Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2011

The problem of the depopulation of the Japanese countryside has led to a crisis in medical care in provincial areas, particularly for the elderly. This serious situation moved Dr. Sosuke Natsukawa to write the novel the present film is based on. Last year it was a bestseller in Japan, so Toho rushed out this film starring J-pop idol group Arashi star Sho Sakurai and popular cutie actress Aoi Miyazaki. Young Dr. Kurihara (Sakurai) is honing his chops as a doctor in a local hospital in Nagano prefecture while making plans to move to a bigger, more prestigious institution. Due to the hospital’s lack of staff he must work practically nonstop and even treat those outside of his field, rarely spending time with his wife Haruna (Miyazaki). His burning desire to leave transforms when he discovers a letter a deceased patient wrote to him. While the flick tries to skirt the line between serious drama and heartstring-tugging melodrama, the latter usually wins. A weepy set around a serious issue.