The trailer and main visual for “Koi ni Itaru Yamai” have been released. Set to premiere on October 24, the movie features Kento Nagao from Naniwa Danshi and Anna Yamada in dual lead roles. New cast members have also been announced, including Kotaro Daigo, Tomo Nakai, Tsubasa Nakagawa, Amane Uehara, Momoko Kobayashi, Ayaka Imoto, Takeyuki Mayumi (from AmBitious), Shugo Oshinari, Aoba Kawai, and Atsuko Maeda.
This is a live-action film adaptation of the popular romance novel of the same name by Yuki Shasendo, and it is directed by Ryuichi Hiroki (“Tsuki no Michikake”), who was awarded “Best Director” at the 46th Japan Academy Awards. Nagao plays Nozomu Miyamine, a shy high school student, while Yamada portrays Kei Yosuga, a classmate Miyamine meets, falls in love with for the first time, and who ends up changing his life. This marks the second time the two actors have worked together since the Amazon Original film “Homestay” released in 2022, and their first time co-starring in a theatrical film.
The trailer begins with the line, “Let’s keep it a secret between the two of us. The one who killed Nezuhara is…” spoken by Yosuga to Miyamine, followed by a striking scene where the two gaze into each other’s eyes. Miyamine, who is shy and tends to build walls around himself, meets Yosuga, the popular girl in class, after transferring from another school. “Why don’t you look people in the eye?” Yosuga asks, as she gently closes the emotional distance between them.
Drawn to Yosuga’s warmth and kindness, Miyamine begins spending more time with her, and they form a unique bond. As their relationship deepens, the two make a promise to each other… “Will you protect me, no matter what I become?” Their clumsy, single-minded first love unfolds—until the story takes a darker turn.
The body of their classmate Akira Nezuhara (played by Daigo) is found nearby. His death sets off a series of suspicious incidents. Scenes of chaos among classmates are paired with chilling keywords like “mind control,” “rooftop,” “scars,” “blue butterfly,” and “a string of mysterious deaths.”
“Did you kill someone… for me?” As suspicions arise that Yosuga may be connected to their classmate’s death, Miyamine is torn—but he cannot suppress his feelings for her.
Detective Irimi (played by Maeda), who is investigating the series of suspicious deaths, warns Miyamine: “You need to wake up.” Still, he chooses to believe in the words Yosuga once said to him and continues to love her—even if she turns out to be a murderer. Where will this love ultimately lead? The final four minutes are said to be unbearably heartbreaking.
The newly released poster visual captures Miyamine gazing at Yosuga with pure eyes as she smiles, her cheek stained with blood. It visually portrays the heartbreaking purity of their love, and making it clear that this film is more than just a love story between an introverted high school boy and the school’s most popular girl. Triggered by a classmate’s death, a series of puzzling events begin to unfold—with Yosuga, the girl Miyamine loves, at the center of it all.
In addition to Daigo, up-and-coming talents like Nakai, Nakagawa, Uehara, Kobayashi, Imoto, and Mayumi from the 7-member group AmBitious—who makes his feature film debut—appear as students at the same high school. Supporting roles include seasoned actors Oshinari and Kawai as Miyamine’s parents, and Maeda as the detective Irimi, investigating the mysterious deaths surrounding Miyamine and Yosuga.
AmBitious is a junior idol group from the Kansai region known for their great dance skills and acrobatics. Mayumi previously appeared in the TV dramas “Mikami Sensei” and the second season of “Toshishita Kareshi,” an omnibus-style show where members of Kansai-based groups from STARTO Entertainment, including Naniwa Danshi, participated.
“Koi ni Itaru Yamai” promises a poignant blend of adolescent tenderness and chilling mystery. As love blooms between two opposites, dark secrets unfold—and the stakes of belief, doubt, and devotion are raised to emotional extremes. With an acclaimed director, a star-studded cast, and a visually rich design aesthetic, this film is shaping up to be this fall’s most bittersweet cinematic love story. Please look forward to it.
Check out Naniwa Danshi on their various social media platforms!