Monday, May 20, 2013

[JMovie] Kimi ni Todoke (2011)



Sawako is a quiet girl who resembles Sadako from the horror movie, "The Ring." Add tense facial expressions and awkward mannerisms when she's nervous and you get a girl who has all of her classmates thinking she can see ghosts. However, Kazuhaya, the most popular guy in class, falls for her on the first day of school when she helps him find the way because he had gotten lost (it's okay that he's not too smart, at least he's pretty). The movie follows Sawako as she comes into herself and opens herself up to friendship and even a little romance. Whooo!

This movie is based on a manga series of the same title. There's also an anime, which I have watched and reviewed here. I loved loved loved the anime series and loved the live action movie as well. It's just as good as the anime, just in a more condensed version.

The movie had great pacing, allowing for a nice build up of emotions and development of Sawako's relationships with herself, her friends, and Kazehaya.

Sawako's character is naive, sweet, honest, and surprisingly charming. In real life, I would find her annoying as hell, but in the movie she's oddly endearing as she opens up and forms close ties with Kazehaya, Yano, Yoshido, and Ryu. The deep relationships between the other characters (Ryu/Yoshino, Yoshino/Yano etc) are also just as important and add to the dynamic of the entire group. Plus, I simply loved how quirky they all were; such an odd bunch! (Especially the homeroom teacher, who was a hoot and a half.)

As a result, there was great comic relief among the tenderness. In addition to making you laugh, this movie makes you smile and even tear up a little (or a lot, depending on how much of a sap you are). There's just so much feeels!

The ending, oh the ending was simply perfect. It was the gushiest, most adorably heartfelt ending I've seen in a long time. In other words, it was completely squeal-worthy.

Kimi ni Todoke is a very nicely done movie that portrays the strength of friendship and connections with others in helping you come into and accepting oneself because as the oh-so-wise Dr. Suess says "Those who care, don't matter and those who matter, don't care." This movie is so sweet that I need to make an appointment with my dentist tomorrow morning!

A must watch, so get to it! I'll even provide a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gBYcTpg9es

Sweetly Yours,
Tuma
Looney Express

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