Oishikute Naku Toki Deluxe Edition Blu-ray

That summer, I fell in love for the first time. A poignant, once-in-a-lifetime love story comes to Blu-ray.

Oishikute Naku Toki, a novel that moved many readers with its direct portrayal of the kindness of caring sincerely for someone, becomes a live-action film. Its author Akio Morisawa has seen several works adapted for other media, including Niji no Misaki no Kissaten, the novel behind Cape Nostalgia. Hatsuki Yokoo, known for sensitive human drama, reunites with Morisawa after adapting Daiji na Koto Hodo Kogoe de Sasayaku. The story weaves a bittersweet romance spanning thirty years.

Injured soccer ace Shinya Kazama is frustrated at missing an important tournament when he and classmate Yuka are reluctantly assigned to a school-newspaper competition. They have known one another since childhood through Kazama Diner, the restaurant run by Shinya's father Kohei that also serves meals to children, but have gradually drifted apart. Working together breaks the awkwardness, and the two form a little club devoted to passing the time. For Yuka, isolated at school and without a safe place at home, those hours become precious.

Trouble arrives when Ishimura, a delinquent who regularly eats at the diner, wrongly believes Shinya has revealed his visits. Before he can attack, another group intervenes, calls Kohei a hypocrite and pours soda over Shinya's head. Shinya cannot answer back, and Ishimura leaves uneasily. Yuka's kindness helps soothe the humiliation, and Shinya begins to fall in love.

During the summer break, Shinya and Ishimura clear up their misunderstanding, only to witness Yuka being struck and thrown out of her apartment by her stepfather. Ishimura restrains the man while Shinya takes Yuka's hand and runs. Hearing her wish to escape far away, he leads her toward a place he once visited with his parents. They pass the sea and an evening embankment, walking through the night to the park where Shinya searched for four-leaf clovers with his late mother, Minami.

The two search for a clover as though it might offer them hope, but morning comes without success. Shinya confesses his feelings and gives Yuka a gift, intending to flee farther with her, when an abrupt separation ends their journey. Having avoided promises since his mother's death, he calls out a pledge that they will meet again. Thirty years later, Shinya still carries that promise as he runs his father's diner. An accident badly damages the restaurant and forces it to close, leaving him at a loss until a young woman arrives.

The deluxe edition includes an audio commentary, with its three participants making their first attempts at the format, and exclusive footage exploring the filming behind the scenes. Supplements include a special making-of feature, a television special commemorating the theatrical release, trailers, event footage including the opening-day stage greeting, and Making of Oishikute Naku Toki. A special booklet and sticker are enclosed.