The Flowers of War (2011)

Matsumura Ryouko is a popular novelist in her 50s who has just found out that she has Alzheimer’s disease. In order to gain some fulfilment in her life, she decides to be a guest lecturer at a university. Through one of her students, she meets a South Korean exchange student, So Chan Hae. As they become closer, they fall in love.

A love story of the past 5,272 km, linking the two countries, Indonesia and Japan. Elly, Indonesian students, and Ryo, a young Japanese acquainted through social media. They also met in Japan, spending time together, and eventually fell in love. However, differences in language and culture in their way. How is the continuation of their love story?

On a spring day Munakata Ikujou visited an old temple to view a 1000 years old sakura tree. There Ikujou discovered a 3-year-old girl and adopted her as his own daughter. 16 years later, Sakurako has grown up to become a beautiful woman. Sakurako then has a fateful meeting with Takanashi Hiroto. Their pure love begin.

Both based on true events of The Rape of Nanking, 1937.
This certainly isn't an easy film to watch (*warning*: graphic rape scenes) but it's an important look into a period of history that deserves to be recognized by more people.

A refreshing work depicting a love that transcends borders between a Korean woman and a Japanese man.

~~ Adapted from the joint novel "Sarang Hue Oneun Gotdeul" by Gong Ji Young and Tsuji Hitonari

Choi Hong is a Korean student studying in Japan. She meets Aoki Jungo, and they fall in love with each other. But, they break up due to different thoughts about love and practical problems. Five years later, Hong and Jungo meet in Korea.

The same events and time period, but one is a drama and the other a documentary. Both are very difficult to watch, but important and moving.

33-year old Han Je In is a mystery novelist who is notorious for habitual false reporting to the police in town. Her only friend is police officer Rok Hwan, who has had a crush on her since childhood. One day, Je In hears a scream of help from an apartment upstairs and reports that a serial killer lives above her but no one believes her. Convinced that Jason, the handsome man living upstairs, is a serial killer, she asks Rok Hwan to help follow him around with her. But as she learns more about Jason in her pursuit to uncover the truth, she begins to fall for him. Seeing her in this state, Rok Hwan feels a tinge of jealousy.

Both are set in the time period and explore the tragedy of war upon the civilians. Both are very poignant, sad stories, with a hopeful but tragic ending.

L, an angel who’s endlessly fascinated with the human world, gets into trouble when she unthinkingly saves the life of Han Shi Yeong, a man who was meant to die. To make up for her mistake she must guard him on Earth for one hundred days and keep him safe from Hwan, a death god who is required to collect his soul. Both supernatural beings must contend with the knowledge that whichever one of them fails by the end of the hundred days will be erased from existence, and the longer they stay on Earth the further their powers fade and the more human they become.

Paris, a cold woman from a rich family, disappears. Her boyfriend then spots a woman named Qin Xin, who looks just like Paris. Qin Xin is a florist who comes from a poor family. The man then asks Qin Xin to pretend to be his girlfriend for a week

Ami, a backpacker from Japan who is four years older than high school student Jimmy, shows up at his part-time job. The two end up spending the summer working at the same store, but Jimmy gradually develops a faint crush on Ami. The two of them grew closer as they rode motorcycles together at night and went to the movies, but suddenly, Ami decided to return to Japan. Ami proposes her "one promise" to Jimmy, who can't sort out his feelings. As time passes, Jimmy visits his parents' house for the first time in a while and finds a postcard that Ami sent him 18 years ago when she returned to Japan. Jimmy's memories of his first love come back to him, and he takes his first solo trip to Japan to confront his past and examine his present. Jimmy rides the train while listening to songs that remind him of his memories with Ami, and he heads to her hometown. Will Jimmy be able to reunite with Ami?

Hitomi, a Japanese resident, comes to Hong Kong after the death of her fiancé Tatsuya in a fatal accident to settle several important matters surrounding his demise. Although the incident was years ago, it has apparently left an indelible mark in her life as she could not forget him. Kar Bo, an undercover cop, was involved in a drug bust-up which would later incriminate him. Hitomi stumbles into him and was amazed that he looked remarkably similar to her dead lover. Although Hitomi was conscious that Kar Bo can never be the real Tatsuya, she endures his hardships with him unfailingly which results to having strong feelings for each other.

Leo, a young Japanese college student, travels to Hawaii and eventually falls in love with Maria, an older Japanese-Caucasion woman.