It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The wonderful Matsushima Nanako raises the quality of this romantic drama. The story involves a businessman, who, after spending 8 years grieving the loss of his wife to illness, finds himself very gently persued by a young office worker. Matsushima, plays Fumika, with grace and charm as she becomes an important part of the man's life without his even realizing. As with many of these films, the colorful, and in some cases tragic supporting chaacters realize what's happening before the lead himself. With a story with more character than humor, expert performances, this is a film well worth looking up. Tea, anyone?