The movie showcases Aoi Miyazaki portraying probably her dorkiest character to date in Shizuru, the runny-nosey nerd who follows Tamaki Hiroshi’s character Makoto around first as a curiosity, then gradually as an enduring friendship. The charisma between the two actors is terrific, and at once you know the two misfits are made for each other, and find yourself hoping they will realize it themselves! Despite having the perfect (albeit flawed) girl right in front of him, Makoto only has eyes for classmate Miyuki, and really, who can blame him? As played by gorgeous actress Kuroki Meisa, Miyuki is the total embodiment of unattainable pretty, that holy-grail-ish purity a la John Hughes movies, and when she actually gives Makoto the time of day, no one can fault him for developing tunnel vision for her! Of course, anyone with a heart knows that Makoto will only find true happiness with nerdy Shizuru, and I think that’s saying something for how lovable Miyazaki’s character is that I found myself yearning for her, and getting irritated whenever Miyuki entered the picture! Only in a situation like this would I be more attracted to a gal like Shizuru over a delicious babe like Miyuki, but that’s just how it happened! The movie is just crammed full of great characters, and the forest backdrops where Shizuru and Makoto go to take photographs and forget their troubles are almost surreal, like they’ve wandered into painted pictures! All these elements made for a very solid story, and I found that even weeks after I’d watched it, I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. I’d be walking about, right as rain, when I’d suddenly think about the show and become melancholy! The story of the two nerdy students, the romantic triangle with the “pretty” student, and the “heavenly forest” they escape to, will leave a mark on you, no question about it! Like dramas like Summer Snow, you’ll find yourself thinking about it for years to come! A story about friendship, love, and the impact we have on each others lives.