Koizora (film)
Encyclopedia
is a 2007 film based on a cell phone novel of the same name
. The film is directed by Natsuki Imai and it stars Yui Aragaki
and Haruma Miura
.
Koizora debuted at the Japanese box office on 3 November 2007. It grossed a total of US$36,684,020 in both Japanese and international box offices.
From her friends and through her first sexual encounter with Hiro, Mika learns that he had a girlfriend named Saki. Although Hiro reassures her that he broke up with her, Saki, who still is in love with Hiro, holds a vendetta against Mika and hires a group of men to rape her. The horrific encounter ends with Hiro and his older sister Minako punishing both the men and Saki, but not long after, someone writes a provocative message on all of the school chalkboards with Mika's name and phone number. Hiro continues to protect Mika from all of the bullying advances, but she assures him that she's not frightened anymore from being with him.
Mika later becomes pregnant after she and Hiro consummate in the school library. Hiro is thrilled by the news and both of them gain Hiro's parents' permission to raise the child together, although Mika's parents disapprove of the action. Despite this, Mika is determined to have the baby until the birth becomes a miscarriage due to the physical trauma received when Saki pushed her down a flight of stairs. Despaired, Mika and Hiro build a grave for their baby and promise each other to come visit the memorial yearly on the day of the baby's death.
Shortly after their second year in high school begins, Hiro begins to distance himself from Mika and breaks up with her. Although hurt, Mika meets a college student named Yū at a gōkon
, who becomes sympathetic to her situation. The two date, and Yū even prevents Mika's parents from divorcing. On the day of the baby's death, Mika finds Hiro visiting the grave as per their promise. The next year, she continues to move on from Hiro; however, on the day of the baby's death, Mika finds Nozomu at the grave. Nozomu reveals the truth about Hiro's sickly situation, and that he was asked by Hiro himself to watch over Mika.
Mika breaks up with Yū and finds Hiro, diagnosed with cancer, awaiting death at the hospital. Upset that he pretended he didn't love her only to ensure she would have a happy future, she insists that only he can make her happy. Hiro eventually gives into his feelings and gets back together with her. Mika begins to visit the hospital daily, even taking an academic leave, to take care of Hiro, who slowly begins to show signs of recovery. Hiro's resolve to live becomes stronger until he dies during a check-up. Mika is saddened by Hiro's death and tries to commit suicide, but is stopped by a flock of birds flying towards her. She takes this as a sign of Hiro, in the sky, discouraging her from killing herself, and realizes through this and Hiro's journal that he would have wanted her to continue to live. Seven years later, she reflects on how her life had changed upon meeting Hiro, and that she is living happily with him and their baby in mind.
director Natsuki Imai. Imai's previous works included television dramas
Orange Days and Taiyou no Uta, and Koizora was her first experience directing a film.
As the Koizora film was loosely adapted from the original cell phone novel, changes were made so that the film could fit 129 minutes. In the original novel, the way Mika and Hiro met was different. Initially, Mika's phone number is given to Nozomu, who repeatedly called her much to her dismay. However, one night, when he was drunk dialing
Mika, Hiro confiscated the phone and began talking to her instead.
casted as Mika in the film together with the announcement of this film on April 19, 2007. On May 13, 2007, Haruma Miura
and Keisuke Koide were casted as Hiroki and Yū respectively.
was the ending theme song of the movie. Yui Aragaki herself penned and sang "Heavenly Days", an insert song of the film.
, Koizora was released in theaters on November 3, 2007. It was released in Singapore
cinemas on 5th March 2008 by local distributor Cathay-Keris Films.
in two forms: a standard edition and a premium edition. The premium edition contained a second disk with extra footage, interviews, and music videos of the theme songs.
, approximately 3.14 million people came to watch the movie upon its release. According to the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Koizora was the 6th highest grossing Japanese film of 2007 with a total gross of 3.90 billion yen.
Koizora
, or for short, is a 2005 best-selling Japanese coming of age and romance novel written by Mika. Originally posted on the cell phone website "Mahō no iLand" , where chapters would be released exclusively for mobile reading, Koizora received a hard print publication from Starts Publications in...
. The film is directed by Natsuki Imai and it stars Yui Aragaki
Yui Aragaki
is a Japanese idol, model, actress, singer, seiyū and occasional radio show host of Ryukyuan ancestry.She is particularly recognized for her beauty and her movie projects.- Overview :...
and Haruma Miura
Haruma Miura
is a Japanese actor and singer. He is part of the Amuse agency, and debuted as one of the members of Brash Brats, a J-pop group. However, they are currently on hiatus, while Haruma is still active as an actor. He gained popularity with Gokusen 3 and 2007 film Koizora...
