Ao Haru Ride (アオハライド) Live Action Movie is based from a shoujo manga with the same title written and illustrated by Io Sakisaka. The title of this film “Aoharaido”, is a term coined by encompassing the terms “Aoharu (youth)” and “Ride” (Riding on Youth). It is a story about reuniting with the first love from the middle school days and trying to once again fall in love in high school. Sakisaka Io started serializing this in 2011 and became a blockbuster hit with 470,000 copies currently sold. There were 10 companies, including television stations and movie companies that tried to get the rights to turn this into a live action.
Ao Haru Ride tells a love story between Yoshioka Futaba and Mabuchi Kou. They knew each other since junior high school and got separated when Kou's parents divorced and Kou have to follow her mother to Nagasaki. They're reunited in senior high school, but Kou has changed, and Futaba kept trying to look for the old Kou she loved. But as time flies, she started to accept the new Kou. I love the story so much. The romance is soooooooooo cute and too sweet. I read the manga and watched the anime. The manga ends on the 49th chapter and the anime consists of 12 episodes, 1 OAD, and 1 OVA (kind of bonus episodes).
The appearance of some characters in the movie are different to the anime/manga but I think it's all okay. And just like any other live action movies, there are some missing parts and differences in respect of the limited duration. For example, the encounter of Touma and Futaba (FYI, Touma become Futaba's boyfriend shortly after Kou rejected Futaba's feelings). In manga/anime, they firstly met in a library. Futaba accidentally bump into Touma, and (accidentally) touched his thing...(lol). But in the movie, they firstly met when Touma approached Futaba in a camp for class leaders to help her.
Some parts that I personally think should've been included in the movie are: 1) the friendship between Futaba, Shuuko, and Yuuri should be shown more intense, 2) the Futaba-Touma relationship!! Their relationship in the manga is sooooooo cute since Touma loved Futaba so much. But in the movie it's not as sweet as in the manga, but well. At least they kissed! 3) More cute scenes of Futaba-Kou!!
I'm not sure if I'm in #TeamKou or #TeamTouma, they both are really cute! They both loved Futaba so much and they treat Futaba very nice. I envy Futaba so muccchhhhhh! But obviously, Futaba is in love with Kou and so otherwise, conflicts solved, and then happily ever after. So I think I'm in #TeamKou (lol, the urge to support the winner team). But I still love you too, Touma!!
Plus, I like how the casts are chosen nicely. Chiba Yudai perfectly match Touma's image. He's soooo cute!! His smile melts my heart all the time. Touma-Futaba kiss scene is also make me so happy I don't know why. It's just... It's so cute!! It's so cute, how Touma wants Futaba to look at him and not at Kou ❤ also, Fujimoto Izumi (Makita Yuuri) and Shinkawa Yua (Murao Shuuko) are cute too! This movie is perfect for those who loves romance movie. Yes, this movie is for you girls!! FYI, if you like this movie too, there's also a live action movie titled "Strobe Edge" which is also based on a manga by Sakisaka Io.
The soundtrack of this movie is Kirari by Ikimono Gakari. The music is sooo good, I loved it since the first time I listen to it in the trailer. You really need to listen to it! Here's the trailer if you haven't watch it:
Rate
Story: 4/5
Cast: 5/5
Directing: 4/5
Music: 5/5
"I have never loved anyone else besides you."
-Mabuchi Kou-
