Heavenly Forest (2006) User Reviews

A picture to fix time

[ayman_cherkaoui · 8/10 · 22 March 2007]

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)

Good Enough

[PennyReviews · 7/10 · 29 September 2018]

Big warning : this is a sad movie. But does it worth it? Definitely yes. The story is sweet, though the ending could have been better. Even though its sad, it could have been presented better. The performances were really good though, from all the actors and actresses. Aslo, the main couple had chemistry and they were cute, especially the girl, all quirky and adorable. The cinematographty, moreover, was splendid, especially, when they were in the forest, with all the colours and the lighting.

Beautiful scenery and story

[ebiros2 · 7/10 · 19 August 2012]

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.

Heavenly Forest is a winner in its genre

[sitenoise · 10/10 · 10 July 2009]

I was a bit surprised by the sometimes frank and honest dialog coming from Aoi Miyazaki's character in what for the most part is a very family friendly bit of Japanese young love/first love cinema. But it is appropriate for her character, a set-to-mature-at-any-moment young woman deficient in some necessary growth hormones needed to push her over the edge (that when triggered by a first kiss could ultimately be her ... undoing) and seems trapped in young adolescence. It's a very cute and cute-funny, and really sad, sad, film. Miyazaki teeters the edge between coy and seductive so well it made me dizzy ... with delight. I could, however, understand her pouty lipped attempts at cuteness turning some folks off. She does slip out of it each time very quickly, though. That's part of her charm, I guess.

The film is beautifully photographed. The 'heavenly' forest is fairy-tale gorgeous, as are the three young actors we spend time with. The story is engaging too, clearly a novel-adapted one.

Simply Beautiful

[chong_yew_ong · 10/10 · 30 December 2008]

Tada, kimi wo aishiteru is definitely one of the most beautiful films ever made. A simple story between two brilliantly presented characters: Makoto (Tamaki Hiroshi) and Shizuru (Miyazaki Aoi) conveys a powerful message of life.

Photography as an art form is really beautiful because it captures the little memories - of things that may seem simple to people but are in fact meaningful to us. Memories like a smile of a loved one, our friends, of good times, and of nature.

Featuring incredibly artistic photography by Miyazaki Aoi (who dragged random people away from their busy lives in New York, to take their photos), stunning cinematography, beautiful music and one of the best acting performances ever captured on film, this is the perfect film for today's world that is suffering the cost of excessive greed. It is a magnificent film for promoting environmentalism and of treasuring the beauty of the things we take for granted.

Charming Japanese romance

[kcla · 9/10 · 29 April 2007]

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.

A lot of heart into each captured moment.

[cappucino_frappucino · 10/10 · 23 May 2014]

Heavenly Forest is by far the sweetest love movie I have seen in a long time. I'm a movie buff especially in this genre.

Every moment has it's nostalgic feeling into it, the transition from one phase to the other blends well and never did lose it's hype.

Although, the movie doesn't draw tension as much as compared with other Romance movies but it is meant to be in that way so it portrays meaningful happiness instead of sob tearjerker that drives the audience downhill.

Although this movie has strong influence on Japanese cultures (dialects, humbleness etc.) but that's what keeps it at it's sweet and delicate momentum.

There is nothing lacking in this movie, as it is sweet in every sensible way it displays.

This is the kind of movie that Hollywood could never provide.

Modestly Warm and Delicatively Meaningful.

The characters really did it for me! Loved it

[DrunkenSoju · 10/10 · 9 April 2019]

I was ashamed how the ending played out. Or I just felt that something was missing through the ending of the film. Nevertheless... I really loved the characters of this film. I really enjoyed Aoi Miyazaki's character of Shizuru Satonaka and loved her childish, innocent-like perspective in a teenager. You don't see much of this personality in young dramas. It really made me reflect back in my teenage years. I guess my thing is, I just wanted to see more of 'Shizuru Satonaka' haha she brought humor, sadness and happiness altogether! Loved her character. Overall, the film has made it to my top dramas to watch. Loved it.

well-worn J-cinema fairytale pap

[LunarPoise · 2/10 · 19 March 2016]

Two university students meet and form an unlikely friendship, that throws up the possibility of an even more unlikely romance.

