What I’ve Watched: Koizora/Sky of Love | Commentary, Screenshots and Review

When I had my old blog url, it’s easy to understand why I may have been unfollowed as quickly as I was followed when people realised that my blog url was a lie. (It will be true one day!) To make it up to y’all who have been disappointed (but who still stick around for the witty banter and megalulz <3 ) I decided that I would blog about the Japanese films that I have watched.

Recently, I watched the film: Koizora/Sky of Love . I came across this film after searching around for a good first love/romance J-movie and this apparently was THE film to watch (along with I Give My First Love to You which I shall be watching soon!)

This post contains a helluva lot of spoilers so perhaps skip if you want the film to be a surprise. If, like me, you like to be prepared before watching any J-drama, feel free to click Read More.

I also made all the GIFs in the post; go me!

The Plot:

The story revolves around Mika (named after the author), who falls in love with her classmate, Hiro, upon entering high school. But over the course of the film, she ends up suffering through many trials and tribulations.

Commentary & Screenshot:

As I had wanted to prepare myself for “the sad bits”, I will hold my hands up and admit to reading the plot on Wikipedia. Even though it warned me I still cried A LOT. T_______T

The film begins with our protagonist, Mika, as a young woman. Sat on a train, she is becoming rather misty eyed with memories. “If I had not met you that day, then I would not have experienced that pain and sadness… but then had I not met you, I would not have experienced that joy, excitement, preciousness, and the feeling of absolute happiness. How are you now? I continue to love the vast blue sky”.

*roll opening credits*

The story is set seven years from the earlier scene with Mika, who is now a very fresh faced freshman. (Seriously girl what BB cream are you using?!) Her and her friends are at that age where they have began to take notice of boys. Giggling over lunch, her friend Aya admits to having the hots for Nozomu in Class D. Now we have all been there; we’ve all had one friend who gets a little obsessive and cringe-y when it comes to the token of their affection.

As you can see from the movie poster, Nozomu is obviously going to be the average one on the right. Bold as brass he strolls up to Mika and asks for her phone number. Equally as bold, Aya jumps in front of Mika and volunteers her number instead. Mika tries to scuttle away when BAM, she bumps into ~destiny~ .

How Aragaki Yui managed to retain her ovaries after gazing into Miura Haruma’s eyes for the first time, I do not know. Perhaps she is a witch…  It’s the only explanation.

My first thoughts were a mixture of “DAYUM” and “NICE WIG HIRO WHAT’S IT MADE OF?” I apologise for nothing.

Later on, Mika loses her phone. I’m sure we can ALL relate to the blind panic… the skipped heartbeat… the sheer hysteria(!) when you lose your phone. Retracing her steps, she finds her phone ringing in the library. But who is on the other line?

DUN DUN DUNNNN.

The mysterious phone finder has also deleted all her numbers in a feeble attempt to be philosophical – if that person really wants to talk to you, they will definitely call you,  he says. Now that’s all well and good, Mysterious Phone Guy but it’s not you that has to do the whole “sorry but who’s this” awkward conversation, IS IT?

From that evening, Mika and Mysterious Phone Guy begin to regularly chat over the phone, getting to know one another and confiding family troubles. I dread to think of their phone bills. *shudders* I’ll admit I found the scenes really cute; although I’m sure if a Mysterious Phone Guy was ringing me in the middle of the night it would be a different story…

It’s now time for Mika and Mysterious Phone Guy to meet. Of course, she enlists Aya to help her put a bit of slap on before she goes! Not that she needs it mind.. I cannot believe that not ONCE in 2 hours did we see her skincare regime! #rage

ERMAGRERD, it’s Hiro! What a complete and utter surprise… not. *rolls eyes violently* For some UNKNOWN reason, Mika isn’t happy about the identity of Mysterious Phone Guy; describing him as “silver haired scary person” and rejects his bouquet of flowers. Why yes, they may have been slightly pathetic, but I was always taught it was the thought that counts. Whilst walking home, Mika finds Hiro planting the flowers, getting his Titchmarsh on. He manages to impress Mika with his hose (oo-er) and his knowledge of refraction.

LET THE ROMANCE BEGIN!

