Kira kira hikaru (1992)

Shoko and Mutsuki get married to satisfy their worried parents, but she is well past the age at which a 'good' Japanese woman should marry, and he is in love with a young male college ... See full summary »

Director:

Joji Matsuoka

Writers:

Kaori Eguni (novel), Joji Matsuoka

Stars:

Hiroko Yakushimaru, Etsushi Toyokawa, Michitaka Tsutsui

3 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Hiroko Yakushimaru	...	Shoko Koyama
Etsushi Toyokawa	...	Mutsuki Kishida
Michitaka Tsutsui	...	Kon Fujishima
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kai Atô
Masuyo Iwamoto	...	Yuriko Kishida, Yuzo's wife
Mariko Kaga	...	Chiaki Koyama, Shoko's mother
Yûsuke Kawazu	...	Yuzo Kishida, Mutsuki's father
Yukio Ninagawa
Tomoko Oshima	...	Misuho Ito, Shoko's friend
Rie Shibata	...	Waitress
Kumiko Tsuchiya
Masahiko Tsugawa	...	Todushi Koyama, Chiaki's husband
Hatsuo Yamaya
Satoko Ôshima

Storyline

Shoko and Mutsuki get married to satisfy their worried parents, but she is well past the age at which a 'good' Japanese woman should marry, and he is in love with a young male college student. The film is less a realistic exploration of gay life than a fairy tale of three young Japanese trying to construct an alternative to the sexual and familial roles given to them by a society turning increasingly emotionally barren.L.

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Plot Keywords:

japanese | gay | waitress | unrequited love | stranger | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

11 July 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Twinkle

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fuji Television Network, Space Bond

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Japanese Cinema (1995)

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Soundtracks

'Casta Diva che inargenti' from NORMA
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Libretto by Felice Romani

User Reviews

Interesting story of an arranged marriage when the groom is gay

A 30 something Japanese doctor bows to the pressure of his parents' demands and agrees to an arranged marriage even though he already has a gay lover who is a student at a local college.

The wife has a problem of her own (alcohol) but does try to make the marriage work, seeking out the lover, introducing herself and inviting him to their home.

Although the student and the wife seem to get along well, the doctor has problems and much trouble ensues.

Even through the difficulties presented with subtitles and trying to understand those of a very different culture, the movie is well presented, consistently interesting and the performances are very believable.