What to know | You, Like a Star: Ryusei Yokohama, Suzu Hirose and a 15-year story along the Imabari coast

Directed by Michihito Fujii and starring Ryusei Yokohama and Suzu Hirose, You, Like a Star (汝、星のごとく) adapts Yu Nagira’s novel. It follows Kai and Akimi’s love and choices over 15 years between the Seto Inland Sea islands and Tokyo. Public promotional appearances in Taiwan also brought attention to the Imabari filming locations.

Cover image: 車庫娛樂

People who understand each other will also lead different lives

Kai arrives on the island with his mother and meets Akimi, who grew up there. Both carry difficult family histories. As Kai leaves for Tokyo to pursue manga, Akimi remains to support her family; their closeness must then contend with distance, responsibility and different choices.

This story not only asks whether to fall in love, but also asks how a person arranges his ideals and takes care of others in the face of limited choices. When watching the film, you can observe when the two people get closer, when they remain silent, and whether new emotions appear in the same scenery at different ages.

15 years of changes, from the entire production team

In publicity, Ryusei Yokohama talked about the physical and mental preparation for the character at different stages, and emphasized that the shooting schedule, performance, photography, and hair and makeup are all involved. This makes the character change not just a number of a single actor, but the costume, light, action and narrative completed together.

Suzu Hirose talks about Akimi's more cautious decisions and how patience, gentleness, and will coexist. These sharings provide clues to understanding the characters, but there is still no need to completely overlap the actor himself with the character selection, and the audience can reserve their own judgment.

Nagoma Coast and the roads along the sea

The Nagoma Coast of Imabari Oshima is an important scene for the two of them to watch the sea and talk; the scenes of moving along the coast also allow the sea, bridges and island life to enter the story. The scenery is not only a beautiful background, but also conveys the feelings of the characters returning to the same place at different times.

When arranging the itinerary for the filming location, you can first look at the distances between the points on the map, and then decide on walking, cycling or other transportation. Film editing can connect different locations together, but the actual travel still needs to consider transportation and business hours, and cannot directly follow the rhythm of the screen.

Cafe Shozan and Tomoura: everyday places become story settings

The cafe and art gallery YU-NAGI in the film was shot at Oshima’s Cafe Shozan; Tomoura appeared as the character’s home scene. Windows, wooden furniture, terraces and surrounding greenery give island life a scale you can stay in.

These places still have their own daily operations, and the characters in the movie have different uses than the real-life functions of the stores. If you want to dine or view the space, you should confirm the store announcement before departure, and avoid treating private areas or shooting configurations as fixed open attractions.

Look at the official Imabari map first, and then choose your own route

Imabari movie shooting special websiteLocations, guides and related activities have been organized, including different areas such as Omishima and Imabari City. If you only stay for one day, you can choose one of the directions of the coast or the store first, so that you have more room to stay than the number of check-ins.

"You, Like a Star" allows characters and scenery to reflect each other. By first understanding the choices of the two people, and then walking into the actual coast and neighborhoods, the film travel can retain the emotion of the story and respect the original life of these places.