My… ovaries… are.. no…more…

Uh-oh. Mika and Hiro have skipped class and have ended up back at his… Hiro at this point is what I would describe as an “eager beaver” or even, rather crudely on my part, eager for *cough* her… *cough cough* . He is ready for Mika’s jelly, shall we say. I’m not entirely sure how Hiro got some of Mika’s jelly when they kept all their clothes on. *consults Google* Hiro mumbles his ex’s name in his sleep (awks) but Mika forgives him and they agree to go on another date.

This is the not so nice part of the film. Mika is waiting around for Hiro as he is mysteriously late, when a car pulls up at the side of her. She is grabbed by two youths and bundled into the car. They stop, she runs out of the car but she isn’t fast enough. She is caught and she is subjected to a horrible ordeal . *sad face*

She is found hours later by a VERY LATE HIRO. Seriously, WHERE HAS HE BEEN? It transpires that Saki, Hiro’s ex girlfriend (the very name he mentioned previously!) HIRED the men that put Mika through her awful ordeal. Saki, who has a serious case of the “crazy eyes” (#himym) , ups her hate campaign against Mika by sending abusive text messages, spreading gossip and writing saucy things on ALL of the blackboards in school. Hiro goes absolutely m e n t a l , going from classroom to classroom angrily erasing all of the blackboards; dropping a few death threats or two… no biggie.

Something about Hiro’s crazy rampage SOMEHOW , just SOMEHOW cures Mika of all of the trauma of her ordeal (which seemed to have happened a few days ago in this film…) and she serves up Hiro with another helping of her jelly. In the LIBRARY. WITH THEIR CLOTHES ON AGAIN. HOW ARE THEY DOING THIS? ! When I was at school, you couldn’t even breathe without Joy the Librarian screeching at you. WHERE IS THE JAPANESE VERSION OF JOY?! *shakes screen*

Of course, Mika and Hiro pay big time for their rumble in the literacy jungle; she is pregnant! I bet she wishes she had a Joy now; perhaps the Japanese Joy could have dished out some contraceptives…

Albeit some minor freaking out on the part of Hiro, they decide to keep the baby.  They buy matching rings; from one of those cheap stalls but y’know,I think Mika is getting the whole “it’s the thought that counts” thing finally… But alas, their happiness is ridiculously short lived as Mika runs into Crazy Eyes Saki. Saki pushes Mika down some stairs… you can guess what happens next.

They create a small display for their unborn child at the same spot where Hiro impressed Mika with his refraction skillz; making a promise to visit the display every year on December 24th to mourn.

It’s now Spring, and Hiro no longer attends school and barely talks to Mika. He avoids her and makes his sister lie to Mika about his whereabouts. Later on that day (things move fast in this film!), Mika receives a phone call from Aya; are you coming to Hiro’s party? What, the party Mika had no knowledge of? Of course!

Err’body at the party is now partied out; drunk (and possibly under the influence of drugs, I’m no too sure).  Nozomu. in his drunken state, kisses Mika.  Mika runs off to the bathroom to wash her mouth out with water (because let’s face it, to go from Hiro to Nozomu is lowering your standards).  She returns to the room and spots Hiro kissing another girl!   *heart breaks* She runs home, being watched at the window by Hiro (what is he up to?)

The next day at school, Hiro breaks up with Mika in the library. *heart breaks again* Hiro couldn’t possibly BE more of a insensitive tool at this point; telling poor Mika he “suddenly wants to play with other girls”.  Mika becomes visibly upset and throws her ring at Hiro and leaves.

She changes her mind during the day and texts Hiro that she wants to talk.  She waits in the library (where else?) but Hiro doesn’t turn up.  She leaves him a voicemail but he doesn’t respond.

Mika sends him one last text – I’ll wait for you at your favourite place (down by the river).  If you don’t show up I’ll give up forever.

HE ONLY GOES AND SHOWS UP.

EEEEEEEE.

WAIT….  WHAT?

I CANNOT HANDLE THESE SCENES   T___________T

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US HIRO? WE LOVE YOU T__________T

(sad whale is sad)

HOW CAN YOU BE SO HEARTLESS?! AFTER EVERYTHING WE WENT THROUGH!!!!

