Song to the Sun

Taiyō no Uta
Taiyou no Uta Standard Edition
Directed by Norihiro Koizumi
Written by Kenji Bandō
Starring
Music by Yui
Distributed by Shochiku Co.,Ltd. (Japan)
Release date
 June 17, 2006 (Japan)
Running time
 119 minutes
Language Japanese
Box office $7.3 million[1]

Song to the Sun, known in Japan as Taiyō no Uta (タイヨウのうた, Song of the Sun), 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 been a 2006 Japanese TV drama starring Takayuki Yamada and Erika Sawajiri, a manga by Bandō Kenji and Minatsuki Tsunami, a 2015 Vietnamese / Japanese drama, and a 2018 American remake, all based on the film.[2]

Plot

Kaoru has Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a medical condition that forbids its bearer from being exposed from direct sunlight. She sleeps during the day, and is active at night. She busks every night in front of a station, playing the 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 medical condition. He is Kōji Fujishiro. When her friend drags her home, they sit by her window, while they watch Kōji meet his friends. Kaoru explains everything, and her friend 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, with Kōji eventually promising 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 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 medical condition begins to grow much worse overtime, 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.

Some time later, and 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 cannot 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 tend to her. She catches herself at the last minute, revealing that it was a feint, and giggles at his surprised face.

Later, Kaoru succumbs to her medical condition and eventually dies. She is laid to rest in a coffin full of sunflowers. Kōji and Kaoru's friends and family listen as Kaoru's CD is finally released. In the final scene Kōji rushes towards the waves with his mind replaying her voice.

Cast

Song

  • 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 Days by Yui.
  • Insert song: Skyline by Yui.
  • Insert song: It's happy line by Yui.

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 Days", 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.

Remake

In May, 2015 the writer Eric Kirsten confirmed an American version of the film, centers on New York City.[3] The main couple will be starring by Bella Thorne as Katie (originally Kaoru) and Patrick Schwarzenegger as Charlie (originally Koji).[4] The film was released March 23, 2018. Charlie skateboards by Katie’s house instead of surfboarding and Katie’s friend tells Charlie about Katie’s disease. The remake has many differences when it comes to smaller things, such as how they die.

References

  1. ↑ "A Song to the Sun". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  2. ↑ The Hollywood Reporter - Volume 394 - Page 508 2006 TAIYO NO UTA (Drama) Director: Norihiro Koizumi; cast: Yui. Takashi Tsukamoto, Goto Kishitani.
  3. ↑ "Patrick Schwarzenegger Starring as Bella Thorne's Love Interest in Midnight Sun Movie". US Magazine. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Bella Thorne & Patrick Schwarzenegger To Star In YA Pic 'Midnight Sun'". Deadline. Retrieved October 11, 2013.

Singapore

Taiwan

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