Abstract
ABSTRACTSince 2004, Japan has experienced an increase in the release of romantic films involving first-love relationships. These films show a common formula: a young couple strives to be together despite external obstacles, which often includes an incurable disease. Critics identify these films as ‘pure-love’/junai’ narratives. These films are extremely popular and their social effects cannot be ignored. Through an analysis based on genre and filmic iconography, this article analyses Sekai no chūshin de, ai o sakebu/Crying Out Love, in the Centre of the World (2004), Ima, ai ni yukimasu/Be With You (2004), Koizora/Love Sky: A Sad Love Story (2007) and Closed Note (2007). It examines narrative strategies, manifestation of Japanese cinema aesthetics and thematic value of these films. I argue that the nostalgic mood in these films informs and shapes Japanese conceptions of love by promoting the traditional ideology of establishing a family with children.
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