Though Nada Sou Sou, a.k.a. Tears For You, is only his sophomore film, Doi Nobuhiro already has impressive credentials, having directed classic TV dramas Beautiful Life and Good Luck!! and 2004's blockbuster tearjerker Be With You. This time, the director strikes another winning formula by teaming up with heartthrob Tsumabuki Satoshi (Spring Snow, Waterboys), he of the smile that launched a thousand sighs, and popular young actress Nagasawa Masami (Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World) for the longingly beautiful Nada Sou Sou. The film opened in the No. 1 spot in Japan, grossing 390 million yen in just its first weekend, and stayed in the top three of the box office for five consecutive weeks. In addition, Tsumabuki and Nagasawa received Japanese Academy Award nominations for Best Leading Actor and Best Leading Actress.
Nada Sou Sou is a familiar title to Japanese moviegoers, as the film is inspired by the immensely popular same-titled Okinawan dialect song. Originally sung by BEGIN and Moriyama Ryoko and later covered by Natsukawa Rimi, Nada Sou Sou is now considered one of Okinawa's representative anthems. The song's lyrics are about memories of an older brother, and the film takes off from this premise, detailing the evolving relationship between Yotaro (Tsumabuki Satoshi) and his stepsister Kaoru (Nagasawa Masami). Aso Kumiko (The Uchuoten Hotel) and Koizumi Kyoko (Kuchu Teien) co-star as Yotaro's girlfriend Keiko and Kaoru's mother, respectively. Director Doi makes ample use of the photogenic island setting and talented cast, injecting Nada Sou Sou with a nostalgic atmosphere, leisurely pace, and tender story that will linger long in the viewer's hearts.
A young boy makes a promise to his dying mother to look after his abandoned step-sister at all costs. But the love between them grows so strong and profound, it threatens to tear them apart...
Naha, Okinawa. Yotaro Aragaki (Satoshi Tsumabuki), "Yota", is a hard-working 21-year-old who dreams of opening up his own restaurant.
Yota first met Kaoru when he was 8 years and she was but 3. Yota's mother (Kyoko Koizumi) had remarried a musician with a daughter, Kaoru. Little did Yota expect that within a brief period of time, the musician would abandon them and his mother would die. As he stands at his mother's deathbed, Yota promises to care for Kaoru - at all costs. |