By / MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network Editorial Team
 

A group of students from the Nagasaki Islands Choir are about to graduate from junior high school; they share one dream: to compete in the NHK National Contest. Their original instructor, Haruko Matsuyama, is about to give birth, so she asks her former classmate, Mr. Kashiwagi, to teach for a year. “What?! A mixed-gender choir? We have to recruit boys? That’s terrifying!” Mr. Kashiwagi, a beautiful but perpetually stern-faced teacher from Tokyo, ends up attracting many male students to join the formerly all-girls choir. The lazy boys quickly clash with the girls. Is this stern beauty really a piano prodigy from Tokyo? What secrets lie behind her cold expression? This year’s national contest’s designated song is “Letter ~ To Me at Fifteen.” Mr. Kashiwagi assigns the choir members to write a letter to their future selves 15 years from now. Facing the future and the emotional turbulence of fifteen, hidden secrets pour out in letters they never meant anyone to read.

The lead role is played by popular Japanese actress Yuko Araki, who has starred in numerous films, TV dramas, and commercials. For the first time, she steps away from her usual bright and cheerful roles to portray a cool and distant teacher — a character that marks a new milestone in her acting career. Having never played the piano before, Yuko also underwent three months of intensive training in playing famous pieces by Chopin and Beethoven to fully embody her role. The young actors playing the choir members were selected through a nationwide audition. Before filming, they visited various school choirs for hands-on experience, and later underwent intensive choir training on Goto Island, eliminating the need for any dubbing in the singing scenes. This film is expected to become, like “Water Boys,” a launching pad for a new generation of stars.

This film is adapted from the bestselling novel “Farewell, Young Birds!” The original novel won 1st place in the 2012 Bookstore Grand Prix’s Youth Fiction category and was also ranked 1st in the annual book selection by Japan’s largest reader-reviewed book site “Reading Meter.” It tells the touching story of a cold pianist and 15-year-old students who support and grow together while overcoming the troubles of adolescence. The moving plot resonates with audiences’ own memories of youth, leading to the release of a manga adaptation. The film not only preserves the spirit of the original work but also enhances its emotional impact through visuals and music. When the theme song “Letter ~ To Me at Fifteen” plays, audiences can’t help but be moved to tears. The film also topped the first-weekend satisfaction poll with an impressive score of 93.2.