Teen films are always a good idea. Portraits of a generation are like fascinating stories that allow us to understand the unique characteristics and experiences of those who make it up in a specific era. The transition from adolescence to adulthood, known as "coming of age", is presented differently depending on the cultural and temporal context in which it is situated. Furthermore, maturity is not reached in the same way for everyone and it is these stories that increasingly interest the public because they allow us to analyze society and also ourselves a little.
Kamijo Daisuke, in his directorial debut, is responsible for the film proposal 'Hidamari ga Kikoeru' (ひだまりが聴こえる), from 2017, the real-time adaptation of the shōnen-ai genre manga of the same name written and illustrated by Yūki Fumino, a mangaka who began her professional career in 2013. With her delicate and poetic style, her work was published for the first time on October 27, 2014 by Printemps Shuppan.
The script is written by Takahashi Natsuko, known for writing the series 'Hana Yori Dango' and the films 'No Touching At All' ('Doushitemo Furetakunai'), 'Seven Days: Monday - Thursday', 'Seven Days: Friday - Sunday', 'Does the Flower Bloom?', among others.
The plot of this romantic drama of the youth, school and Yaoi genre begins by narrating the difficulties that Kōhei Sugihara has hearing, since the current university student had suffered from a sudden sensorineural hearing loss during high school. Circumstances have led him to become a lonely, distrustful, introverted, unsociable and distant young man with great difficulties relating to other people. He himself admits to feeling "out of place wherever he goes."
Thus, Kamijo Daisuke presents us with a love story between two teenagers of the same gender, and analyzes the problems that the world can pose for a person with hearing problems.
Kōhei's entire life changes when he accidentally meets Taichi Sagawa, who offers to take notes in classes for him in exchange for the lunch that the disabled student gives him every day. Kōhei will soon discover that he can hear the loud voice of the new acquaintance without difficulty.
This is how a friendship develops between a boy who had always had problems socializing, because his hearing problems caused him to be marginalized by his classmates, and another cheerful, optimistic, determined and empathetic, energetic boy and extrovert who lives practically in poverty, needing to work while attending university in order to survive. Both will help each other and, little by little, they will give in to their feelings, unleashing a beautiful story of friendship and love.
Taichi will make Kōhei open up to the world once he assures him that his hearing loss is not his fault. Taichi's kind words pierce through Kohei's usual defense mechanisms and open his heart, causing his feelings for Taichi to turn into love. Now they are more than friends and less than lovers. Still, this relationship changes Kohei forever.
Thanks to Taichi, Kōhei begins to smile and integrate into the social life of the campus. Others also begin to see him with different eyes. Taichi becomes the friend he never had or perhaps lost when he lost his hearing and was ostracized. Taichi teaches him "that there may also be a place for him on the other side."
Taichi and Kōhei challenge gender norms on a journey of self-discovery. His story takes us into themes such as the search, the formation of identity, personal growth and the transition to adulthood. But it also addresses feelings such as loneliness, happiness, marginalization or improvement.
It is not a simple love story between two teenagers, but rather it represents the problems that can arise in a romantic relationship when one of the two members of the relationship has a hearing disability. Thus, beyond a standard love theme, 'Hidamari ga Kikoeru' is a call to eradicate the mistreatment and discrimination that society carries out on minority groups, be it the disabled or the members of the group. LGBTIQ+.
In this way, the film becomes a manifesto to demand the equality of all human beings. Being different, something highly punished in Japan, should not be seen as something bad, but rather should be integrated into society until, one day, there is no discrimination of any kind for the mere fact of being different from others.
The main roles of the film distributed by Nippon Shuppan Hanbai are played by Hideya Tawada and Akira Onodera as Kōhei and Taichi, respectively. The former is known for his role as Takigawa Kinji in the series 'Shuriken Sentai Ninninger' and in the films 'Shuriken Sentai Ninninger the Movie: The Dinosaur Lord's Splendid Ninja Scroll!', from 2015, 'Shuriken Sentai Ninninger vs. ToQGer the Movie: Ninjas in Wonderland', from 2016, among others.
For his part, Onodera Akira has his first leading role in Taichi, after playing the character Amamiya Masaki [Young] in 'High&Low: The Red Rain', Inukai Manabu [Classmate] in 'Daytime Shooting Star' or Sakamata Kiyone [Mysterious teenage boy] in the series 'Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri'.
The cast is completed by Mitsuya Ryo as Yokoyama Tomonori, Takashima Reiko as Sugihara Ryoko, Yamazaki Ami, Igeta Hiroe, Fukumoto Yuki, Hiranuma Norihisa, Nakamaru Shinsho.
However, the ending of the film is understandable. At the time it was filmed, the end of the manga created by Yūki Fumino did not yet exist. We had to wait 7 years later for the trio of debut directors Yaegashi Fuga, Makino Masaru and Harashima Takanobu to bring 'Hidamari ga Kikoeru' to the small screen, in a version for the TV Tokyo channel starring Nakazawa Motoki and Kobayashi Toranosuke. who play Sugihara Kōhei and Sagawa Taichi, respectively.