Craving for some heart-pounding romance? There's a good dose of live-action movie adaptations based on popular shoujo manga waiting for you in 2017. Mark your calendars for these romantic movies that will surely make you laugh, cry and squeal in excitement.
'One Week Friends'
This follows the story of a girl who loses her memories about friends every Monday and a boy who decides to befriend her anew every week. Kaori Fujimiya (Haruna Kawaguchi) has a severe anterograde amnesia due to a car accident during childhood. Because of this, she chose to isolate herself and doesn't make friends.
Yūki Hase (Kento Yamazaki) took interest in her and started working hard to befriend her and make her smile. Meanwhile, Kaori's childhood friend Hajime Kujō (Shuhei Uesugi), who was supposed to meet up with Kaori on the day of the accident, transferred to their school. "One Week Friends" live action movie will premiere in Japan on Feb. 18.
'Kyou No Kira Kun' ('Today's Kira-kun')
This made me cry many times but trust me, this doesn't end in tragedy -- at least not for the main couple. The story follows an introverted high school student, Ninon Okamura played by Marie Iitoyo. She has fear of communicating with others due to her memories of getting bullied and her classmates make fun of her because she goes around with a parrot on her shoulder. The parrot which she calls Sensei pretends to be a stuffed animal by stopping its breath and not moving. Yet it is actually one of the most clever animals in the manga world -- it can talk and can think on its own.
Ninon opens her heart to her classmate and next-door neighbor, Yuiji Kira played by Taishi Nakagawa (also cast for lead role in ReLIFE live-action also in 2017), whom she learns only has a year to live due to a heart disease. The two become friends as Ninon helps Yuiji achieve his bucket list goals and the two are drawn to each other even though they know their relationship doesn't have a future. "Kyou no Kira Kun" will premiere in Japan on Feb. 25.
'P to JK' ('Police and High School Girl')
The high school student and police officer pair will make their debut in Japanese theaters on March 25. The story follows Kako Motoya (portrayed by Tao Tsuchiya, 21), a high school girl who pretended to be a university student to join a mixer. She met a 23-year-old police officer, Kota Sagano (portrayed by Kazuya Kamenashi), and the two got attracted to each other.
However, Kota's attitude to her changed when he learned she is in high school and refused to date her even though he actually likes her. One day, Kako got injured while protecting Kota and he asked her to marry him. Their life as a secretly married couple then begins.
'Hirunaka No Ryuusei' ('Daytime Shooting Star')
Here is another May-December romance, this time, between a student and her high school teacher. Suzume Yosano (Mei Nagano) moved to Tokyo to live with his uncle and attend high school. Being the country girl that she is, she got lost on the way and was helped by a strange man with a beanie. It turns out, he knows her uncle and she is also her homeroom teacher, Satsuki Shishio (Shohei Miura)
She confessed to him twice before they start going out in secret; however, he broke up with him reasoning that her love is only out of admiration. When Satsuki realized that he wants to get back together with her, she is already dating Daiki Mamura, (Alan Shirahama) a classmate who initially had a fear of guys but was able to overcome it because of her. "Hirunaka no Ryuusei" live-action will be released in Japan on March 24.
'Ani Ni Aisaresugite Komattemas' ('Brother's Troublesome Love')
Romance mangas are not complete without incest love. Yet, this story's couple are only siblings in paper, not in blood. Haruka Tachibana (Ryōta Katayose) is a known delinquent but he has a soft spot for his sister Setoka Tachibana (Tao Tsuchiya), an unpopular and hopeless romantic high school student.
This is no ordinary sister complex because Haruka knows that they are not related by blood. Their life became complicated when Takane Serigawa (Yudai Chiba), Setoka's first love came back to pursue her. The live-action movie is scheduled to premiere in Japan in summer 2017.
