Naoto Kumazawa	...	(Director)
Karuho Shiina, Rika Nezu, Naoto Kumazawa	...	(Writer)
Mikako Tabe	...	Sawako Kuronuma
Haruma Miura	...	Shota Kazehaya
Misako Renbutsu	...	Chizuru Yoshida
Haru Aoyama	...	Ryu Sanada
Masanobu Katsumura	...
Mirei Kiritani	...	Ume Kurumizawa
Yasuko Tomita	...
Natsuna Watanabe	...
Masayuki Fujii	...	Cinematographer
Natsuna	...	Ayane Yano
Gorô Yasukawa	...	Composer
Ryôka Ihara	...
Keiko Yoshida	...	Haruka

Comments: This is really good at what it is: an afterschool special that aims to promote and show what friendship is. Schoolgirl Sawako has a Sadako haircut. Whoa! Good work, parents. She's delicately bullied by negatively portrayed characters. Her ultra low volume baby talk, with stuttering, is unbearable. After she comes out of her shell she's okay. Of interest are actresses playing two side characters: Misako Renbutsu as one of her friends; and Mirei Kiritani as beotch girly-girl who wants the affection of the stud who likes Sawako. After he rejects her, Kiritani says to the stud, "... You really don't have the eyes for women. This cute girl won't appear before you again." So heartfelt. Kiritani rocked it. It was her Ryuichi Hiroki money shot. More on her later.

Misako Renbutsu first caught my eye in Switching: Goodbye Me Tenkôsei: Sayonara anata (2007). Then in Ryuichi Hiroki's River (2011). Those were starring roles. She's in a supporting role here but adds to the film. I think she's going to be one of these kids who turns into an actress.


Summary: Well-meaning, but socially awkward, Sawako Kuronuma (Mikako Tabe) is nicknamed "Sadako" by her classmates because of her similar hair cut with the main character from the horror movie "Ringu". Her life then takes a turn when Shota Kazehaya (Haruma Miura), the most popular boy in school, falls for her ...

Sawako Kuronuma has a gloomy appearance and, because of this, is nicknamed "Sadako" by her peers. On the other hand, her personality is bright and caring. Her favorite motto is "do one good thing once a day," but she cares too much about others and cannot express her thoughts. This has made her somewhat of an outcast at school.

Shota Kazehaya (Haruma Miura) is classmates with Sawako. Unlike Sawako, he is outgoing and popular with all the students. He is even polite with Sawako, which makes Sawako respect him and even admire him.

Meanwhile, Kazehaya has special feelings towards Sawako. He notices the look of respect that Sawako gives to him and suppresses his own feelings for her. With help from Kazehaya, Sawako gets better at interacting with her classmates and even makes friends with Chizuru Yoshida ([[Misako Renbutsu]) & Ayane Yano (Natsuna Watanabe ).

This is a happy moment for Sawako as she he has friends now that she can talk freely with. But, a strange rumor of her relationship with Chizuru dampens her joy. With the advice of Kazehaya, Sawako is able to maintain her friendships and, in fact, their friendship becomes stronger. Now being able to express her feelings to her friends, Sawako realizes she has special feelings for Kazehaya. During this time, a cute girl named Ume Kurumizawa ([Mirei Kiritani]]), who has been friends with Kazehaya since middle school, appears in front of Sawako and confesses her feelings for Kazahaya and asks for her help ...