Blue Spring (2001)

A group of a run-down Tokyo high school students face the struggles of growing up, growing apart from their friends and worrying about their future, while living in a highly violent environment.

Director:

Toshiaki Toyoda

Writers:

Toshiaki Toyoda, Taiyô Matsumoto (comic strip)

Stars:

Ryûhei Matsuda, Hirofumi Arai, Sôsuke Takaoka

2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ryûhei Matsuda	...	Kujo
Hirofumi Arai	...	Aoki
Sôsuke Takaoka	...	Yukio
Yûsuke Ohshiba	...	Kimura
Yuta Yamazaki	...	Ota
Shûgo Oshinari	...	Yoshimura
Takashi Tsukamoto	...	Freshman in Baseball Club
Eita	...	Obake (Ghost)
Onimaru	...	Suzuki
Kiyohiko Shibukawa	...	Leader of Rival School Gang (as Kee)
Kyôko Koizumi	...	Kiosk Woman
Mame Yamada	...	Hanada-sensei
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Genta Dairaku	...	Guidance Counselor
Erena	...	High-school girl
Hiroyuki Kobayashi

Storyline

A group of a run-down Tokyo high school students face the struggles of growing up, growing apart from their friends and worrying about their future, while living in a highly violent environment.

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Plot Keywords:

high school | based on manga | based on comic | 

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Taglines:

Blue Spring

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site, trailers, clips, pics (Japanese)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

29 June 2002 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Blue Spring

Box Office

Budget:

$800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmmakers, Omega Micott Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Leo: Just imagine there's a pool behind us, and it's not so scary.
Kujo: Too cold for swimming.

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Connections

Version of Revolver - Aoi haru (2003)

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Soundtracks

Boogie
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant

User Reviews

I liked this movie. Donno why.

I think it captured the high school feeling of despair better than any other movie. The high school movies I am used to usually transform everything into a battle between characters where in the end the good guy wins. Or maybe he loses. But what if you don't want a battle? What if you just don't know what to do or you just don't care?

In Aoi Haru a deadly game decides who the leader of the school will be. A lonely quiet guy wins the game, but he does it only because he doesn't care enough to fear for his life. He actually does it for the game, not for the leadership. That annoys the hell out of his friend, ex boss himself, who can't understand someone that does not want to abuse his power. In the end their friendship is brutally ended.

There are some interesting metaphors in there, like the flowers that the boys are trying to grow, even if just one of them lives to see them blossom. It is also interesting that it is a boys only high school, maybe that's the norm in Japan, I don't know.

There is also in the movie the hidden message that neglect and inaction can do more damage than acting badly. I am talking here about the teachers in the film, that are just dictating machines with no will to educate or care. I mean, doctors can be accused of malpraxis. Lawyers, too. Yet teachers, who are supposed to create social beings from adolescents, are not held responsible for their mistakes.

Enough babble. This is a good film, maybe a bit long, but it does need almost every scene. The soundtrack is also very nice and fits the plot. It is worth watching.