How can I begin to describe this movie? Calling it awful is my first instinct, however I feel that even that term does not do the movie justice. But first let me say that I saw this movie in a theater over five months ago. While some of the finer points of its story have vanished from memory, the disgust it left me with remains as strong

The story in a nutshell is how the childhood friendship shape their adult lives. Or at least that is how it might be billed. In reality it stretches stretches the limits of believability way past the breaking points. The main character, Yuji, has lived his life based on a promise he made to his two friends whom he moved away from while still in elementary school. However, he is so oblivious to his friends' lives that he doesn't even recognize his friend, Karin when she comes back into his life. Keep in mind that Karin has become a world famous model. As the story progresses we learn that Yuji and Karin have, of course, been secretly in love with each other.

The worst part of this movie is the series of truly dumb things that happen in it. Many of these things do not directly influence the plot, but they damage an already highly flawed movie. For example, when Yuji realizes he must rush to his original hometown with utmost quickness, he drops everything and dashes out of his house. He then runs past his car and is next seen arriving at his destination. A truly Forrest Gump-like move. What makes it worse is that these two towns are supposed to be what separated our hero from his truest friends. Not much of a divide if it can be jogged.

It also has the flaw which afflicts many Japanese movies; magical sickness. Characters often go from well to near death or vice versa in a matter of minutes. Sometimes there is a cause, sometimes they just get caught in the rain.

However, the biggest fault in the movie lies in the acting. Wooden is the term. Pregnant pauses fill every speech and forlorn or yearning looks happen roughly every 30 seconds. Every conversation might as well be a monologue with the main actors channeling all the chemistry of live oak.

In closing, if you are in the mood for a heartwarming movie with strong performances avoid this movie. If you want to see a movie where story and character actions make sense, don't see this one. However, if you are hoping for a droning, nonsensical, poorly acted and directed, overly melodramatic love story, by all means, enjoy.

What is love? Where does it comes from? If it is the primal drive that Freud said it is, why then would we not consummate it at the first possible instance? Why is there a need for a courtship ritual?

While this is a close study on the subject, it unfortunately shies away from many tough questions. Painted with beautiful camera work, it grosses over issues like the difficulty of sustaining a relationship, why people abandon their children? This would have been a great melodramatic 3 hankies if the director had ended the movie earlier. With a neat Hollywood style resolution, the director had simply dumped reality for a happy ending.

This movie is extremely similar to "Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu" (Be With You) and "Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru" (Heavenly Forest),based on a novel by the same author, Ichikawa Takuji. In fact, the stories are so similar that it's almost self-plagiarism of past two movies, developing the story through rare and possibly imaginary illnesses. Unlike the other two movies, I felt some scenes in this film were cheesy. Why then, did I rate it 10/10? Because it follows the proved formula for a Junai (pure love) genre movie, while adding refreshing twists.

The first film of TBS Junai Trilogy: "Sekai no Chuushin..." (Crying Out Love...) started the Japanese Junai film craze in 2004, but it was the second of the trilogy: "Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu" (ImaAi) that perfected the ultimate Junai formula of an unknown girl appears before a guy, reveals a fatal illness, and most importantly: climax with a epiphany/flashback/narration sequence by the tragic heroine, and ends with a feel-good/inspirational afterthought for the dead. This formula has since been implemented in "1L no Namida" and major 2006 Junai films such as the last of the TBS Trilogy: "Taiyou no Uta", "Nada Sou Sou", and "Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru" (TadaAi). What astonishes me, is how this film managed to gather a main cast made up entirely of actors who previously starred in these notable Junai films. Yamada Takayuki was in "Sekai no Chuushin" TV drama series, Nagasawa Masami of "Sekai no Chuushin" movie and "Nada Sou Sou", Tsukamoto Takashi of "Taiyou no Uta". Even Kohinata Fumiyo, who played a doctor in "Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu" appears as the protagonist's father as a doctor again.

It's impossible to watch this movie without being reminded of previous "pure love" movies. What really separates this movie from the rest though, is that a traditional Hollywood happy ending is used for the very first time. For 3 times after the 75th minute, I thought this movie would end. Each time, it would've ended in a tragedy, but in the very end, the two main characters got together, and damn, it works! The last 20 minutes of this movie was designed and executed exceptionally well through twists, which turned out to be practically abuse of the fact that most Japanese love stories of this kind end in tragedy. Some lines and scenes from earlier part of the movie (including the title, "When the Time Comes, Say Hello for Me"),was reused in a very refreshing manner.

Despite its shortcomings such as repetitive theme and cheesiness, which possibly resulted from limitations in acting or directing, I consider this movie to be in the same league as "ImaAi" and "TadaAi", as it touched me the same way, and had equally impactful if not more powerful story, cinematography, and music/theme song.