Be With You

Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu

Cast:

Takumi: Shidou Nakamura
Mio: Yuko Takeuchi
Yuji: Akashi Takei

Synopsis:

It has been a year since Takumi and his 6 years old son, Yuji, lost his wife, Mio. Father and son are not faring well. Takumi still can't cook (although Yuji kindly assures him he can eat whatever Takumi cooks), the house is a mess and so is Takumi for that matter. He dresses out of season (wearing a winter suit in the summer), copes at work only with the help of his colleague (who has a crush on him) and generally misses his wife (although he is slowly forgetting her). Yuji on the other hand is waiting expectantly for his mother's return in the rainy season, as she had promised with her dying words.

Takumi knows this can't be possible but he holds on to this tiny glimmer of hope. He wants a second chance to make Mio happy, convinced he had failed to do so as he has a medical condition which had resulted in the end of his track career, and being somewhat of a recluse as he has to stay away from crowds.

Then the rainy season begins. Takumi and Yuji go for a walk in the forest and there they meet a woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Mio. She doesn't remember anything but Takumi and Yuji are convinced she is their beloved Mio. They bring her home, careful not to tell her she had died once, and soon, family life resumes. Takumi's happiness at having Mio back shows in his cheerfulness and efficiency at work. One day, Mio asks Takumi to tell her about them.

Takumi tells her that he fell in love with her first and his love remained unrequitted for 2 and a 1/2 years. They had met in high school, sitting next to each other in class. Being a loner and extremely shy, he could not bring himself to say more than 'good morning' to her. Then when they were both in college and on her first visit home, he finally plucked up the courage to invite her to coffee. While waiting for her train back to Tokyo, she told him
she was cold, and he offered her his pocket to warm her hand. She accepted and put her hand in his pocket. He slips his hand in too and held her's. And that was how their relationship began. Takumi finishes his story and Mio slips her hand into his pocket. He is surprised but she tells him she wants to learn to love him again. He shyly slips his hand in his pocket and holds her hand. And slowly, Mio falls in love with Takumi again.

Yuji finally finds the time capsule he had buried with Mio and brings it home to her. They are about to open it when Takumi collapses outside the house. He had over-exerted himself in his rush to get home to his family. Takumi then continues their story. After exchanging 47 letters with Mio in college, he broke up with her without an explanation. He had just learned of his medical condition and felt he would be a burden to Mio. However, he couldn't stay away and despite the difficulty for him to travel alone, he made a trip to Tokyo to see her. He catches sight of her with another guy and saddened, he left. Then one day, out of the blue, Mio called and asked to see him. She assures him that everything will be fine, they will be fine. Despite Takumi's doubts, they eventually got married and had Yuji.

The next day, Mio, seeing the time capsule, decides to open it. In it are letters that Takumi had written her and her diary. She reads the diary and is devastated. The next day, Takumi wakes to find her earnestly teaching Yuji to cook perfect eggs. She also teaches him how to do laundry. Then one day, a week before Yuji's birthday, she leaves the house for the first time since her return. She looks up Takumi's colleague (the one who has a crush on Takumi - I don't believe they ever mentioned her name) to ask her to watch out for Takumi and Yuji despite Mio's fear that Takumi will fall in love
with someone else. She assures Mio that Takumi loves only Mio and will continue to only love her. While purchasing a birthday cake for Yuji, Mio decides to order 12 years worth of birthday cakes for Yuji, to be delivered each year until his 18th birthday. The family celebrates Yuji's birthday that night. And Mio and Takumi make love for the first time since her return.

The next day, the sun is out in full force. The rainy season is over. Both Yuji and Takumi rush home, fearing the worse. Yuji and Mio take a walk back to the forest where she had been found. Yuji, who has always believed that it is his fault Mio died, owing to his difficult birth, apologises to Mio. Mio assures him that it isn't his fault, that she is happy she had him. Takumi manages to find them in time and he too, apologises to Mio. He is sorry he hasn't made her happy. Mio tells him that she is happy. That she had always been happy. In the reflection of a puddle, we see her leaning against him, holding his hand, then the wind blows, and her reflection is gone. She has gone.

Takumi reads Mio's diary and learns how wrong he was about his love being unrequitted. In fact, Mio had been in love with him too. She had used her position on the student council to get a seat next to him in class. And she had been devastated when he broke up with her. But she had seen him the day he went to Tokyo to find her. She chased after him but was knocked down by a car. And in her unconscious state, saw into her future. She saw the future she had with Takumi, her death and her eventual return. When she woke, she decided that she would much rather be with Takumi even if choosing this path would lead to her death at the age of 28. This was why
she had called and asked to see him. The last line in her diary was 'Takumi, Yuji, I want to be with you'.

Review

This is the sweetest movie I have seen. Granted it has a touch of the supernatural with Mio returning from the dead. However, how she returns isn't important, just that she does.

Takumi's relationship with Yuji is so touching. Takumi tries to be the best father he can be despite his limitations. Yuji appreciates his father's efforts and does his best to assure Takumi that he is doing well. There is such respect, affection, and love between father and son.

The love story between Takumi and Mio is also so sweet and tender. With Mio's return, they have a second chance at love. And Mio falls in love with Takumi again for the same reasons she did the first time around. Although he is awkward and shy, there is something endearing and sweet about him. Takumi, on the other hand, finally realises that he has made Mio happy. He also learns through Mio's diary that she was just as in love with him as he was with her and had chosen to be with him despite her glimpse into the future. It is amusing that their actions were parallel to each other's. She had tried to call him but changed her mind, just as he had done. She had sneaked glances at him in class, just as he had. She had ordered a class photo with him in it so she could secretly admire him, just as he did with a photo of hers.

Mio's return also puts to rest Yuji's guilt that he is responsible for her death. So I think this is ultimately a story about second chances. Both father and son are given a second chance to atone for their supposed wrongs. And in the process, they learn some truths and are finally able to forgive themselves, and move on with life.

I liked that the love between Takumi and Mio is so simply portrayed. There is no over the top gestures or dramatics, just quiet effective scenes between the two. There is just enough emotions to move the audience. And the cast is superb, especially Akashi Takei who is so natural as Yuji. A definite must-see.