Ima, ai ni yukimasu (2004)

Also known as: Be with you /I am coming to see you now
Country: Japan
Format: movie
Genre: family, romance, life&death
Cast: Takeuchi Yuko, Nakamura Shido, Akashi Takei, Asari Yusuke, Hiraoka Yuta, Karen Miyama, Chihiro Otsuka, Ichikawa Mikako,
Synopsis: After death of beloved wife Mio, Takumi and 6 year old son Yuji are left alone. Takumi thinks that his weak heatlh made Mio unhappy and Yuji believes that his birth caused mother's impaired health. Mio had left a book to Yuji, where she leaves to "The Archive Star" but comes back in rainy season. A year after Mio's death on the start of rainy season Takumi and Yuji find a woman in the forest, who does not remember anything about her life, but looks exactly like Mio. She goes with Takumi and Yuji to home, she tries to re-live her memories with Takumi speaking about their love story. At the same time, Yuji finds the time capsule he had hid with Mio before her death. Rainy season is close to end, but the mysteries are still in the air.
Rating: 5/5
Firstly, it was one of the most beautiful love (family) stories I have seen. 

At first I didn't like Takumi at all, because of his "I'm weak~" character, but later as the story unfolded I fell in love with him. He was loving father and I think that it might have been a horrible shock to end his high school dream like it did. There is a saying "to bite more than one can chew", which is accurate with this movie and Takumi's character. He was useless in many things, but I loved that he actually had the courage and will to ask woman out. Takumi's role was played by Asari Yusuke and Nakamura Shido - they look so alike that at first I did not see a difference at all, because they both acted great and also the same way with same expressions.

It must be scary for a woman to wake up one moment and have a son and husband that she does not remember. Maybe it was a little bit weird that she accepted things so quickly, but at the same time she explains everything troughout the story. At the same time it would be great to feel everything for the first time again even though all this has happened before. She brings many turning points into the story and in the end they show her side of their love-story. I loooove when they do so, because every story has two sides (that does not mean that feelings are mutual). I liked Takeuchi Yuko in this role - she gave the  soft and cosy home-feeling to the movie and she was very feminine. Ah! It was interesting that Mio also showed a side that actually when you die, you want your lover to be happy, but the knowing he/she would love somebody else after you, is painful. It was different from other love-stories when people say "fall in love again, get married and get children after I am gone" (just remembered that American "A walk to remember" end with not falling for anyone anymore). The change between high school and university was enormous! Look what a big city may do to you! She turned from shy mouse to beautiful swan - know it is literally impossible, but she was not a ugly duckling.

Little Yuji was very matter-to-fact. He believed in Mio's comeback so much that it happened - never give up on your hopes, because sometimes wishes can be bigger than the reality and may still come true. Those things he is always hanging upside down are sunshine-dolls, which bring rain while being upside down. They do not express his views and thoughts much, but in the end he and his actions made me cry the most.
"Ima ai ni yukimasu" teaches that true love can over come from anything and you cannot turn the fate around (even though Mio thinks about it a lot). Fate has its own complicated routes in life, but true love will last for eternity. The soundtracks are amazing and technically great.  Theme song is "Hana" by Orange Range.
This is definitely must-watch movie, because it is interesting and heart-warming and I would not call it that much chick-flick (maybe a little). It is considered to be one of the best Japanese love-movies and for the side-fact Takeuchi Yuko and Nakamura Shido got married after meeting each other in this movie - well, they divorced pretty soon too - maybe the overwhelming affect of the movie went away.