There is a quote that goes “A good movie creates its own world, and that world needn’t refer to anything that is real. If it is consistent, if it is entertaining, if it is interesting, it justifies its being true.” Japanese movies are now in a trend and are remade into several languages in different parts of the world. Here, are top 10 emotional scenes in Japanese movies which are too good to miss:
1. The Liar And His Lover
This 2013 movie which stars Takeru Satoh as Aki Ogasawara and Shakurako Ohara as Riko Koeda in the lead. Aki is the man behind the famous boy band “Crude Play” and gets associated with the 16-year-old Riko who has an angelic voice and is pursued by Aki without honest feelings. Soon, Riko makes her place in the music industry and Aki realizes his true feelings toward Riko but it is too late since Riko also discovers his facade. Imagine being 16 and in love only for it to get shattered with lies and deception. Aki who finally realizes his true feelings is stuck between can't let go but can't hold on.
2. I Give My First Love To You
This 2009 movie stars Masaka Okada as Takuma and Mao Inoue as Mayu. Takuma has a heart condition and would not survive past 20. However, knowing the truth Mayu still expressed her feelings towards Takumo but Takumo knows that times can easily take away their dreams and not just their dreams but their love, and perseverance. He tries to stay away from Mayu but fails. The saddest part of the movie is when he miraculously makes a recovery and enough time for him and Mayu to visit all places together on their honeymoon but soon after their trip reality hits them and Takuma suffers an attack and dies leaving his traces behind in the heart of Mayu.
3. Kimi Ni Shika Kikoenai
Released in the year 2007 starring Riko Narumi and Keisuke Koide as Ryo Aihara and Shinya Nozaki. The story revolves around a shy, introverted girl Ryo who has trouble communicating with others and creates a fake phone to her surprise the phone one-day rings, and on the other side is Shinya. Ryo and Shinya become closer and Ryo is now able to make a few successful attempts at communicating and when they decide to meet soon after. Ryo on the way to meet Shinya almost gets hit by a truck but thanks to a stranger she lives. But soon realizes that the boy who died instead of her is none other than Shinya. The movie leaves the audience in tears when it is revealed the fate of the two does not change even after trying and Ryo lost her last hope in the world.
4. My Rainy Days
The 2009 movie revolves around a rebellious 17-year-old high school girl Rio who soon develops a crush on her high school teacher Kouki and is now completely changed from a typical teenager to an individual who wants to pursue her love. Even though Kouki seems interested in Rio he suddenly disappears one day and Rio gets on a quest to find him only to realize he is a living time bomb and suffers from brain cancer and tries to stay away from Rio. However, Rio convinces him to get surgery but it has its complications which means there is a risk of him not having his memories including Rio. The ending of the movie is a mystery since they leave the audience to speculate if Kouki remembered Rio.
5. I Saw The Devil
The movie stars Lee Byung-hun, Oh San-ha and Choi Min-sik as Kim Soo-hyun, Jang Joo-yun and Jang Kyung-chul. Soo-Hyun who works for the NIA lives a happy life with his pregnant wife Joo-Yun but the happiness is short-lived when Joo-Yun encounters a serial killer named Kyung-Chul who kills her and scatters her remains. Meaning to take revenge on Kyung-Chul Soo-Hyun soon starts torturing Kyung-Chul in periods. The saddest part of the movie is when Soo-Hyun realizes even after killing Kyung-Chul, even after taking his revenge he can never get back his beloved Joo-Yun, and killing Kyung-Chul did not make him feel better.
6. Moon Child
The 2003 film stars Gackt, Hyde, and Kang in the roles of Sho, Kei, and Son. This fantasy movie revolves around three vampire boys and their life. The film stars There would be a lot of tearjerker moments in the film, but if you thought Gackt dying in Hyde's arms near the film's finale was the saddest scene, you'd be incorrect. The finale reveals that he, too, was transformed into a vampire, but with nothing else to live for, the two closest friends spent their dying minutes in a vehicle, watching the sunrise over the horizon.
7. Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Kazuko Yoshiyama works as a pharmaceutical researcher in 2010 while covertly inventing a time travel formula. She is comatose as a result of a vehicle accident. She momentarily regains consciousness and instructs her daughter Akari to return to 1972 and deliver a message to her first love, Kazuo Fukamachi. Akari accidentally travels back in time to 1974, where she meets Ryota Mizorogi, who lets her remain in his apartment until she can return to her time. He gives Akari the silent film to keep. Akari realizes too late that Ryota is about to board a bus that will crash off a cliff and kill all passengers, and runs out to save him, but Kazuo stops her and erases her memory of both himself and Ryota. Upon waking up she cries without knowing why and the movie ends with Akari walking into the cherry blossoms.
8. Nobody Knows
Nobody Knows is the story of four children, named Akira, Kyko, Shigeru, and Yuki. They are half-siblings who each had separate fathers. The children are secretly residing in the flat without the landlord's knowledge, they can't walk outside or be seen in the apartment. Their mother abandons her children. Forced to survive on their own throughout time. Towards the end of the movie Yuki dies from falling off a stool and the siblings are left disheartened. Akira accepts financial aid from Saki to buy Yuki her favorite food. The food she could not have when alive. Yuki who was only five years old is now no longer there. The struggle of these four kids whose screams are not heard and failed to be protected by the adults.
9. A Litre Of Tears
The movie revolves around Aya Kito and her mother, Aya gets hurt and is taken to the hospital but only to discover she has a life-threatening condition known as Spinocerebellar degeneration and will soon be bed-ridden unable to perform basic activities. However, this fact is hidden from her but she soon realizes her deteriorating condition and starts making diary entries about her own life and her will to survive. In 10 years she dies and the diary with her memories remains. The saddest part of the story is that it is based on a real-life incident and the audience lives through the pain of Aya until the day she dies. The movie stars Asae Ohnishi as Aya Kito.
10. Still Walking
Every year, the Yokoyama family gathers to remember their eldest son, Junpei, who perished while saving the life of a youngster 12 years ago. His father Kyohei and mother Toshiko are joined by the other son Ryota, who just married a widow named Yukari with a son Atsushi, and their daughter Chinami, her husband, and their children. Ryota resents knowing that Junpei was the favorite son, whose belongings are still untouched by Toshiko. Ryota reveals towards the end that Kyohei died a few years later, followed by Toshiko, without Chinami moving in or Ryota fulfilling the promises he made to them. The film concludes with Ryota's family, now including a small girl, caring for the Yokoyama family graves, with Ryota repeating the same rituals and sayings that his mother had taught him.
