I had the opportunity to watch this recently at a Japanese film festival, and there's one thing I need to say about this film - do not miss it! Meguro Ren and Imada Mio have a delightful chemistry in this beautifully-shot retelling of the story.

CINEMATOGRAPHY/PRODUCTION:
Having read the manga and anticipating the anime, I had low expectations for the live action film adaptation, despite my high anticipation for Meguro. Usually, manga-based films attempt to cram as many plot points and scenes in, or cut out a lot from the original subject material - it's less about the way the story is told, and more about hitting the plot points in the end with one-dimensional storytelling. However, I was delightfully surprised at how this was adapted for film!

The cringiness or "over the top" acting that usually accompanies some of these manga-to-movie productions was nowhere to be seen, and the cinematography was quite unconventional. It was quite beautifully shot and edited - from the scenery and interior design to the outfitting details (i.e. Kiyoka's uniform and the kimono, etc.). Narrations were brought to life by Tsuda Kenjiro himself.

ACTING:
Meme and Imada Mio's acting were both delights to see. I haven't watched Imada Mio in a role since Hana Nochi Hare, and she completely shed her "spoiled girl" character to meld herself into the character of Miyo. I didn't even recognize her! The way she was styled for the film suited the original character completely. Both leads' acting was very detailed, helping to further immerse the viewer in. From shyly glancing back and forth at each other for a beat too long to sharing secret smiles, the chemistry left you wanting more.

As a fan, I was surprised by Meme's seriousness in this role. Despite the coolheaded demeanor of Kiyoka, I enjoyed how he interpreted the role, adding in some sheepish sides to the character. His charisma really made the character stand out. Imada Mio's acting made me completely relate to and feel for her character, and it was heartwarming to see her slowly try to stand her ground and want Kiyoka by her side. Sometimes it did feel like she was very "damsel-in-distress," but I think it was more due to her lack of self-confidence.

Some fighting scenes did look a lot like the same moves were being used and it was a little awkward at times, but I understand that the fighting choreo was not the main point of the movie. The acting for minor characters were pretty standard - Ryusei was quite good in his role as well! The other characters weren't focused on as much as the leads, so they were pretty one-dimensional (i.e. bad guy is bad for the sake of being bad).

*spoiler warning*
The fire scene had me fangirling. (iykyk!)

STORY/PACING:
Overall pacing was really well done considering how much they had to cram into a film. Compared to how other manga-to-film movies have been adapted in the past, this was a standout. I do agree with another review made here that it would've been great to see even more romantic scenes between the two actors, but I understand that the director and screenwriter probably wanted to have a balance of the worldbuilding and storytelling (which was a little complicated to understand at first). So, while my fangirl heart wants a little more, I'm still pretty satisfied!

There were a few jarring cuts from scene to scene that kinda confused the viewer's flow at times but overall, it was fine to deal with.

OVERALL:
When this officially releases for DVD, you'll definitely catch me rewatching again!

PLEASE note that there is a post-credits scene as well - many people left without noticing! Hopefully this teases a sequel movie with the same actors... *crosses fingers*