Tokyo Friends: The Movie (2006)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Kozo Nagayama

Release Date:

12 August 2006 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama

Cast

Ai Otsuka	...	Rei
Mao Kobayashi	...	Maki
Eita	...	Ryuji
Kuranosuke Sasaki	...	Kohashi
Yusuke	...	Kobashi
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Avondolio
Marc Charles Cancassi	...	Airport customer
Lauren Gates	...	American girl
Kumi Imura
Billy Nolan	...	Bouncer
Julian Walker	...	Art buyer
Koji Yamamoto	...	Yûki

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Hong Kong:I

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Avex Entertainment

More of an extended TV episode than a movie...

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

As one can guess from the title, "Tokyo Friends: The Movie" is the theatrically released film followup to the popular 2005 Fuji TV "J-Dorama" (Japanese TV Drama) "Tokyo Friends". The original five-episode drama series was your standard melodrama/romance comedy which focused on the bohemian lifestyles of four young girls who come to Tokyo seeking out their artistic and creative dreams, ambitions and passions. The drama starred petite J-pop idol Otsuka Ai who portrayed lead character Iwatsuki Rei, who rather conveniently, was an aspiring rock musician and singer.

The movie picks up right after the point of where the TV series left off, with all the girls at various stages of their professional/personal lives: Rei is still struggling to find fame along with her rock band "Survival Company"; Working girl, Fujiki Ryoko (Maki Yoko) has finally found her "Mr. Right" and is busily preparing for her impending wedding; Aspiring actress Hayama Hirono (Matsumoto Rio) has written a comical adaptation of Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet" and is frantically trying to prepare for its theater debut; Art Major Abiko Mari (Kobayashi Mao) has since moved to America and is assisting a gallery owner in New York. Rei's mentor and lover Shintani Ryuuji has also moved on as well, following his dream of becoming a rock musician by going to New York and leaving things unsettled with Rei.

The bulk of the movie follows Rei as she heads to New York to find Ryuuji and hopefully reconcile with him.

Kozo Nagayama, whose movie "The Backdancers!" also delved with similar female bonding friendships and chasing fame, here seems to offer more of the same melodramatic storytelling that made his TV dramas ("Tokyo Love Story", "Itotsu Yane No Shita", "Long Vacation", "Lipstick") such popular hits.

"Tokyo Friends: The Movie" feels very much like an extended TV episode both in structure and pacing and is tailor made specifically for fans of the TV drama. While this may pacify the target fan base, it really doesn't help the casual viewer who may not share the same emotional connections to these characters.

While Otsuka Ai is fetchingly cute in a Avril Lavigne/pop punk sort of way, but she doesn't really have the same screen persona of someone like Nakashima Mika who portrayed a very similar rock girl character in fan favorite "Nana".

While "Tokyo Friends: The Movie" does make me want to go back and see the TV series that it stems from, its not because of like for the characters. It's mainly to understand more of the story, something that the movie presumes you already know.