Title: Midnight Sun aka Taiyo no Uta
Genre: Drama
Director: Norihiro Koizumi
Format: Movie, 119 minutes.
Dates: 17 Jun 2006

Synopsis: Amane Kaoru is a 16-year old girl who is inflicted with a rare condition that makes sunlight potentially lethal to her. Therefore, she sleeps in the daytime and prowls the Tokyo streets at night and doing what she loves - singing and playing her guitar. She tries to break out of her nightly routine after she falls in love with Kouji, a lazy high school student who loves to go surfing at sunrise. Upon hearing about her illness, Kouji pitches in to help realize Kaoru’s dreams of making music.

The Highlights
Story: Generic and very predictable, yet masterfully-executed.
Cast: Very down-to-earth and realistic.
Music: Breathtaking and memorable; simply heartfelt.
YUI: A rising star in the works; enough reason to watch the movie.

Japanese dramas tend to encounter the common pitfall of being too sappy and melodramatic. In other words, they have the “habit” of trying too hard to make the viewers cry, which I occasionally find it very obnoxious. Midnight Sun evaded that pitfall, and did it with such grace and charm. This may be one of those rare titles where, unlike many others, its simple story is enough to sweep you off your feet.

The concept is something you’ve probably come across umpteen times – boy meets girl, relationship grows but then tragedy strikes when the guy realizes she has a limited lifespan. However, director Norihiro Koizumi does so well in narrating the story that it felt like I had just finished a romance novel after the movie ended. The pacing was done wonderfully, as are the silent and touching moments that are essential in setting the mood. In short, the story is plain yet very touching.

The same can be said for the cast as well. From the main cast to the supporting roles, each presents a character that is ordinary and familiar – the types you would usually meet in your community. The limelight though falls onto the two protagonists, and we are allowed to watch as their relationship develops and they learn to cope with one another. What I loved about their relationships is how they share amusing moments – which I couldn’t help but chuckle myself – and tribulations where I couldn’t help but shed a tear or two.

The music is just one highlight of a movie one cannot afford to miss. The movie features some of YUI’s earlier works and they undoubtedly prove how vocally-gifted she truly is. In the movie, we have the privilege to listen to some of her earlier singles such as “It’s Happy Line” and “Skyline”. However, the song that stole the limelight is undeniably “Good-bye Days”, the closing theme song she specially wrote just for the movie and her role as Kaoru.

But the one element that almost justifies watching this film is indisputably the lead actress herself – YUI. The stellar performance given by this rising songbird is, I dare say, alone enough reason to go watch this. Together with her soulful voice, she embodies her role as the lovable and naïve Kaoru flawlessly. More so, YUI’s budding musician role in Midnight Sun seems to be almost tailor-made for her. The production notes stated that “she seems as if she was brought into this world for this film” and I could not agree more myself.

In summary, Midnight Sun is an outstanding and remarkable movie that any viewer will enjoy watching. It features some truly unforgettable musical and cinematic scenes. For curiosity’s sake, this movie was also featured in the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, and that alone speaks for itself on how good this movie is.

The Rating: 9

Reviewed by: AC