Dear Friends (film)
Encyclopedia
is a 2007 drama film
written by Japanese
author
YOSHI
and directed by film director
Kazuyuki Morosawa. The film stars Keiko Kitagawa
and Yuika Motokariya
in its lead roles.
The tagline for the film is "Are friends necessary?" The theme song is also called Dear Friends, which is performed by SOULHEAD
.
It is adapted from the manga "Dear Friends" by YOSHI, and art by Watanabe Ayu.
) who believes that friends are not necessary and that they can only be used in times of need. Thus, she is unable to maintain a decent relationship with her friends and classmates. Her family's relationship is also lacking; her father does not care much about his family and her mother is over-protective.
Rina spends a lot of her time going to a club where Yousuke (played by Masaya Kikawada
) is the disc jockey with her friends Hiroko (played by Airi Toriyama) and Emi (played by Hatsune Matsushima
). (In the opening scene, Rina has "borrowed" Hiroko's boyfriend for sex, infuriating Hiroko.) Yousuke falls for Rina, but her attitude has a feral edge, and they neck but stop short of having sex.
After obtaining a large amount of money under false pretenses (i.e. claiming she is pregnant when she is not and forcing the guy [not Hiroko's boyfriend or Yousuke] to pay for the abortion) and spending it on a bottle of Dom Pérignon
(which she sprays over everyone at the club), Rina collapses on the dance floor. She eventually discovers that she has cancer
(non-Hodgkin lymphoma
) and becomes hospitalized for an indefinite amount of time. In the hospital, she is not visited by her family, but by one of her classmates named Maki (played by Yuika Motokariya
). Although Maki tells Rina that they were friends in primary school, Rina does not remember her, so Maki takes the opportunity to re-connect with her. A young girl, Kanae, (played by Mao Sasaki) who is also hospitalized tries to become friends with Rina, but she holds fast onto her mantra of friends being unnecessary.
Throughout her hospitalization, Rina begins to lose hope as her well-being falls apart. Her hair falls out from the chemotherapy and she looks pale and thin. Rina learns that Kanae also had cancer (leukemia
), and has died after a bone marrow transplant failed. Rina must undergo a mastectomy
as the cancer has spread to her left breast. She decides to commit suicide
by jumping off the hospital's rooftop. Before she can jump, however, she is confronted by Maki, who stabs herself in the chest with a knife and declares that she will share the same pain as Rina and that she does not want to lose her friend. Maki has suicidal tendencies (as evidenced by scars on her wrist), but sees in her relationship with Rina a reason to keep living. Rina shows some hope again when she realizes that she can find friendship in Maki, but she does not see Maki while Maki recovers from the stab wound.
Hiroko and Emi then visit Rina in the hospital ward. Hiroko throws away a love letter from Yousuke to Rina that she was supposed to deliver, then claims that she and Emi had three-way sex with him. Emi acknowledges this (even though it is news to her). Rina tosses both of them out.
After treatment, Rina is discharged. She tries to go back to her party lifestyle, but cannot force herself to behave as she once did. She goes back to the club, where Emi apologizes for the hospital visit (claiming that Hiroko put her up to it) and states that Hiroko overdosed on drugs. Rina decides she is ready to have sex with Yousuke, but he has second thoughts after seeing Rina's mastectomy scar.
Rina goes back to the hospital rooftop to jump, but is stopped by the head nurse. The head nurse says that Maki wanted her to live, but Rina claims that Maki has not seen her recently. Then, another nurse pushes a zombie-like Maki in a wheelchair onto the rooftop. Maki says that the only reason she is still living is so that she could meet friends like Rina. Maki has a terminal illness: an unspecified neurodegenerative disease. Rina finds her purpose in life, transforms into an angel of mercy
, applies to nursing school, and cares for Maki during her final days.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
written by Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
YOSHI
Yoshi
, is a fictional dragon-like character who appears in video games published by Nintendo. His debut was in Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Mario and Luigi's sidekick , and he later established his own series with several platform and puzzle games, including Super...
and directed by film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Kazuyuki Morosawa. The film stars Keiko Kitagawa
Keiko Kitagawa
is a Japanese actress and former model. She was an exclusive model for the Japanese Seventeen magazine from late 2003 to mid 2006, and left modeling when she left the magazine. Her first acting role was Sailor Mars in the Sailor Moon live action show Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon , and after her role...
and Yuika Motokariya
Yuika Motokariya
is a Japanese actress. She is signed with the Stardust Promotion agency.-Dramas:* 3 nen B gumi Kinpachi sensei Season 6 * Satokibi Batake no Uta * Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu * Fight...
in its lead roles.
The tagline for the film is "Are friends necessary?" The theme song is also called Dear Friends, which is performed by SOULHEAD
SOULHEAD
Soulhead is a Japanese urban contemporary duo consisting of sisters and who hail from Hokkaidō.-Biography:Before they assumed the name Soulhead, they were known as Batti Baas. Batti Baas released one vinyl single through Handcuts Records called "Lovin' You", which featured Aaron Blackmon. The...
.
It is adapted from the manga "Dear Friends" by YOSHI, and art by Watanabe Ayu.