Oh Mika, we’ve all been there…

The film now cuts to December 24th; the date on which Mika and Hiro agree to meet to mourn their unborn child.   She goes to a party beforehand though; a party where they play JENGA.  ( This is my kind of party!  Throw in your wifi password and I’m there for the NIGHT!) She meets the very lovely Yu Fukuhara, who is unfazed by her deliberate mardy-ness.

She leaves the party and arrives at the shrine… HIRO HAS BEEN THERE!   WHERE HAS HE GONE?  She goes to look for him but now Yu is there! How did HE get there?!

I’ll say it again; things move fast in this film!  It’s now the new school year and Mika and Yu have grown close.  She says he’s just tutoring her but we all know that is a lie.   (I had a Chinese boy help me in A Level Math.  Turned out he loved my “I don’t get this” face and was the main reason he helped me.  Tsk…).

Oh no, she’s thinking of Hiro!

WAAAAIT. NOW YU IS PROCLAIMING HIS LOVE FOR MIKA.  WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT ASIAN BOYS TUTORING YOU?! IT’S ALL A LIE!

… Or just don’t listen to me and enter into a relationship anyway, Mika.  That’s cool.

It’s now December 24th yet again; it’s now one year since she met Yu and of course the anniversary of her baby’s death. She walks up to the shrine… Hiro is there.   AWKWARD!   Mika “tries” to confront Hiro about why he was such a tool to her but he walks off.  She gives chase and ends up at two signs.  The film gets quite deep here;  does she chase Hiro into the night, or does she return to Yu?  She chooses Yu, yet goes to the library and writes a cryptic love message to Hiro in the library.  After assembly she checks the blackboard; he’s replied!   In a similarly cryptic fashion!

Mika resolves to get on with her life FINALLY, and begins a new life with Yu.

It’s December 24th YET AGAIN(!!!).   Just before she gets out of the car, Yu gives her a ring!  AHHH!  There’s someone at the shrine.. but it’s not Hiro.  It’s Nozomu.   *ominous tone*   Nozomu explains that Hiro has asked him to visit the shrine for him every year as he… is dying soon.  HE HAS CANCER.  *wails*

Yu comes to see what is taking Mika so long and finds HER wailing over Hiro.   (I wailed first…).  Yu begs her to not to go and in the kerfuffle she drops her ring.  Yu tells her not to pick it up and to find happiness with Hiro.   I think I started crying yet again at this part… It all became a teary blur in the end.

Mika finds Hiro in the hospital, still being a tool!!! Yet still wearing their ring!!! TOO MANY EMOTIONS RIGHT NOW!!!

They are now back together! *happy dannie* … but will they have a happy ending? *sad dannie*

THIS FILM IS MAKING ME FEEL TOO MANY THINGS!!!

And also, check out Mika rocking a flower headband in 2007.   The original hipster.

AHA! That’s what she meant at the beginning of the film! (Scroll up if you need to! I’ll be waiting down here).

OH NO! Hiro is dying and Mika is not by his side.  Desperate, she video calls him; pleading and crying.   Mika is the last thing Hiro sees.

I WILL NEVER BE HAPPY AGAIN. EVER!!!

After this the remainder of the film (about less than 10 minutes) concentrates on Mika and how she found the courage to get over Hiro’s death and blossom into a young woman.   Yawn , gimme a rekindled romance with Yu or gtfo.

 

Review:

This film was too sad.  Far too sad for someone like me; who cried for an hour at The Notebook… but yet at the same time it was hard to believe and far-fetched.  I find it hard to believe that Mika could recover from a gang rape, an unexpected pregnancy, an attack, which then caused a miscarriage, a break up and then finding out that Hiro has cancer as quickly as she did.   It’s like an episode of Hollyoaks.

If you are a fan of soppy movies like me then of course you’re going to eat it up.  If perhaps you are slightly more cultured in your film tastes than I am perhaps give it a miss…

Danniella x x x 

 P.S This review took me about TWO WEEKS(!!!) to write, hence the lack of posts.  And I’m sorry for my GIFs being all different sizes!