"A Story of Love" is a story that millions can relate to, and is defiantly one of the best. With it's touching story line and great actors, this story is sure to break your heart as well as leave you with the memory of it's tale years after seeing it. The tale is about how a cold rich business man is transformed with the friendship of an honest man and the love of a kind hearted girl.
Harashima (Hiroyuki Sanada) is successful, wealthy and president of Harashima Enterprise, who is planning to build a new link on a housing site. Before he died, he made Harashima promise that he'd never let love get in the way of his work. Hence, Harashima has become lonely, cold-hearted and never trusts anybody.
Harashima has been experiencing painful seizures and stomach pains and decides to go to a clinic belonging to an old family friend in the downtown. He finds out he has an incurable case of stomach cancer and has just six months to live. While waiting to go in he meets Konosuke Shimodaira (Koji Tamaki), who was happy to find out all he had was stomach cramps, he asks to borrow 30 yen. When Harashima gives him 100 and walks away, Konosuke catches up later and gives him his change and promises to pay him back the 30 yen.
Harashima finds himself thrown into Konosuke's world. Meeting Misao (Saya Takagi) and Kaori (Nanako Matsushima), a pure and sweet-hearted young woman who works in his main store. Harashima falls in love with Kaori almost instantly and finds himself unable to stop thinking about her. Often looking at his hand he'd used to wave her goodbye, staring at her when she's not looking, sending her flowers and asking for her company. Kaori too finds herself falling for him, despite the fact she finds out that he's Harashima. She's afraid of getting hurt like she had done in the past by men and tries to stop his advances, but in the end she can't help herself. When she tells him she's in love with him, remembering his promise to his father, turns her down. Misao finds out that Harashima is Harashima, and worse... He's the man who is planning to tear down THEIR homes! Misao and Konosuke both hound Kaori and forbid her from seeing Harashima as they think he'll take advantage of her love. Konosuke even goes to see Harashima at the company and tells him to never go near Kaori again.
However, Kaori ignores her sister's orders and runs away from home. When Konosuke tells Harashima, he promises to send her home should she come to him. Worried about Kaori running about Tokyo at night alone, he goes out to look for her. When he finds her, however, he goes against Konosuke's wishes and spends the night with her talking. When she turns up the next day, things just get worse when Konosuke believes that Harashima has taken advantage of Kaori, and hits him! Things aren't going well for Harashima, and he's dreading having to tell not only his company and his friends, but Kaori the truth about his cancer. What will happen when the truth comes out? What will everyone say? Will Harashima lose Kaori forever? Or will this just be another problem she'll over come with her light attitude and kind heart?
Watch the drama, you won't regret it! The acting is top notch, and the three leads Hiroyuki Sanada, Koji Tamaki and Nanako Matsushima are all just wonderful in their roles. I just loved Harashima (Sanada) as he just had the most beautiful way of showing emotion, love and despair through his eyes. The look on his face when Konosuke tells him never to speak to Kaori again just broke my heart. Though he treated Kaori with utter love, respect and devotion, he never tried to seduce her like most men in Japanese TV dramas. Most of the scenes between himself and Kaori so romantic. In particular, when Kaori is working on the display in the window and Harashima's in his car watching her intensely made my heart strings tug.
Nanako Matsushima is such a graceful actress and she really portrayed the young, naive and sweet girl Kaori. Like a breath of fresh air, her presence in this drama is so refreshing and you just have to adore her. In this drama, rather then seeing two actors acting, Harashima and Kaori really did seem like they were in love with each other. Quality acting! Interestingly enough, Sanada and Matsushima went on to star in 'Ring' where they played a married couple. Could it be that the director and casting lady had seen 'A Story of Love'?
The theme song, "Mr Lonely" was sung by Koji Tamaki himself, and the drama was inspired by the song. It a great song and it really makes you want to start swaying in your chair. Koji Tamaki is great as Konosuke and brought *many* laughs to the screen from the very first moment we see him. The over-trusting and warmhearted fellow is the perfect friend. Konosuke has some of the best lines, my favorite being when he said that Harashima and the man who lent him 30 yen aren't the same people. Though some might find him annoying, I find him a much needed comic in such a tense, romantic and depressing movie.
Either way, whether you like a tragic yet funny and cute romance or not, 'A Story of Love' has a clever storyline and the best view of Tokyo you'll ever see. If not for the story, watch it for the wide location shooting. This drama is deeply underrated and I advice you to track this down and watch it. You owe it to yourself to see this drama.