Heavenly Forest is a perfect example of how the TV aesthetic is strangling Japanese cinema. All the acting is over-acting, with Miyazaki signified as 'cute' by virtue of the fact that she bobs her head ever so slightly after she talks, chews her bottom lip, and does not know what a hairbrush is for. Tamaki raises his eyebrows in shock and surprise, and lowers them when mystified or concerned. All these young people look wonderful, and are suitably backlit and rendered in soft focus. Tamaki gets in with the 'in' crowd who all seem to smile, camp, swim and have fun without any real world concerns or connections. Tamaki's burden is a rash on his side, for which the only medicine he can get carries an anti-social stench. Given that eczema in the form of 'atopi' is practically an epidemic in Japan and that many medical treatments exist, this particular representation is borderline insulting to the sufferers. Tamaki is never put right regarding his self-stigmatization. Miyazaki also suffers a mystery ailment that stunts her growth and eventually proves fatal. Shockingly lazy scripting that just conjures up a medical condition rather than strive to inject some authenticity or societal resonance to the narrative. In short, pure fantasy and escapism. The lack of plausibility in medical terms is symptomatic of the whole narrative, that forces conflict from unlikely coincidence rather than character choice, and resonates to absolute no sense of modern-day Japan. The university they go to is a strangely antiseptic campus, and the friendships seem robotic and perfunctory, like two people on a date in a mouthwash commercial.

In the climactic scene, Miyazaki is revealed to have been beautiful all along and capable of mastering the use of a hairbrush, a 'revelation' that has emotional impact only if you have never seen Miyazaki outside this film, or have never, in fact, seen a film. As is often witnessed in J-cinema, a character is dragged half-way round the world on very little information, only to be told someone has died. Email and the internet, like extended family and real-life problems, do not exist in these fairytale narratives. Tamaki's reaction to the photos, to plod lead-footed and open-mouthed across a gallery floor, is unintentionally comical. Glycerin tears abound. The music is plinky-plonky nonsense that batters your ears non-stop.

Saccharine, twee, and annoyingly aiming for 'cute' on every single beat, this film could be the flag-bearer for the ugly mutation TV has inflicted on Japanese cinema. The one caveat is that Miyazaki actually looks like she could act given better direction and a script that carries some intelligence. Picture postcard photography of beautiful young people in a mindless, shallow story.

Males more like this movie than females

[bestaddress · 9/10 · 15 November 2008]

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..

Excellent movie...

[abuansarmdrizwan · 10/10 · 8 April 2015]

When I watched the movie, it was raining outside. And I tried to feel the movie from the deepest part of me during this romantic season. I extremely liked the acting, story and of course the beautiful scenery of Japan. The college life story was also very charming and both the actress were looking gorgeous and gave their best. The lead actor was also done a great job and the story was full of love and charm. Love and sacrifice were the main themes of the movie and it was presented quite beautifully in it. this is a must watch film for every one especially those who wanna know the true meaning of love. I watched it more than 10 times and I suggest everyone to watch this with a calm mind if you want to enjoy a decent romantic saga...

Wo does that?

[jimmycoffin-751-212853 · 5/10 · 8 October 2016]

WHY?..You don't make endings like these. It's unfair, It's not healthy for any Viewer. It's just plain weird. First of. everyone is overacting. The tamaki guy Always says the wrong thing. He just plodder along like a braindead. The Girls sickness, the overacting, the Japanese cuteness.. alright I get it! if it's done with some authentic feelings in the mix. Aoi Miyazaki looks like she really could act under the right direction. I did like the moving in part.. I like that sort of lovestory buildup. But it never gets there.

I don't know what to Think of this film.. A Little spoiler: What kind friends doesn't send you letters from your long lost love? They can't be ordinary humans, maybe cyborgs. Why do they prevent him from meeting the girl of his Dreams and let him explain to her how much they love each other? Even though she's sick I bet your ass she wants to spend rest of her time with him.. sigh..Nobody does that. nobody Thinks like that. If this really had happened to me, I would have blown my head straight off. No kidding,..that's how cruel this soap opera ending is. Remember the Movie 5 centimeters per second.. This is much much more Surreal.