Blue Spring (film)
Blue Spring | |
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Blue Spring DVD cover | |
Directed by | Toshiaki Toyoda |
Produced by | Dai Miyazaki |
Written by |
Toshiaki Toyoda Taiyō Matsumoto |
Starring |
Ryuhei Matsuda Hirofumi Arai Sosuke Takaoka |
Cinematography | Norimichi Kasamatsu |
Editing by | Mototaka Kusakabe |
Distributed by | Arts Magic |
Release dates | 2001 |
Running time | 83 minutes |
Country | Japan |
Language | Japanese |
Blue Spring (青い春 Aoi haru) is a Japanese 2001 film, written and directed by Toshiaki Toyoda, based on Taiyō Matsumoto's manga of same title and released on 22 June 2002, tells a tale of apathetic school students at a run-down Tokyo high school for boys.
Plot
At Asashi High, a run-down senior high school for boys, Kujo (Ryuhei Matsuda), Aoki (Hirofumi Arai), Yukio (Sousuke Takaoka), Yoshimura (Shugo Oshinari) and Ota (Yuta Yamazaki) are a gang of school friends lost in apathy and dissatisfaction. They are aware their future offers limited options. Even most teachers have already written them off as a lost cause.
Kujo's gang is part of the school's illegal society, which is controlled through a rooftop game: the Clapping Game, which is a test of courage. Who wins the game gets to be the society's leader and rules all gangs throughout Asashi High. No teacher can stand up to the society.
After a round of the Clapping Game, Kujo wins the leadership, which excites his best friend Aoki who wants Kujo to dominate the school with punches of casual violence, but Kujo passively resists.
Aoki eventually realizes his best friend only took part in the Clapping Game to pass the time. Kujo never wanted to be the school's leader. Devastated, Aoki challenges Kujo for his leadership, and loses.
As Aoki becomes disillusioned, alienated and hostile toward Kujo, friends around them slowly fall apart, bringing their school to a series of mini violent climaxes.
Trivia
The film title Aoi Haru is "blue spring" in English, which can be understood as "inexperienced years" or teenage years, but it also can be understood as "fresh start". According to manga artist Taiyō Matsumoto, the title is intended as a play on irony.
Since its release in 2002, it's become a cult classic in Japan and overseas[citation needed].
Soundtrack
The Blue Spring original soundtrack rose to #24 on Oricon Albums Chart Top 30 shortly after the film release and Drop, a track from the soundtrack, rose to #13 on Oricon Singles Chart Top 30 in July 2002.
Tracks used in the film: September Punk Children - Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, Akage no Kelly (Red-haired Kelly) - Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, NEWS - The analers, Black Limousine - The Blondie Plastic Wagon, Raspberry Dance - The Blondie Plastic Wagon, Beat Specter Garcia - Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, Beautiful Dreamer - composed by Stephen Foster (used by Yukio for his guitar), Boogie - Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, Benjo (slang for 'toilet') - The analers, Mona Lisa - Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, Beat Specter Buchanan - Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, My Name is Bob - The analers, Drop - Thee Michelle Gun Elephant and Drop (live) - Thee Michelle Gun Elephant (ending credits).
Cast
- Kujo - Ryūhei Matsuda
- Aoki - Hirofumi Arai
- Yukio - Sōsuke Takaoka
- Kimura - Yusuke Oshiba
- Ota - Yuta Yamazaki
- Yoshimura - Shūgo Oshinari
- Kee - Kiyohiko Shibukawa
- Suzuki - Onimaru
- Obake/Ghost - Eita
- Leo - Rei Yamanaka
- Hanada-sensi - Mame Yamada
- High-school girl - Erena
- Career counselor - Genta Dairaku
- Kiosk woman - Kyôko Koizumi
- Freshman in Baseball Club - Takashi Tsukamoto
DVD
Released under Artsmagic in 2004, the DVD features extras including two interviews with Toyoda, biographies and filmographies of the main actors and a feature-length commentary by Tom Mes, who edits Midnight Eye, an online English-language magazine of Japanese cinema.