Last Updated on June 30, 2024 by
Drawing Closer 2024 movie is Directed by Takahiro Miki. The film stars Ren Nagase, Natsuki Deguchi, and Mayu Yokota with a rum time of 1h 58m theater released June 27, 2024.
This is the thing about romance movies where the inevitable is death: these movies are deliberately designed to make you cry. And you have to be alright with that, otherwise, there is no reason to fully accept it. Similar to Me Before You and The Fault in Our Stars, the Japanese Netflix movie Drawing Closer, which is an adaptation of a book by the Japanese author Ao Morita, deals with “young love” and a tragedy that is expected to happen. As much as the predictable aspect made me anxious, I liked the sweet disposition and the messages that were passed.
Akito is a high school boy who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness that gives him only one year to live, and one day he meets a girl named Haruna, who similarly has a terminal illness and little time left to live. They meet by a twist of fate and the twist in the tale is that instead of telling Haruna he is dying he gives her reasons to live. When Akito meets Haruna, he is downbeat about life: he has been given the worst news that his young life has been shortened, and he surprises himself that Haruna is eagerly looking forward to heaven and is positive about how she speaks.
This is a simple ‘boy meets girl’ situation, where both people have something, they need from one another. One has to have a reason to be happy with the remaining time, and the other has to have a reason to live and enjoy before dying – an excellent basis for a romantic relationship.
First and foremost, the characters are the strongest point of the story. Despite suffering from terminal illnesses, they provide an aspiring angle for the audience: life is very short, so it is suggested to live it to the fullest and enjoy it as if it is the last day on earth. Of course, this is a rather challenging notion to quantify in such a crude way, but when it comes to things that could be materialized in real life, the story of Akito and Haruna makes so much sense. Drawing Closer continuously alerts the viewer to the fact that these characters are young and do not have much time left to live, and it does this intentionally so that the audience grasps that time is scarce. Of course, one can quibble at Drawing Closer for having little more than bare story strands that could have used more logic. It seems too convenient how Akito easily befriends another patient in the hospital and there is not much conflict involved here. The story also chooses not to complicate their symptoms as well; Though there is at least one scene signaling their destiny, it is not complete like The Fault in Our Stars where one of the characters is seen progressing towards the deathbed. But I suppose it had to be illogical to some extent because Akito was keeping his illness a secret.
What I am trying to say is I did not mean the consequences that both characters have to bear should be worse but it would make the movie even sadder. Probably, the director Takahiro Miki intended not to dwell on such a serious issue but to emphasize the beautiful side of life. I wish the story had been more serious so that they could probably have given two and a half hours to the movie or something like that.
Ultimately, while Drawing Closer targets emotions, it also triggers thought processes as it combines passion with the purpose of existence. In any case, Drawing Closer can be justified to serve its goal of being a fairly accurate adaptation of a popular novel. Will you assess the meaning of life during and after the process as performed? Will you be more likely to think about your friends and family members? Will your reaction to your death be one of fear rather than regarding it as a myth? In my opinion, the director of the show provided for all requirements.
Drawing Closer 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Drawing Closer is not rated because it has not undergone the official rating process by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA).
Language: Mild language; no offensive or strong language is used.
Sex and Nudity: No explicit scenes or nudity. Mild romantic scenes such as kissing and hugging between the lead characters.
Violence: No violent scenes.
Drug/Alcohol Use: No depiction of drug or alcohol use.
It is a weepy romance movie like any other film that seeks to elicit some form of emotional response from the audience. Recommended for teenagers and adults only due to the themes that explore life and death.