.
Koizora debuted at the Japanese box office on 3 November 2007. It grossed a total of US$36,684,020 in both Japanese and international box offices.
Plot
During her freshman year in high school, Mika Tahara loses her cellular phone, but later finds it in the school library with the help of an unknown caller. Throughout the summer, Mika and the mysterious caller continue to communicate, and agree to meet each other once school starts again. The caller turns out to be Hiro, a delinquent-like boy that Mika is initially afraid of, who shows proof of his identity as the caller with a photo of the sky on his cellular phone.From her friends and through her first sexual encounter with Hiro, Mika learns that he had a girlfriend named Saki. Although Hiro reassures her that he broke up with her, Saki, who still is in love with Hiro, holds a vendetta against Mika and hires a group of men to rape her. The horrific encounter ends with Hiro and his older sister Minako punishing both the men and Saki, but not long after, someone writes a provocative message on all of the school chalkboards with Mika's name and phone number. Hiro continues to protect Mika from all of the bullying advances, but she assures him that she's not frightened anymore from being with him.
Mika later becomes pregnant after she and Hiro consummate in the school library. Hiro is thrilled by the news and both of them gain Hiro's parents' permission to raise the child together, although Mika's parents disapprove of the action. Despite this, Mika is determined to have the baby until the birth becomes a miscarriage due to the physical trauma received when Saki pushed her down a flight of stairs. Despaired, Mika and Hiro build a grave for their baby and promise each other to come visit the memorial yearly on the day of the baby's death.
Shortly after their second year in high school begins, Hiro begins to distance himself from Mika and breaks up with her. Although hurt, Mika meets a college student named Yū at a gōkon
Group dating
Group dating is a modern pattern for dating where a group of single men and a group of single women organise a night out, with the hope of forming romantic partnerships. It is most popular in Japan, where it is known as gōkon...
, who becomes sympathetic to her situation. The two date, and Yū even prevents Mika's parents from divorcing. On the day of the baby's death, Mika finds Hiro visiting the grave as per their promise. The next year, she continues to move on from Hiro; however, on the day of the baby's death, Mika finds Nozomu at the grave. Nozomu reveals the truth about Hiro's sickly situation, and that he was asked by Hiro himself to watch over Mika.
Mika breaks up with Yū and finds Hiro, diagnosed with cancer, awaiting death at the hospital. Upset that he pretended he didn't love her only to ensure she would have a happy future, she insists that only he can make her happy. Hiro eventually gives into his feelings and gets back together with her. Mika begins to visit the hospital daily, even taking an academic leave, to take care of Hiro, who slowly begins to show signs of recovery. Hiro's resolve to live becomes stronger until he dies during a check-up. Mika is saddened by Hiro's death and tries to commit suicide, but is stopped by a flock of birds flying towards her. She takes this as a sign of Hiro, in the sky, discouraging her from killing herself, and realizes through this and Hiro's journal that he would have wanted her to continue to live. Seven years later, she reflects on how her life had changed upon meeting Hiro, and that she is living happily with him and their baby in mind.
Cast
- Yui AragakiYui Aragakiis a Japanese idol, model, actress, singer, seiyū and occasional radio show host of Ryukyuan ancestry.She is particularly recognized for her beauty and her movie projects.- Overview :...
plays , an ordinary high school student who falls in love with Hiro and finds her experiences in love to be one of the most wonderful feelings in the world. - Haruma MiuraHaruma Miurais a Japanese actor and singer. He is part of the Amuse agency, and debuted as one of the members of Brash Brats, a J-pop group. However, they are currently on hiatus, while Haruma is still active as an actor. He gained popularity with Gokusen 3 and 2007 film Koizora...
plays , nicknamed , a former delinquent notable by his dyed hair. He later discovers he has cancer and stages a disinterest in Mika so as not to make her sad. - Keisuke Koide plays , a college student from the Kansai region who becomes Mika's emotional support after Hiro breaks up with her.
- Asami Usuda plays , Hiro's ex-girlfriend who still is in love with Hiro and continuously harasses Mika through many lengths, including rape and physical assault.
- Karina plays , Hiro's older sister
- Aoi NakamuraAoi Nakamurais a Japanese actor.-Biography:Nakamura portrays Hibiki Akagi in Boys Esté.He appears in Perfect Blue a television movie based on a novel by Miyuki Miyabe...
plays , Hiro's equally delinquent-like best friend who immediately develops an interest in Mika. - Haru plays , Mika's best friend who has a crush on Nozomu.
- Ryuji Yamamoto plays , Hiro's father.
