Official still from April Come She Will''s film premiere. Photo: Courtesy of April Come She Will Official

 The Japanese film April Come She Will held its premiere in Beijing on Wednesday. The film is adapted from the best-selling novel by Kawamura Genki, with Kawamura as the original author and screenwriter. 

The movie revolves around psychiatrist Fujishiro, who receives a series of letters filled with memories of his first love from his former lover Haru while he is preparing for his wedding. At the same time, his fiancée Yayoi suddenly and mysteriously disappears. In order to find the one he loves, Fujishiro embarks on a journey of finding love across many countries.

The film stars a luxurious cast, including leading Japanese film industry figures Satoh Takeru and Masami Nagasawa. Kawamura and Takeru attended the post-screening exchange and interacted with the Chinese audience, shared some interesting behind-the-scenes stories.

 "I chose this movie because I am also very interested in love and want to know what love is," Satoh said.
"You can't always act handsome and cool in love, because you won't be able to tell your feelings to the other person, and the love will not last long." 

He also joked that after filming the movie, he has become a "love guru," noting that the audience could ask him any question about love. 

The audience presented Satoh with some food to show their love and support for the movie star. When a fan gave Satoh a can of granulated sugar with the same meaning of his nickname, he responded to the fan: "I am Sha Tang (granulated sugar)."

Satoh revealed his mission at the event, saying that that Masami had asked him to bring back some delicious food from Beijing. However, regarding the recommendation that he brings back Beijing fermented bean juice, or Douzhi, he playfully said that Masami might scold him in that case.   



Masami also won the audience's love with her gentle and generous image. Her Chinese nickname Ma Jiang (sesame sauce) caused bursts of laughter at the scene. When a fan handed some sesame sauce to Satoh, he shouted to Masami through the camera: "Come to China if you have a chance!"


Kawamura said that he was thinking about love when creating the story. 

"It is difficult to keep love in the same form. Love is like cherry blossoms, which cannot bloom for a long time. But it is the beauty of that moment. Blooming, we will also feel that it is a very beautiful thing," he noted.

Therefore, at the end of the story, Kawamura allows the male and female protagonists to return to real life and move forward together again to express his beautiful expectations for love. He also revealed that the setting of Iyoda Haru's love for photography in the film came from his own experience. 

"Because my first love was photography, so when I wrote the novel, I incorporated her shadow into the image of Koharu."

Global Times