Love Like the Falling Petals
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Love Like the Falling Petals
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this Japanese romance, based on a locally bestselling novel, has some language and a sex scene plus lots of drama. The main characters meet at a hair salon, where she accidentally slices off the bottom of his earlobe. They flirt, kiss, and fall in love. The young woman initiates sex as a way of saying goodbye forever to her boyfriend, which he doesn't realize. He's seen topless and there's discussion of a condom (they don't have one). When the boyfriend discovers his love's tragic fate, he contemplates suicide, holding scissors up to his neck. She dies a slow and sad death from a rare genetic disease that ages her before her time. Language in the English subtitles includes "s--t," "bulls--t," "damn," "dammit," "hell," "crap," and "idiot." People drink beer in a restaurant. There's discussion of someone drinking too much.
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What's the Story?
Haruto (Kento Nakajima) falls in love at first sight with his hairdresser, Misaki (Honoka Matsumoto), in LOVE LIKE THE FALLING PETALS. He only builds up the courage to ask her out when she accidentally cuts his ear and offers to make it up however she can. Both of them are shy as they embark on their first love affair. Misaki's passion for her work helps Haruto, who is stuck in dead-end jobs, rekindle his own desire to become a photographer. But their relationship and their lives will take a tragic turn when Misaki is diagnosed with a rare genetic illness.
Is It Any Good?
While this romantic tragedy involving two young creative professionals has some original ideas and an attractive setting, the genre has been done before in much more authentic and engaging ways. Love Like the Falling Petals fails to create enough of a relationship between its two lead characters to infuse its dissolution with sufficient significance. This is so much so that their overly-dramatic responses to situations come across as awkward, as do a couple of unnecessary close-ups, off-tone music, and the hoodie-and-sunglasses get-up the girlfriend sports while ill.
The cherry blossom theme and the film's Tokyo setting add some originality to the predictable story. The boyfriend's growth as an artist as he struggles to find his own voice is also an interesting idea, and fans of the Japanese actor-singer Nakajima will appreciate his dramatic turn here. But it's not enough to carry a two-hour film about love and loss.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Love Like the Falling Petals' story of young love doomed by tragic illness. What other films have you seen with a similar story? How does this one compare?
Misaki's older brother is very protective of her. Why? Does his role in her life feel culturally specific? How so?
How does the film use the falling petals of cherry blossoms as both a visual and narrative theme?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: March 24, 2022
- Cast: Kento Nakajima, Honoka Matsumoto
- Director: Yoshihiro Fukagawa
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Romance
- Topics: Book Characters
- Run time: 128 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: March 28, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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Strong acting saves predictable, sentimental love story.
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The Fault in Our Stars
Heartbreaking love story is a must-see for fans of the book.
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Grief, trauma, sex, and heartbreak in book-based teen drama.
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