Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu
2004 / 119m - Japan
Drama, Fantasy
3.5*/5.0*
Be with You poster

Watches

September 18, 2005

4.0*/5.0*

May 05, 2023

3.5*/5.0*

An old favorite of mine, that turned out to be just a little too heavy on sentiment the second time around. Some of it works and the second half is an upwards trajectory, but the setup is too obvious and Doi's direction is a tad too unsubtle for me to fully go along with it. Fans of Japanese drama and romance should still give it a try though.

When Mio dies, she leaves behind a husband and son. The two cope, but they never really get over their loss. A year after her death, Mio suddenly returns to them, only with her memories completely wiped. Takumi is delighted to see his wife, and the two get to fall in love all over again, as he gradually fills her in about her past life.

The cinematography is polished, the performances are solid and the mix of light fantasy and drama really comes together in the second half, but the score is a little too cheesy and Doi tries too hard to make everything sweet and cute, creating an emotional overload. Be With You is certainly not a bad film, bi for a drama it's just too leading and unsubtle to be a great film.