Shigatsu monogatari (April Story) poster & wallpaper
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Takako Matsu, Seiichi Tanabe, Kaori Fujii, Rumi, Kazuhiko Kato ... see more see more... , Ken Mitsuishi , Kanji Tsuda

Following up on the phenomenal success of his Love Letter and Swallowtail Butterfly, Shunji Iwai spins this sweet tale about a young lass' first steps in the bustle of the big city. Uzuki Nireno (Taka... read more read more...ko Matsu) is leaving her rural home in the snowy north of Hokkaido for college in Western Tokyo. Her transition to big city life isn't easy; she muffed her self-introduction in class and she had an unfortunate incident in a movie theater with an overly solicitous pervert. In spite of this, she starts to feel settled after she unpacks and after she explores her neighborhood. She also befriends tough-talking Saeko (Rumi) who invites her to join the school's fishing club. Though she initially has no interest in the pursuit, she soon is practicing her cast in a parking lot as upper classmen lavish her with attention. Uzuki, however, is not interested. When she was in high school, she fell for a hunky classmate (Seiichi Tanabe) who just so happens to be working in a local bookshop. Will she summon the courage to say "hi?" ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

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81% liked it

1,496 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 6 min.

Directed by: Shunji Iwai

Release Date: March 14, 1998

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Flixster Reviews (96)

  • kiriyamakazou
    August 28, 2008
    kiriyamakazou
    For now I shall rate this 4 stars. It's a difficult film to rate because it is so short. The film is just going when it ends but the ending feels so natural it would seem foolish to carry on. April Story is a fantastic study of loneliness and love as a young girl moves far from h... read moreome for the first time as she attends university. The film has a real truthful essence to it and many memorable parts which are never fully explored but again just feel so natural in their progression it is hard to fault. The ending is an expertly crafted scene of absolute minimalism. It includes the simple trading of umbrellas to develop true love and desire which some films fail to grab in 2-3 hour long films. Give this a shot as it is fantastic, and short enough you wont be bothered should you not agree.
  • catlyst
    April 27, 2008
    catlyst
    a surprisingly well-paced short that succintly captures the mood of a fresh freshie's spring transition into college

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