- Yumi AsouYumi Asouis a Japanese actress. She is a niece of singer Chiyo Okumura. Her husband is Toshiya Nagasawa.She was born in Osaka Prefecture but grew up in Nagasaki Prefecture. She graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University.-Selected filmography:...
plays , Hiro's mother. - George Takahashi plays , Mika's father.
- Yūko AsanoYūko Asanois a Japanese actress and singer. She won the award for best actress at the 19th Japan Academy Prize for Kura.-References:...
plays , Mika's mother.
Development
On April 19, 2007, a film for Koizora was green-lit and was to be directed by TBSTokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
director Natsuki Imai. Imai's previous works included television dramas
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
Orange Days and Taiyou no Uta, and Koizora was her first experience directing a film.
As the Koizora film was loosely adapted from the original cell phone novel, changes were made so that the film could fit 129 minutes. In the original novel, the way Mika and Hiro met was different. Initially, Mika's phone number is given to Nozomu, who repeatedly called her much to her dismay. However, one night, when he was drunk dialing
Drunk dialing
Drunk dialing is a pop-culture term denoting an instance in which an intoxicated individual places phone calls that he or she would not likely place if sober...
Mika, Hiro confiscated the phone and began talking to her instead.
Pre-production
News of actress Yui AragakiYui Aragaki
is a Japanese idol, model, actress, singer, seiyū and occasional radio show host of Ryukyuan ancestry.She is particularly recognized for her beauty and her movie projects.- Overview :...
casted as Mika in the film together with the announcement of this film on April 19, 2007. On May 13, 2007, Haruma Miura
Haruma Miura
is a Japanese actor and singer. He is part of the Amuse agency, and debuted as one of the members of Brash Brats, a J-pop group. However, they are currently on hiatus, while Haruma is still active as an actor. He gained popularity with Gokusen 3 and 2007 film Koizora...
and Keisuke Koide were casted as Hiroki and Yū respectively.
Filming
The filming for Koizora began on April 23, 2007 and was scheduled to finish in June 2007.Music
The soundtrack was composed by Shin Kouno and was released on October 31, 2007, by Harbor Records. Along with the background music, two theme songs were promoted alongside with the movie. Mr. Children'sMr. Children
, commonly called , is a Japanese rock band formed in 1988 by Kazutoshi Sakurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, and Hideya Suzuki. As a group, they are one of the most successful Japanese rock artists, having sold over 50 million records and creating the in the mid 1990s in Japan...
was the ending theme song of the movie. Yui Aragaki herself penned and sang "Heavenly Days", an insert song of the film.
Box office
In JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Koizora was released in theaters on November 3, 2007. It was released in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
cinemas on 5th March 2008 by local distributor Cathay-Keris Films.
Home media
Koizora was released on Region 2 DVD on April 25, 2008 by TohoToho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
in two forms: a standard edition and a premium edition. The premium edition contained a second disk with extra footage, interviews, and music videos of the theme songs.
Box Office
In JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, approximately 3.14 million people came to watch the movie upon its release. According to the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Koizora was the 6th highest grossing Japanese film of 2007 with a total gross of 3.90 billion yen.
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 20th Nikkan Sports Film Award Nikkan Sports Film Award The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by the Nikkan Sports.- Categories :*Best Picture*Best Director*Best Foreign Picture*Best Actor*Best Actress*Best Supporting Actor*Best Supporting Actress*New Artist Award*Special Award... |
Best Newcomer Award | Yui Aragaki Yui Aragaki is a Japanese idol, model, actress, singer, seiyū and occasional radio show host of Ryukyuan ancestry.She is particularly recognized for her beauty and her movie projects.- Overview :... (Also for Waruboro) |
|
| 2008 | 50th Blue Ribbon Awards Blue Ribbon Awards The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan.The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers... |
Best Newcomer Award | Yui Aragaki Yui Aragaki is a Japanese idol, model, actress, singer, seiyū and occasional radio show host of Ryukyuan ancestry.She is particularly recognized for her beauty and her movie projects.- Overview :... (Also for Waruboro and Tokyo Serendipity) |
|
| 62nd Mainichi Film Award | Tsutaya Fan Award | Koizora | ||
| 29th Yokohama Film Festival Yokohama Film Festival The is a noticed yearly awards ceremony held in Japan. The festival was started as a small affair by fans and film critics, and first held on February 3, 1980. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year, and various awards are given to personnel... |
Best Newcomer Award | Yui Aragaki Yui Aragaki is a Japanese idol, model, actress, singer, seiyū and occasional radio show host of Ryukyuan ancestry.She is particularly recognized for her beauty and her movie projects.- Overview :... (Also for Waruboro and Tokyo Serendipity) |
||