Tadanobu Asano x Aoi Miyazaki in a love story that comes out of nowhere

By / MOOK Scenic Editor Team, compiled and reported

Having previously won the Best New Director award at the Japanese Hochi Film Awards for *Wild Berries* and setting the record as the youngest director to receive the honor, Yamashita Nobuhiro is one of Japan’s most talked-about emerging directors. The film *Love Comes Suddenly* is adapted from the original novel by Yasushi Sato and serves as the final chapter of the Hakodate Trilogy, following *Scenes from a Provincial Coal Town* and *The Sun Only Shines Here*. Featuring Aoi Miyazaki and Tadanobu Asano—both widely known across Asia as the “forest girl” and the quirky actor respectively—this film marks the last project of their 20s and 30s, respectively.

The film tells the story of Shiraiwa (played by Tadanobu Asano), a man in his thirties who has lost hope in life. After divorcing his wife, he returns to his hometown of Hakodate, surviving on unemployment benefits. He aimlessly studies carpentry at a vocational training center or plays softball with a group of unmotivated friends, where he meets Daishima (played by Matsuda Shota), who dreams of running a hotel.

However, Sachi (played by Aoi Miyazaki), a young and wild hotel worker, suddenly bursts into his otherwise plain life. With a straightforward personality that ignores what others think, she loves imitating bird calls and dancing like an ostrich during courtship. Such a free spirit deeply attracts Shiraiwa. Can these two imperfect people find the happiness they thought they’d lost in each other?

[Info]

Love Comes Suddenly

Director: Yamashita Nobuhiro

Cast: Tadanobu Asano, Aoi Miyazaki, Matsuda Shota

Country: Japan

Rating: PG-12

Genre: Romance, Art House

Release Date: December 16, 2016

Production Company: Temptation of Flight