Mei has been in love with Yuya all her life. They've grown up together. But when they reach their second year of middle school, Yuya suddenly professes his love for her older sister, Haruna.
Acting
Nao Minamisawa's silent suffering face—devastating.
Cinematography
Soft-focus cherry blossoms framing every rejection.
Score
Piano motifs that weaponize your tear ducts.
Director
Shosuke Murakami
Junpei Mizobata
Nishino Atsush
Nao Minamisawa
Takemiya Mei
Ryo Kimura
Takahashi Riku
Rei Okamoto
Yamagishi Mia
Hitomi Miyauchi
Nakagawa Sara
Toshihiro Yashiba
Inoue
Mio Miyatake
Takemiya Mei (young)
Manabu Hamada
Ishikawa Haruo
Anna Ishibashi
Tadokoro Mami
Kaoru Hirata
Kawaguchi Miyabi
Mirai Yamamoto
Nishino Natsumi
Hiroshi Yazaki
Shinozaki Yuya
Kenji Matsuda
Murakoshi Koichi
Shigemitsu Ogi
Morisaki Takamichi
Yanagishita Tomo
Fujiwara Natsuki
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The title references akai ito, East Asian folklore about invisible red threads connecting destined lovers—ironic given who's connected to whom.
Junpei Mizobata was 19 playing 14; his later breakout in 'Buzzer Beat' made this early melodrama a collector's item for fans.
JP
