Midnight Sun (film)
Encyclopedia
Song to the Sun, known in Japan
as , is a movie directed by Norihiro Koizumi starring the Japanese
artist and singer Yui
. In the movie, she plays the role of Kaoru Amane (雨音 薫 Amane Kaoru), a 16 year old girl who has the rare skin condition xeroderma pigmentosum
(XP), a disease that makes the ultraviolet
radiation of sunlight potentially lethal to her. Yui's character is partly based on herself, as she is a singer and guitarist, and she performs three of Yui's songs in the movie; "It's Happy Line", "Good-bye Days
" and "Skyline". There has also been a Japan
ese TV drama based on the movie, starring Takayuki Yamada
and Erika Sawajiri
, along with a manga
by Bandou Kenji also based on the movie by Minatsuki Tsunami. There is also a 2010 Korean
Musical
with Girls' Generation
's Taeyeon
playing in the role of Kaoru.
(XP), and is not allowed to be exposed to sunlight. She sleeps during the day and is active at night. She busks every night in front of a station playing guitar
. Outside her bedroom window, she spots a high school boy with a surfboard
. She watches him and his friends visit the ocean every morning, before going to sleep. One day, she introduces herself to him without letting him know about her illness. He is Kōji Fujishiro (Takashi Tsukamoto
) When her cousin drags her home, they sit by her window while they watch Kōji meet his friends. Kaoru explains everything, and her cousin notes that she probably goes to the same school as him, and offers to spy on him for her.
The next evening she sits by the bus stop. Kōji arrives on his scooter
. Both embarrassed, they start talking and Kōji eventually promises to meet her and listen to her sing another night, at the start of the school holidays. When they meet up, another obnoxious street performer has taken her spot. Kōji decides to take her to the city, where after seeing the sights, she starts playing in a square. (YUI's music video Skyline features this event). A substantial crowd gathers to hear her sing. Afterwards they watch the ocean, and Kōji asks her out.
Their date, however, ends abruptly as the sun breaks out and Kaoru flees home. Kōji is soon informed of Kaoru's condition and is taken aback. For a while, Kaoru stubbornly refuses to see him. Kōji learns of a recording studio
where Kaoru could record her debut single, and takes up small jobs to earn the money to pay for it. Her father, out of concern, invites Kōji over one night. At dinner, Kōji reveals his plans for Kaoru's CD. As they walk home that night, the two begin to talk and Kaoru slowly realizes how much Kōji truly cares for her.
As her disease worsens, she loses feeling in her hands and is unable to play guitar. She assures Kōji that she still has her voice.
In the studio, she asks her family and friends to leave. She asks them to wait for the CD.
Time passes. As promised, Kōji brings Kaoru to the beach to watch him surf. The protective suit she had left hanging for years is finally used. By now she is in a wheelchair. She complains that the suit is getting hot. With a painful expression that fades quickly, Kaoru's father tries to convince her that if she takes off the suit, it can't bother her anymore, that she could run around freely. She declines. With that, she struggles to stand up and limps weakly toward Kōji. As she walks, she trips over the sand and Kōji rushes to catch her. She catches herself at the last minute, revealing that it was a feint and giggles at his surprised face.
Finally Kaoru is laid to rest in a coffin full of sunflowers. Kōji, Kaoru's friends and family listen as Kaoru's CD is finally released. In the final scene, Kōji rushes towards the waves, his mind replaying her voice.
", and interviews with Yui, Takashi Tsukamoto and the film's director. It also has special features of Yui's Diary and a pick pendant with a necklace. Only making of Taiyō no Uta was released on June 2, 2006. Both standard edition and premium edition were released on June 11, 2006. Midnight Sun has also been released on DVD in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. The film's original soundtrack is available on CD.
Singapore
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as , is a movie directed by Norihiro Koizumi starring the Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
artist and singer Yui
Yui (singer)
, stylized as YUI, is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer, actress, and radio personality. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she played live at various locations in her home town before being noticed by Sony Music Japan when she was 17 and released her debut single months later...
