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Taiyou no Uta, otherwise called Midnight Sun, was a
spectacular movie that captured the hearts of many Japanese. When I first
noticed the actress for the film, my eyes shot open with amazement. It was
one of my favorite Japanese artists as the main protagonist. The popular
Japanese singer and guitarist, YUI, plays Kaoru Amane, a young sixteen year
old who has an astounding talent in music. She also suffers from an extremely
rare skin condition called xeroderma pigmentosum. This lethal disease
causes the sun's ultraviolet rays harmful towards the bearer, possibly to the
point of death.
Because of XP, Kaoru follows the pattern of sleeping during the day and
going out during the night to avoid any possible skin contact with the sun.
She constantly stares out her window during the day when she cannot sleep. In
the mornings, a handsome surfer boy, Koji Fujishiro, would be waiting by the
bus stop right below her window. He becomes Kaoru's first crush. With the
help of a school friend, Kaoru was able to get more factual information
about Koji, sparking Kaoru's interest. Eventually, they meet up during the
night, and Koji invites Kaoru to the bountiful shopping malls of Tokyo. Kaoru
loves the scenery, and even played some of her written songs in the courtyard
in front of a small audience. The crowd is immediately mesmerized by her
talent. She dreams of creating her own album for the public audience to hear.
Hearing this, Koji is determined to have her goals succeed. Koji begins to
develop feelings for Kaoru, and asks her out. She agrees, only to have their
date abruptly cut off by the wake of dawn. Distraught, Kaoru feels ashamed of
herself and runs from Koji, believing that if she remained by his side, it
would only cause him more pain to watch her suffer. Days fly by, and her XP
condition gets worse, disrupting her ability to play while weakening her
heart and spirit. Even with the support of her loving mother and father, her
strength dwindles to the brink of death.
Beautifully crafted, the director of the movie did an excellent job in
creating this storyline. I thought that the movie had a great plotline
overall, but it also seemed as if there was no plot involved. The story was
about a girl who had to overcome XP, but also a story about love and
friendship. Kaoru's character was played extremely well by YUI, as the
personality strongly fits a young girl struggling through life with a lethal
disease. And the supporting characters all help to guide us viewers into
the life of a girl with XP. For general audiences, Taiyou no Uta is
great to watch with family or even better, a loved one. Seeing Koji do all he
can to fulfill Kaoru's dream will get any couple aroused and heart-warmed.
However, for all YUI fans, this spectacular movie contains most of YUI's
hottest songs. From "Skyline," to finishing off with the well-known
song "Goodbye days," this movie is a must-see. One thing's for
sure, anyone will love it, no matter what the background.
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