favorite movies... ever), comes this new Japanese romance drama.It tells the story of a love triangle between 3 university students ( the ambiance reminded me of the drama Orange days quite a bit).One of them is our main protagonist. A shy, intense and mysterious young man who loves photography ( The actor is Hiroshi Tamaki also known as Chiaki sempai from Nodame's fame ^^) The second character is a shy, rather mysterious girl, who lacks self confidence but is cute and amazingly pure of heart. Did I mention she was really cute ? The actress, Aoi Miyazaki also played one of the leads for Nana 1 ( They changed her for Nana 2 because she was shooting tada kimi wo at the time) The third one is the perfect girl. Beautiful, feminine, smart, confident. She is played by Meisa Kuroki ( who also plays the 'french' girl in "Haikei, Chichiue-sama") Our two main protagonists are, a bit like in Ima, unsure of the feelings of the other one.The score is great, especially the ending music that I have been listening on my ipod non stop for a few months now :) It's by Ootsuka Ai ( Renai Shashin).The acting is first rate, especially by Aoi Miyazaki, the movie really revolves around her even is she isn't the main protagonist. Some of the university friends do suffer from over acting but they have a very minor role so it's not really disturbing.The scenery and photography, as it is usually the case in Japanese movies, is very beautiful and skillfully rendered.Yet I have to admit, I felt Ima Ai ni yukimasu was better in pretty much all aspects.Mild spoilers follow ( I don't really say what happens in the end but you might guess it from my comments) There's a surprising twist at the end of the movie. At first, I must admit I felt a bit cheated (it is quite a common trick often used in Asian cinema, especially in Korean movies).But then, once it had settled in, it's actually quite a beautiful ending. I still can't help but feel slightly frustrated because of what I think is a missed opportunity of character development....I really hesitated for rating this movie between a 7 and a 8. I guess it's a 7.6. There's something missing and I still think it is because of the ending that happens a bit too fast and is not as intense as it should be.If you loved Ima, ai ni yukimasu, you will like Tada, kimi wo aishiteru ( 'Just, I love you' or as the international title says Heavenly forest)