. In the movie, she plays the role of Kaoru Amane (雨音 薫 Amane Kaoru), a 16 year old girl who has the rare skin condition xeroderma pigmentosum
Xeroderma pigmentosum
Xeroderma pigmentosum, or XP, is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder of DNA repair in which the ability to repair damage caused by ultraviolet light is deficient. In extreme cases, all exposure to sunlight must be forbidden, no matter how small. Multiple basal cell carcinomas and other skin...
(XP), a disease that makes the ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
radiation of sunlight potentially lethal to her. Yui's character is partly based on herself, as she is a singer and guitarist, and she performs three of Yui's songs in the movie; "It's Happy Line", "Good-bye Days
Good-bye days
-Oricon Sales Chart :...
" and "Skyline". There has also been a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese TV drama based on the movie, starring Takayuki Yamada
Takayuki Yamada
is a Japanese actor and singer. He has two elder sisters and one son. At age 15, he was discovered by talent agency and made his debut in his acting career in the TV drama Psychometrer Eiji 2 in 1999....
and Erika Sawajiri
Erika Sawajiri
is a Japan-based actress, model, and musician. Her alias in her music career was Kaoru Amane, but she has recently started her own project under the name Erika...
, along with a manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by Bandou Kenji also based on the movie by Minatsuki Tsunami. There is also a 2010 Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
Musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
with Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation is a nine-member South Korean electropop girl group formed by S.M. Entertainment in 2007. The nine members are: Taeyeon , Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona and Seohyun...
's Taeyeon
Taeyeon
Kim Tae-Yeon , commonly known as Taeyeon , is a South Korean idol singer,host, Radio DJ, dancer, actress, and promotional model. She is the Leader and main vocalist of the popular Korean girl group, Girls' Generation.- Biography :...
playing in the role of Kaoru.
Plot
Kaoru has Xeroderma PigmentosumXeroderma pigmentosum
Xeroderma pigmentosum, or XP, is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder of DNA repair in which the ability to repair damage caused by ultraviolet light is deficient. In extreme cases, all exposure to sunlight must be forbidden, no matter how small. Multiple basal cell carcinomas and other skin...
(XP), and is not allowed to be exposed to sunlight. She sleeps during the day and is active at night. She busks every night in front of a station playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. Outside her bedroom window, she spots a high school boy with a surfboard
Surfboard
A surfboard is an elongated platform used in the sport of surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding a breaking wave...
. She watches him and his friends visit the ocean every morning, before going to sleep. One day, she introduces herself to him without letting him know about her illness. He is Kōji Fujishiro (Takashi Tsukamoto
Takashi Tsukamoto
is a Japanese actor, singer, and model.He has released three single CDs: "Itsudemo Boku wa" , "Hitorigoto" , "New Morning"....
) When her cousin drags her home, they sit by her window while they watch Kōji meet his friends. Kaoru explains everything, and her cousin notes that she probably goes to the same school as him, and offers to spy on him for her.
Scooter (motorcycle)
A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
. Both embarrassed, they start talking and Kōji eventually promises to meet her and listen to her sing another night, at the start of the school holidays. When they meet up, another obnoxious street performer has taken her spot. Kōji decides to take her to the city, where after seeing the sights, she starts playing in a square. (YUI's music video Skyline features this event). A substantial crowd gathers to hear her sing. Afterwards they watch the ocean, and Kōji asks her out.
Their date, however, ends abruptly as the sun breaks out and Kaoru flees home. Kōji is soon informed of Kaoru's condition and is taken aback. For a while, Kaoru stubbornly refuses to see him. Kōji learns of a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
where Kaoru could record her debut single, and takes up small jobs to earn the money to pay for it. Her father, out of concern, invites Kōji over one night. At dinner, Kōji reveals his plans for Kaoru's CD. As they walk home that night, the two begin to talk and Kaoru slowly realizes how much Kōji truly cares for her.
In the studio, she asks her family and friends to leave. She asks them to wait for the CD.
Time passes. As promised, Kōji brings Kaoru to the beach to watch him surf. The protective suit she had left hanging for years is finally used. By now she is in a wheelchair. She complains that the suit is getting hot. With a painful expression that fades quickly, Kaoru's father tries to convince her that if she takes off the suit, it can't bother her anymore, that she could run around freely. She declines. With that, she struggles to stand up and limps weakly toward Kōji. As she walks, she trips over the sand and Kōji rushes to catch her. She catches herself at the last minute, revealing that it was a feint and giggles at his surprised face.
