Sugar & Spice
Sugar & Spice
| 16 September 2006 (USA)
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Recently graduated from high school, 17-year-old Shiro decides to put off college and work at a gas station instead. Shy and introspective, Shiro understands he is at a turning point of his life, but is unsure of what lies ahead. Though his parents disapprove of his decision, he has the support of his flower child grandmother who declares that a gas station is a romantic place for life's drifters. Surely enough, soon a new co-worker, college student Noriko, drifts into Shiro's life. He falls headfirst into a bittersweet first love that ushers him into the world of adulthood.

Reviews
SoftInloveRox

Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

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Maidexpl

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

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CrawlerChunky

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

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Merolliv

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

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little-greenmen

The ordinary high school students, Shiro decided to work in Gas stop without to be a university student. His parents object to his ideas, but he despite their objections. His ally is his Granma only. One day, new crew came in his workplace as a part-time worker. Her name is Noriko and he falls in love with her at first sight. However, there were some problems with them.Yuya Yagira plays well the ordinary boy. I felt close to him. Also Erika Sawajiri is so cute and matches her role, because she has mysterious atmosphere. Their living seemed so happy. Their room's decoration was so cute, and there were a lot of same small article. However love is not only sweet as a title. This movie told me it. I like happy story, so this movie made me sad a little, but I think nice movie as a whole. If I am an adult, I would understand their feelings more.

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Mesa Envy

The high school student, Shiro, who lived in Tokyo lost the future course. As a result, he doesn't go on to university and decides to work at a gas station in spite of the objection of parents. And then He is in love with the girl of parttimer of the gas station.Rather than a love story, it may be a correct to regard as a growth story of Shiro. This movie made me feel sad when I finish watching it. Frankly speaking, this story is boring. I felt it was an ordinary story. It is set in the period that is about decade years before, so it is difficult for me to empathize with them. To stretch a point, Granma (Natsuki Mari) is very good character. She is impressive rather than two featured actors. I thought that an impression might change if I watch it again when I become more adults.

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yuno est

According to the title, it is the work which sweetness and a sharp taste are left on a chest. I draw the love of teenage still young man and woman.It is a performance of Sawajiri Erika who played Watanabe Noriko and Natsuki Mari who played Granma that is good. Though Noriko is lovely and loves Shiro, she can't forget a former lover. She is a goblin who is at a loss among two men. Even if she is opposite to Shiro as possible faithfully, she shakes when the former lover comes to meet her. She plays such women attractively.The character of the Granma was stuck in Mali really. She makes a lover more than 70 years old, and is original, but the man whom, in fact, she loved in old days is not forgotten. She has the pretty one side to be looking for the place of the photograph which he took.The person loves somebody and thinks the person to be the first. But if the love is over, I cry and cry and think that I come to like nobody anymore. But the next love comes over. What will we learn in the repetition?

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CountZero313

After Reisei to Jonetsu, the jury was still out on whether director Nakae had any talent. With Sugar and Spice, Nakae is found guilty as charged of impersonating a filmmaker. This is a scandalous waste of good acting talent. Yagira impressed in Nodody Knows, naturalistic Sawajiri is garnering plaudits on both the big and small screen in Japan at the moment, and Natsuki was dazzling in the otherwise disappointing Samurai Fiction. All three fall flat (with Yagira in particular mis-cast) in this embarrassing tale of first love turned sour. And why the hell is it so long?Yagira is a 17-year-old virgin who defies his parents hopes by taking on a job as a petrol station attendant. He meets and falls in love with the older and more experienced Sawajiri. Their relationship is mentored by his gaijin-loving 'Grandma' Natsuki, whose advanced years do not preclude a few romantic inadequacies. Where to begin? The film is too long. Yagira is 15 but playing a 17-year-old. There is not much between 35 and 37, but there is a hell of a difference between 15 and 17, and it shows. Yagira just looks 15. The script is trite and sentimental. Natsuki attempts English sometimes and it sets your teeth to grinding (she shouts a lot, too - Nakae should have toned her down somehow). Her Taiwanese boyfriend manages to produce the same result with his pidgin Japanese. Sawajiri just looks lost, and I'll be surprised if her agent still has her job after this bomb. The whole thing plays out like an extended TV drama. There are some clunky cameos for ephemeral local TV celebs that will baffle international audiences, because the scenes they appear in often bear no relation to the story itself. The comic relief supplied by the other petrol station attendants isn't funny. In short, the whole thing looks like an in- house video put together for the Fuji TV office party. Nakae got some plaudits for Reisei and it seems to have gone to his head. There are some pretty pictures here, but the whole thing is drawn out and self-indulgent. As of writing, this film is bombing at the box office in Japan. I'll be surprised if it travels anywhere else. Some Yagira fans may pick it up on DVD on the strength of Nobody Knows. In which case, don't say you weren't warned...

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