Be With You is the magical romance that swept Japanese
audiences off their feet last year. And it's now set to do the same
in Singapore. But, if for some strange reason the movie does not
make you swoon, the handsome hero and beautiful heroine surely will.

The story begins with the death of a woman named Mio (willowy beauty
Yuko Takeuchi). Her husband Takumi (lean and athletic Shidou Nakamura)
and their six-year-old son Yugi (Akashi Takei) try to cope with
the loss. Before she dies, the sick woman promised her son that
she would return during the rainy season. Then, one rainy day, while
the widower is walking with his son in the woods, he meets a woman
who looks exactly like his dead wife…

It's not hard to see why Be With You was so popular in
Japan. The cast, for one, is very likeable. Actor Shidou is the
dreamboat of every Asian gay man — sensitive, athletic and
a little (just a little) on the boyish side. Likewise, actress Yuko
is the gentle heroine whom any dyke would want to put her arms around
to protect. The kid, too, is perfect.

The movie combines elements of romance, drama and the supernatural
to tell a lyrical tale of love beyond the grave. The story takes
a few unexpected turns, and the direction by Nobuhiro Doi is very
assured. Having spent years making hit TV dramas, Nobuhiro certainly
knows which buttons to press and which heartstrings to pull.

Well, it worked on us, at least…