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Haruka Ayase Stars in Hirokazu Kore-eda's Umimachi Diary Film
posted on by Egan Loo
Actress Haruka Ayase (Socrates in Love, Ichi, Hotaru no Hikari, Himitsu no Akko-chan) will star in the live-action film inspired by Akimi Yoshida's popular manga Umimachi Diary (Seaside Town Diary). Hirokazu Kore-eda (Like Father, Like Son, Nobody Knows, Air Doll) is directing the film, and Masami Nagasawa (John Woo's The Crossing, From Up On Poppy Hill, Detroit Metal City, Kiyoku Yawaku), Kaho (Otomen, Suna-dokei), and Suzu Hirose (Crows Explode) are co-starring as Yoshino, Chika, and Suzu (the younger sisters of Ayase's character Sachi Kōda).
The manga takes place in Kamakura, and revolves around Yoshino, the second-oldest sister. One morning, after she wakes up in a man's room, her father's obituary is delivered to her. Yoshino had not met her father in a long time, since her mother divorced him. After not seeing him for so long, she does not know how to feel about the announcement of his death. Only at her father's funeral do the sisters meet their half-sister Suzu whom they had never met.
Kore-eda explained why he cast Ayase as the oldest sister, "I think the image of her roles so far are similar to the indepedent-minded second-oldest sister, but I wanted to film a different face of hers." This is the first time that Ayase and Nagasawa are co-starring together.
Principal photography for the main actresses will begin in earnest in late July, although Kore-eda has begun shooting some footage already. The film will open in theaters throughout Japan early next summer.
Source: Eiga.com
