Note: Miho Nakayama portrays two different characters and just to cease any confusion, Takashi's and Miki's characters bear the same name in the show - which is the main plot.

To avoid any confusion, I shall refer the guy-Fujii Itsuki as Fujii(m) and the girl-Fujii as Itsuki.

Now playing: Xin Qing

The Story >>>

  The show starts with Hiroko lying in the snow, thinking about her fiance, Fujii Itsuki(m), who had died three years ago. He had fallen off a cliff while snow-trekking a mountain with some friends. It is now his death anniversary.

  Back at his house, Hiroko finds his high school yearbook in his bedroom, which has been untouched since his fatal accident. She manages to find a home address under the name 'Fujii Itsuki'. However, his mother says that their old house has been demolished and being in its place now, is a highway. Despite so, Hiroko decides to write Fujii(m) a letter directed to that address as she misses him too much.

  A few days later, Hiroko is surprised to receive a return letter. It turns out that the address which she has found, belongs to a girl who bears the same name - Fujii Itsuki. At first, Itsuki (girl-Fujii) is baffled by Bozi's letter. But later, she seems to recollect some of her old memories and realises the Fujii(m) whom Hiroko has been talking about, is her three-year classmate from high school. From then on, the two girls start to write letters to each other, sharing their memories on Fujii(m). Itsuki is unaware that Fujii(m) is already dead.

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  Flashback:

  Bearing the same name, the boy and girl were teased by all their classmates. They were even voted to do library duty together. However,Fujii(m) did not help the girl at all and only concentrated on reading his books.

  One day, while he was standing by the window, engrossed in his reading, Itsuki looked at him intently and seemed to be thinking about something. Fujii(m) also liked to borrow 'weird books' (mostly heavy Literature) and wrote the name - Fujii Itsuki, in every loaning record card found in the books.

  Once, the teacher gave back the wrong test papers to the two Fujii Itsukis, and the girl specially waited for him by the school bicycle stand till night just to exchange back their papers. She found out that Fujii(m) had drawn a picture of a sexy girl on the back of her paper.

  When Itsuki tried to introduce a girlfriend to him, he got angry and threw a paperbag over her head while she was on her bicycle.

  When the girl's father died of an illness, she stayed at home for a few weeks to take care of the household. One day, Fujii(m) unexpectedly paid a visit to her house and told her to return a library book for him. It was a very thick novel. Itsuki asked why he did not want to return the book himself, but the latter made no reply.

The girl suddenly laughed and the guy felt embarrassed.

Later, she kept looking at him while he rode off on his bicycle.

  When Itsuki went back to school one week later, she found out that Fujii(m) had transferred to another school. She become very angry and upset.

  From then on, she lost touch with him.

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  Hiroko pays a surprise visit to Itsuki's house but does not manage to find her. Later on the streets, she runs into her and is shocked to discover that both of them look very much alike. While talking to Fujii(m)'s mother, she breaks down into tears and says that she will never forgive Fujii(m) if he had chosen her just because she holds a striking resemblance to Itsuki.

  On Hiroko's request, Itsuki takes photographs of Fujii(m)'s old school to send to her. There, she meets her old teacher. She pays a visit to the library and is introduced to a group of librarians. The group of girls laughingly tells Itsuki that they have started a contest to find all books bearing the name - Fujii Itsuki. The record has been 87 books so far. When Itsuki tries to explain that it was another guy who wrote the name, they tease her for being his girlfriend.

  Itsuki finally finds out from her teacher that Fujii(m) had died three years ago.

  Meanwhile, Fujii(m)'s friend, Shigeru, who is in love with Hiroko, brings her to the mountain, where the accident had taken place, in order to help her get over Fujii(m)'s death.

  One stormy night, Itsuki faints due to a high fever and her grandpa carries her all the way to the hospital. While she is recuperating in the hospital, it seems that she can sense Hiroko shouting for Fujii(m) on the mountain.

  When Itsuki is discharged, she receives a letter from Hiroko. In it, Hiroko has written,

"Are you sure Fujii(m) wrote his name on the loaning cards just for fun? I have this feeling that in actual fact, he was writing your name."

  One fine day, the group of librarians pay a surprise visit to Itsuki's house and hands her a book. It is the book which Fujii(m) had told her to return for him years ago. Under the girls' urging, she opens the book and takes out the book loaning card. She turns it over and gasps.

  On it, is a picture sketch of her, done by Fujii(m).

  It turns out that while they were together in high school, Fujii(m) had been in love with Itsuki all along. Though Itsuki had looked at the same loaning card many years ago, she never did turn it over and thus, never did find that picture sketch of her.

  However, it is too late now as Fujii(m) is already dead...

  Itsuki starts to cry...

  Until now, Itsuki still cannot find the courage to send this letter to Hiroko.

Perhaps years ago, Itsuki herself had already fallen in love with Fujii(m) too...

Title of the book:

"Ale Recherch� De Temps Perds"

(Remembering the times when you were young)

My comments:

A very touching and romantic love story. So pure, so innocent. An ending which will touch everyone's heart. It is about a young guy, Fujii Itsuki(m), who has showed his love for a girl in a very different way. However, the beginning may be slightly slow in pace and the intensity is only gradually built up towards the end. Best part of all is when Itsuki(f) is reminiscing the memories she had with Fujii(m).  This movie is a classic and a must-watch, especially for die-hard romantics. [A+]

Somehow, after watching the show, I have this sudden urge to go back to my secondary school days. It is a time when you have the innocence and spiritual freedom. Things once lost, will never come back to you. Especially Time. Right now, do treasure your loved ones and everything that you have. Do not wait until it's too late and you start to regret.

By then, just like what happened to Fujii Itsuki(m) and Fujii Itsuki(f), all you have left, are just memories and deep regret.