Story: Despite this being a cliche romance story, two people in love and one gravely ill, it manages to grasp your heart and your undivided attention. It doesn’t matter how many times I see this type of plot, I still fall heada first into it and cry each time. It must be because of the time limit, that they are so young and die so quickly, before anything truly begins. While they loved in high school and shared many experiences, it was only the beginning and it had to end so quickly. This is one of the first movies that I watched where I started to cry within the first half hour. It isn’t usually until the climax or ending, but not this one. Even when it starts out with Takuma and Mayu as young children, there is a small sense of hopelessness. You just know what is going to happen and you don’t want it to end that way. It is true that the plot is simple and the ending predictable, but that does not mean it isn’t a good movie. While the ending may affect your opinion, it isn’t all that matters. What does is the journey, how Takuma and Mayu got there and how it affects you. One more thing: Don’t go in comparing this to the manga like people do with Koizora. Yes, it is a live action but it is also a movie on it’s own and deserves to be viewed as that. Don’t judge it because it was different, but because of the story and their love. Music: It was sweet, quiet and romantic. It didn’t have too much of an impact on me. It mostly just set the scene and mood. Cast/Acting: A big part of the reason why I wanted to watch this way because of Inoue Mao and Okada Masaki. I had seen the two of them act in their respective dramas (Hana Yori Dango/A Gentle Breeze in the Village) and I kind of wondered if they would have been able to pull off a deep romantic movie. The way they act is so different. Mao has that stubborn and happy vibe while Masaki seems a bit more reserved. In the end they pulled it off very well and seemed to have great chemistry. While he pushed her away she remained stubborn, grasping on tighter and unwilling to let go. Rewatch Value: 10 READ MORE DRAMA AND MOVIE REVIEWS HERE: http://dramadevoted.tumblr.com