Plot summary
Dear Friends follows a high-school student named Rina (played by Keiko KitagawaKeiko Kitagawa
is a Japanese actress and former model. She was an exclusive model for the Japanese Seventeen magazine from late 2003 to mid 2006, and left modeling when she left the magazine. Her first acting role was Sailor Mars in the Sailor Moon live action show Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon , and after her role...
) who believes that friends are not necessary and that they can only be used in times of need. Thus, she is unable to maintain a decent relationship with her friends and classmates. Her family's relationship is also lacking; her father does not care much about his family and her mother is over-protective.
Rina spends a lot of her time going to a club where Yousuke (played by Masaya Kikawada
Masaya Kikawada
is a Japanese actor. His most prominent role has been as Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider #1 in the film Kamen Rider The First and its sequel Kamen Rider The Next. He was also in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon as Sailor Jupiter's love interest Motoki Furuhata, as well as the sequel to Battle Royale, Battle...
) is the disc jockey with her friends Hiroko (played by Airi Toriyama) and Emi (played by Hatsune Matsushima
Hatsune Matsushima
is a Japanese gravure idol, actress and model affiliated with Harmony Promotion . She was born in Tokyo, Japan. Her real name is Noriko Matsushima, and goes by the nickname Hachu. She has starred in a number of TV dramas, films, and internet productions...
). (In the opening scene, Rina has "borrowed" Hiroko's boyfriend for sex, infuriating Hiroko.) Yousuke falls for Rina, but her attitude has a feral edge, and they neck but stop short of having sex.
After obtaining a large amount of money under false pretenses (i.e. claiming she is pregnant when she is not and forcing the guy [not Hiroko's boyfriend or Yousuke] to pay for the abortion) and spending it on a bottle of Dom Pérignon
Dom Pérignon (wine)
Dom Pérignon is a brand of vintage Champagne produced by the Champagne house Moët & Chandon and serves as that house's prestige champagne. It is named after Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk who was an important quality pioneer for Champagne wine but who, contrary to popular myths, did not discover...
(which she sprays over everyone at the club), Rina collapses on the dance floor. She eventually discovers that she has cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
(non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
The non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas. Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive....
) and becomes hospitalized for an indefinite amount of time. In the hospital, she is not visited by her family, but by one of her classmates named Maki (played by Yuika Motokariya
Yuika Motokariya
is a Japanese actress. She is signed with the Stardust Promotion agency.-Dramas:* 3 nen B gumi Kinpachi sensei Season 6 * Satokibi Batake no Uta * Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu * Fight...
). Although Maki tells Rina that they were friends in primary school, Rina does not remember her, so Maki takes the opportunity to re-connect with her. A young girl, Kanae, (played by Mao Sasaki) who is also hospitalized tries to become friends with Rina, but she holds fast onto her mantra of friends being unnecessary.
Throughout her hospitalization, Rina begins to lose hope as her well-being falls apart. Her hair falls out from the chemotherapy and she looks pale and thin. Rina learns that Kanae also had cancer (leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
), and has died after a bone marrow transplant failed. Rina must undergo a mastectomy
Mastectomy
Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. Mastectomy is usually done to treat breast cancer; in some cases, women and some men believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation prophylactically, that is, to prevent cancer...
as the cancer has spread to her left breast. She decides to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by jumping off the hospital's rooftop. Before she can jump, however, she is confronted by Maki, who stabs herself in the chest with a knife and declares that she will share the same pain as Rina and that she does not want to lose her friend. Maki has suicidal tendencies (as evidenced by scars on her wrist), but sees in her relationship with Rina a reason to keep living. Rina shows some hope again when she realizes that she can find friendship in Maki, but she does not see Maki while Maki recovers from the stab wound.
Hiroko and Emi then visit Rina in the hospital ward. Hiroko throws away a love letter from Yousuke to Rina that she was supposed to deliver, then claims that she and Emi had three-way sex with him. Emi acknowledges this (even though it is news to her). Rina tosses both of them out.
After treatment, Rina is discharged. She tries to go back to her party lifestyle, but cannot force herself to behave as she once did. She goes back to the club, where Emi apologizes for the hospital visit (claiming that Hiroko put her up to it) and states that Hiroko overdosed on drugs. Rina decides she is ready to have sex with Yousuke, but he has second thoughts after seeing Rina's mastectomy scar.
Rina goes back to the hospital rooftop to jump, but is stopped by the head nurse. The head nurse says that Maki wanted her to live, but Rina claims that Maki has not seen her recently. Then, another nurse pushes a zombie-like Maki in a wheelchair onto the rooftop. Maki says that the only reason she is still living is so that she could meet friends like Rina. Maki has a terminal illness: an unspecified neurodegenerative disease. Rina finds her purpose in life, transforms into an angel of mercy
Angel of Mercy
Angel of Mercy may refer to:*Angel of Mercy, in the Jewish and Christian traditions, a messenger from God, especially the archangel Michael*Angel of mercy, affectionate nickname for a nurse*Angel of Mercy...
, applies to nursing school, and cares for Maki during her final days.