Midnight Sun

I was in the mood for a movie yesterday. When browsing the movie list in Mysoju, I tend to choose Japanese over Korean. This stems from my previous experiences that many of the Korean movies are meaningless chic lit sort of romance, which pale next to Japanese movies that usually try to convey some messages through simple yet touching plots. Of course there are exceptions too, but this is the general impression I get.

If you are one of the frequent Mysoju users, you would realize Japanese movies rated with 5 stars are very few. So I decided to take a look at others with lower rates and I found this movie, Taiyou no Uta. I came across this title quite many times, but have dismissed it without another thought due to the not-so-appealing poster design and the “under repair” label. It seems that the movie version, starring famous singer, Yui, was thought as a better interpretation than the drama version by many. So I gave it a try.

It tells the story of a girl who is suffering from this disease, which is allergy to UV rays, and when exposed it could be fatal. Her circumstances therefore explain her nocturnal lifestyle which is the opposite of normal people’s. She sleeps during the day, and lives her life during the night by singing in a deserted town square. (It also amazes me how peaceful is that town in Japan. Though empty, the streets seem pretty safe and brightly lit even if it’s the wee hours. As compared to Malaysia…sigh)

Approaching sunrise, she would be looking out from the window seat of her room, admiring the beginning of a day for most people. Behind the protection of transparent blinds, she began to notice a guy who stops by the vending machine every morning, before heading to the sea for surfing. One is only allowed to taste freedom under the moonlight while another enjoys bathing in sunshine. Two people from entirely different worlds brought together by fate.

To me, it is a really simple story. Once the male lead said before:
“Wow, you’re great. Unlike me, I am just gonna live an ordinary life and die an ordinary death.”

Later in the movie, the female lead expressed that she only wished to live an ordinary life.

This shows that whatever you possess now might just be what someone else are pursuing after, no matter how insignificant or natural they may seem to you. That’s how humans are like, taking many things for granted. Like health, family, love, and in this case, even the mere capability of enjoying the sunshine. We haven’t lost it, thus we wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate having it. That’s why movies like these serve as a brief reminder, for us to stop and reflect. (I mention brief because I’m sure that after awhile, we’ll return to our humanity and taking everything for granted again. Lol)

Like I said, it’s a simple story, but with great songs and cinematographic scenes. Since the main character is a singer, she sings really well. So if you like simple plots and you have the time to sit back and enjoy, this can be a good film. And if you do intend to watch this, I would advise against checking out the trailer first. After all, simple plots can be fully revealed through mere 30 or so seconds.