If you want to read my review of Last Letter, read this post. In ラストレター, Yuri Kishibeno is mistaken for her late sister, Misaki, by her first love, Kyoshiro Otosaka. Afterwards, she receives a message from him saying that he still loves Misaki from childhood. So Yuri decides to answer him, in a way to keep Misaki’s memory alive.
Ayumi Tono (Suzu Hirose) can’t get over the death of her mother, Misaki Tono, who died at the age of 44. That’s why she didn’t have the courage to read the letter her mother left.
“I haven’t looked yet. I’m afraid to open it.”
Yuri Kishibeno (Takako Matsu) has just met her niece, Ayumi, at her older sister Misaki’s funeral. At the end of the ceremony, she received an invitation from her niece, addressed to her late sister.
“It’s as invitation to an alumni reunion. This brings back memories. Let me deal with it.”
Yuri was a married woman with two children. Her idea was to go to the school reunion to inform her former schoolmates that Misaki had passed away. However, Yuri was mistaken for Misaki, even though she tried to explain herself. Everyone was so euphoric that they didn’t listen.
Last Letter: japanese movie review
Yuri tried to explain that despite the resemblance, after 25 years that had passed, she wasn’t the sister. However, right at the entrance of the meeting she was already surrounded by all the euphoric admirers of Misaki.
“No, you guys are wrong.”
Misaki was the model student. President of the Student Council. Great grades and beautiful. She simply stole the hearts of all her schoolmates.
“We are not. You were the only goddess of our generations. That was no one but you.”
All that commotion caught the attention of Kyoshiro Otosaka (Masaharu Fukuyama), Misaki’s first love, and, therefore, after Yuri left the event, he went after her.
“Do you remember me?”
Yuri remembered him. But, not only because of the love between Kyoshiro and Misaki. In fact, Yuri liked him a little too.
Kyoshiro still liked Misaki and, confusing the two sisters, he called Yuri for a drink. But, she needed to go. After all, she was a married woman with two children.
So they exchanged contact and she got on the bus. Minutes later, a message arrived that took her by surprise.
“Would you believe me if I tell you I still love you?”
At that moment, Yuri found herself facing an impasse. Revealing the whole truth to Kyoshiro and probably losing contact with him or dealing with the situation ambiguously to have the opportunity to keep Misaki’s soul present a little longer.
Reviewing Last Letter: do you remember my mother?
Yuri’s cell phone broke. Therefore, she sent letters to Kyoshiro, without a return address. Because she didn’t want to have problems with her husband. Yearning to reply to his beloved, Misaki, Kyoshiro replied to the old address where Yuri and Misaki grew up with their parents.
By coincidence, Ayumi was living there, with her grandparents, and she had the idea to get into this mess of ideological falsehoods and exchange letters with Kyoshiro.
It was the opportunity that Ayumi had to get to know her mother, Misaki, a little better. Knowing what she was like as a teenager and why Kyoshiro still loved her 25 years after he last saw her.
Why you should watch Last Letter
I won’t leave Last Letter ending explained or a download link here, but If you are nostalgic, Last Letter is a great recommendation. If you, like me, didn’t live through that time. But, growing up listening to older people reminiscing, it’s a great opportunity to understand why people miss those days so much.
Last Letter is a Japanese movie set in Miyagi and recreates that romantic atmosphere of exchanging letters, sending them and waiting for the reply. Therefore, it escapes a little from the immediate metropolitan context of Tokyo, for example.
Last Letter trailer
I really feel that you will like this one. So I decided to do this Rasuto Retā review. Go ahead, immerse yourself in the story, the environment and the soundtrack.
And come back later to tell me what you think in the comments. This was the second Japanese movie I watched with Suzu Hirose, a few years ago.
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