Finally Kaoru is laid to rest in a coffin full of sunflowers. Kōji, Kaoru's friends and family listen as Kaoru's CD is finally released. In the final scene, Kōji rushes towards the waves, his mind replaying her voice.
Cast
- YuiYui (singer), stylized as YUI, is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer, actress, and radio personality. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she played live at various locations in her home town before being noticed by Sony Music Japan when she was 17 and released her debut single months later...
- Kaoru Amane - Takashi TsukamotoTakashi Tsukamotois a Japanese actor, singer, and model.He has released three single CDs: "Itsudemo Boku wa" , "Hitorigoto" , "New Morning"....
- Koji Fujishiro - Kuniko AsagiKuniko Asagiis a Japanese actress and television presenter. Her real name is .- Early career :She attended Kokubunji High School in Tokyo, and Gakushuin University. Her resume includes Tokyo Disney Resort advertising, shown widely when the park opened.- Personal Life :...
- Yuki Amane (Kaoru's mother) - Goro Kishitani - Ken Amane (Kaoru's father)
- Airi Toyama - Misaki Matsumae (Kaoru's best friend)
- Eri Fuse
- Gaku HamadaGaku Hamadais a Japanese film and television actor.- Television roles :Gaku Hamada was a regular cast member of Fuji TV's Operation Love, appearing in all 11 episodes aired , and the 2008 special, and garnering an award for his role...
- Takashi KobayashiTakashi Kobayashiis a Japanese wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling.-Olympics:Kobayashi competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul where he received a gold medal in Freestyle wrestling, the light flyweight class.-References:...
- MagyMagy (actor)Magy , born Yūichi Kojima on May 12th, 1973, is a Japanese actor.He starred in several roles, including:-Films:* Yuji Demegawa -External links:*...
- Sogen Tanaka - Haruo Kato
Details
- Title: タイヨウのうた
- Title (romaji): Taiyō no Uta
- Also known as: A Song of the Sun (The Sun's Song), Midnight Sun, A Song to the Sun
- Genre: Romance, Human Drama
- Theme song: Good-bye DaysGood-bye days-Oricon Sales Chart :...
by YuiYui (singer), stylized as YUI, is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer, actress, and radio personality. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she played live at various locations in her home town before being noticed by Sony Music Japan when she was 17 and released her debut single months later...
. - Insert song: SkylineGood-bye days-Oricon Sales Chart :...
by YuiYui (singer), stylized as YUI, is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer, actress, and radio personality. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she played live at various locations in her home town before being noticed by Sony Music Japan when she was 17 and released her debut single months later...
. - Insert song: It's happy lineGood-bye days-Oricon Sales Chart :...
by YuiYui (singer), stylized as YUI, is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer, actress, and radio personality. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she played live at various locations in her home town before being noticed by Sony Music Japan when she was 17 and released her debut single months later...
.
DVD release
There are two Japanese DVD releases of Taiyō no uta, a standard and a premium edition. The premium edition includes a bonus disc with nearly 90 minutes of making-of footage, deleted scenes, the music video for the song "Good-bye DaysGood-bye days
-Oricon Sales Chart :...
", and interviews with Yui, Takashi Tsukamoto and the film's director. It also has special features of Yui's Diary and a pick pendant with a necklace. Only making of Taiyō no Uta was released on June 2, 2006. Both standard edition and premium edition were released on June 11, 2006. Midnight Sun has also been released on DVD in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. The film's original soundtrack is available on CD.
External links
Official site- Taiyō no Uta at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Presentation of Taiyo no Uta on Shochiku's website
Singapore
- http://www.scorpioeast.com.sg/movie.asp?pdttype=Movies&pdtsubtype=Others
Hong Kong
- http://www.midnightsun-movie.com/
Taiwan
- http://www.grouppower.com.tw/midnightsun/
- http://wmt.hilive.tv/grouppower/midnightsun.wmv