10/10 and ***** Stars
(If there were six stars, I'd give it that! And seven and eight and more.)
Harashima (Hiroyuki Sanada) is successful, wealthy and president of Harashima Enterprise, who is planning to build a new link on a housing site. Before he died, he made Harashima promise that he'd never let love get in the way of his work. Hence, Harashima has become lonely, cold-hearted and never trusts anybody.
Harashima has been experiencing painful seizures and stomach pains and decides to go to a clinic belonging to an old family friend in the downtown. He finds out he has an incurable case of stomach cancer and has just six months to live. While waiting to go in he meets Konosuke Shimodaira (Koji Tamaki), who was happy to find out all he had was stomach cramps, he asks to borrow 30 yen. When Harashima gives him 100 and walks away, Konosuke catches up later and gives him his change and promises to pay him back the 30 yen.
Harashima finds himself thrown into Konosuke's world. Meeting Misao (Saya Takagi) and Kaori (Nanako Matsushima), a pure and sweet-hearted young woman who works in his main store. Harashima falls in love with Kaori almost instantly and finds himself unable to stop thinking about her. Often looking at his hand he'd used to wave her goodbye, staring at her when she's not looking, sending her flowers and asking for her company. Kaori too finds herself falling for him, despite the fact she finds out that he's Harashima. She's afraid of getting hurt like she had done in the past by men and tries to stop his advances, but in the end she can't help herself. When she tells him she's in love with him, remembering his promise to his father, turns her down. Misao finds out that Harashima is Harashima, and worse... He's the man who is planning to tear down THEIR homes! Misao and Konosuke both hound Kaori and forbid her from seeing Harashima as they think he'll take advantage of her love. Konosuke even goes to see Harashima at the company and tells him to never go near Kaori again.
However, Kaori ignores her sister's orders and runs away from home. When Konosuke tells Harashima, he promises to send her home should she come to him. Worried about Kaori running about Tokyo at night alone, he goes out to look for her. When he finds her, however, he goes against Konosuke's wishes and spends the night with her talking. When she turns up the next day, things just get worse when Konosuke believes that Harashima has taken advantage of Kaori, and hits him! Things aren't going well for Harashima, and he's dreading having to tell not only his company and his friends, but Kaori the truth about his cancer. What will happen when the truth comes out? What will everyone say? Will Harashima lose Kaori forever? Or will this just be another problem she'll over come with her light attitude and kind heart?
Watch the drama, you won't regret it! The acting is top notch, and the three leads Hiroyuki Sanada, Koji Tamaki and Nanako Matsushima are all just wonderful in their roles. I just loved Harashima (Sanada) as he just had the most beautiful way of showing emotion, love and despair through his eyes. The look on his face when Konosuke tells him never to speak to Kaori again just broke my heart. Though he treated Kaori with utter love, respect and devotion, he never tried to seduce her like most men in Japanese TV dramas. Most of the scenes between himself and Kaori so romantic. In particular, when Kaori is working on the display in the window and Harashima's in his car watching her intensely made my heart strings tug.
Nanako Matsushima is such a graceful actress and she really portrayed the young, naive and sweet girl Kaori. Like a breath of fresh air, her presence in this drama is so refreshing and you just have to adore her. In this drama, rather then seeing two actors acting, Harashima and Kaori really did seem like they were in love with each other. Quality acting! Interestingly enough, Sanada and Matsushima went on to star in 'Ring' where they played a married couple. Could it be that the director and casting lady had seen 'A Story of Love'?
The theme song, "Mr Lonely" was sung by Koji Tamaki himself, and the drama was inspired by the song. It a great song and it really makes you want to start swaying in your chair. Koji Tamaki is great as Konosuke and brought *many* laughs to the screen from the very first moment we see him. The over-trusting and warmhearted fellow is the perfect friend. Konosuke has some of the best lines, my favorite being when he said that Harashima and the man who lent him 30 yen aren't the same people. Though some might find him annoying, I find him a much needed comic in such a tense, romantic and depressing movie.
Either way, whether you like a tragic yet funny and cute romance or not, 'A Story of Love' has a clever storyline and the best view of Tokyo you'll ever see. If not for the story, watch it for the wide location shooting. This drama is deeply underrated and I advice you to track this down and watch it. You owe it to yourself to see this drama.
10/10 and ***** Stars
(If there were six stars, I'd give it that! And seven and eight and more.)
