Hidamari no Kanojo (陽だまりの彼女) - Wouldn't it be nice?

Cats! Sun! Sea! Cute-but-totally-not-legal middle school versions of Jun and Juri! Lovey-dovey bike rides in the sun! Mysterious cat lady! Hilarious drunkard brother, and hilariously pathetic boss! And cats! Did I mention cats? I love cats. (As a tangent: I'm completely convinced Riida was a cat in his former life; any aye's in the crowd?)

Warning in case you couldn't tell already: this will be a post of shameless flailing in a sea of tears. I will not even attempt to sound coherent. 

MILD SPOILER ALERT for the content below!

Just finished watching this movie. I should probably have watched it a while back, when it was first available (All the PR going on around the time it first opened in Japanese theaters had me super bouncy-excited about it, but since I don't actually live in Japan, I had to wait... and then stuff happened... other Arashi things distracted me, you know, the usual... and I just kind of... forgot? ◑.◑). 

Better late than never though. I really love me some clumsily bumbling Matsumoto Jun, and I absolutely adore him in a straight-up romance. And, and, and... this movie is just so... I can't even... so just, 

THIS. 

And THIS.

And THIS.

And THIS. 

(LOOK AT THOSE INTERTWINED FINGERS IN THE FOREGROUND 

Kyaa~ing like there's no tomorrow ➳♥)

And THIS. 

And THIS.

And THIS. 

(Jun's I'm-a-hot-bitch side eye!)

Bam, ladies. This is the Matsumoto Jun we know, the perfect-image-of-perfect who, not satisfied with winning the hearts of all his fangirls and fanboys, decides that he needs to challenge himself by treading into feline territory. Because cats totally would fall for him, too. I mean, this is Jun, people. The guy could gaze at a piece of barnacled rock and it'd probably break open to offer its heart to him. Just sayin'.

But picspam aside (seriously, I think it's getting impossible for me to do a Jun post without making it a picspam these days), the movie was actually full of merits. The plot was simple and sweet (the best kind of romantic plots always are), and its predictability did not detract at all from its enjoyability. It's one of those stories that are intensely character-driven, where the emotions alone pack enough of a punch to sustain us even though we totally know how it's going to end. 

I loved the exploration of that tender bond shared between Kosuke and Mao from the moment they first meet on the rocky shoreline through their middle school days. Not only were the actors portraying the young versions of Jun and Juri totally cute, but the film editor-san just had to dye every scene they had with a nostaligic lavender hue that makes every word they say sound ten times dreamier than normal (like, how the hell can they be so deep in middle school? I spent my middle school days finally discovering what all those jokes in Friends were actually about...). They were both so lonely, but took so much joy in just having each other, that it broke my heart. My poor poor heart, what is this movie doing to you?

Middle school Mao and Kosuke.

The grown-up versions are just as sweet. We have the rather awkward Kosuke who is late for work, messes up data, and can't work up the nerve to ask a lady out until she's already engaged to another man. Throw in Suda Masaki as his bed-hogging slacker otouto, too! Someone really needs to gif that first scene with Suda where they're in bed together and the blankets are moving as though something naughty is going on. I know my brows shot up at that (like, wait? Is this going to be like EitaxJun in the Lucky Seven SP hotel scene? ◔◡◔). Kosuke's whole "no-good-with-women" image would have been a lot more convincing if Jun was not as damn fine and perfect-looking, of course, but that's me splitting hairs here. 

Kosuke is so exasperated that his brother Shota
 is drunk and wormed his way into his bed again.
I still can't look at this image without imagining
that it's someone else underneath those covers
(hint hint: he reads the news)

Oh, and whoever it was that decided Jun needed a backpack for work deserves a gold star. As does his hairstylist. Like seriously, those bangs with those eyes... *shot through the heart*... I usually have a thing for eyebrows, and I love seeing Jun's in their full glory, but in this movie, I'm totally okay with them being covered teasingly with that chocolate-hair. It makes him look so gentle (omg 草食系潤!!). 

Backpack Jun. 

Then there's Juri. She's so pretty, and I love how they intentionally bathe her with sunlight in many of her shots. It gives her an otherworldly quality and makes her look so innocent (I mean, it makes sense given her true identity, right?). The character is also super playful and forward, which of course is just what the bumbling Kosuke needs. I was reduced to a fit of girly giggles when she did this:

And that scene where she jumps off the last train just as the doors are closing? Ah, it's been so long since I fangirled over a woman, but this had me squealing. She really is a cat, isn't she? And Kosuke's flustered face was great, too. I mean, come on, the girl's practically inviting herself to spend the night. Do free lunches fall from the sky? I think they do. *nods*

"I told my father I had to comfort a heartbroken friend."

"Eh?!"

"Heartbroken friend." (points)

GAH so playful and cuteeee! The BGM here was also spot on!

Sunny Juri ♥

Then there are all those sweet couple-y moments that sent warm fuzzy feels from my head to my toes. This movie was shameless about capitalizing on sweet-couple-y moments. Not that I minded. I'm a sucker for Jun looking happily in love even if it's not with his hubby Sho or his pet Aiba. 

Carrying the Princess to their new home. I want to marry Jun too!!!

Naming goldfish after the Beach Boys. One goes missing soon.

Newlyweds =D 

Who wouldn't want to go hunting for racy ads with Jun-kun?

She prepared a Christmas tree for their first (and only T_T) Christmas together.

And it really feels as though there are only the two of them in this whole wide world :'(

"If we come here once a year, we probably
have about fifty more times ahead of us." ♥
MatsuJun killing those romance lines, nbd.

And what made this all the sweeter was how very heartbreaking it was by the time you get to the end. 

Oh yes, Jun, we feel your angst. 

My vision was blurry at this scene. The nostalgia, the sunlight
obscuring Mao, that look in Jun's eyes! Omfg perfection. Sigh.

Mysterious cat lady.

"I wasn't escaping; I was going to make a wish." (╥﹏╥)
Some things are beautiful because they are so transient ๏̯̃๏

She wanted to ride a bike with him *sniffs*

Where it all started. *dying*

"Will it disappear, too?"

❤ Forever. From one lifetime to the next.

Now if you'll all excuse me, I need to go put my head under a comforter and shut out the outside world. #AngstLoversUnderstand

Hope you all enjoyed the movie ಥ_ಥ 

I think I'll actually order the DVD for this one once I regain some kane. Wallet still bleeding from Johnny-san's massive attack recently. But no regrets. What's money for anyways, right?