Leave in Summer

A dreamy drama with a solid underlying romance. The cinematography is lush, the score is pitch-perfect and the lead performances are strong. Add to that a lovely setting, an economic runtime, and a moving finale and you have a prime Japanese drama. The romance is on point too, but not quite as accessible, and hardened romantics may have some trouble with the outcome here. But this is exactly the kind of drama I love to see coming out of Japan, I clearly need to see more of Agashi's work because her direction elevates this film well beyond the usual fodder.