The trailer finally gives us a glimpse of the supporting cast as well as that famous nurse’s office kiss scene.
Last summer, longtime fans of the 1990s manga and anime classic Marmalade Boy were in for a treat when it was announced that the beloved high school romance would finally be turned into a live-action movie. Marmalade Boy is a timeless shojo manga which is sure to pull on the heartstrings of any readers who are looking to be swept up in a wave of nostalgia for high school days of crushes, angst, and convoluted love triangles (squares? or is pentagons perhaps more appropriate?).
▼ Theatrical version poster featuring love interests Miki and Yu
The story graced the pages of Ribon Magazine from 1992-1995 and was subsequently turned into a hit anime series which aired from 1994-1995, so most original fans are now around 40 years old and likely have families of their own. Series creator Wataru Yoshizumi began penning a sequel in 2013, titled Marmalade Boy Little, which is currently being serialized in Cocohana Magazine and was most likely responsible for the renewed interest in the series, including production of the live-action film.
▼ All eight volumes of the original Japanese Marmalade Boy manga plus the first volume of the English edition on the left and the fifth volume of Marmalade Boy Little on the right. Yes, this writer happens to be a longtime fan!
The live-action adaptation stars Hinako Sakurai as protagonist Miki Koishikawa and current Japanese heartthrob Ryo Yoshizawa as her sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter “marmalade boy” step-brother/love-interest (yes, that will make sense if you watch it) Yu Matsuura. A recently unveiled trailer also reveals the pair’s slightly-crazy but fun-loving, spouse-swapping parents (who you never know whether to love or to hate), along with the other major characters introduced after the trailer below. Musical group GReeeeN‘s new single “Koi” (“Romantic Love”) serves as the movie’s theme song and can also be heard throughout the trailer.
Miki’s childhood friend and first love, Ginta Suo, is portrayed by Taiki Sato, a member of wildly popular J-Pop dance groups EXILE and FANTASTICS:
Miki’s best friend with some love troubles of her own, Meiko Akizuki, is portrayed by Mio Yuki:
Yu’s former girlfriend and Miki’s love rival, Arimi Suzuki, is portrayed by Nina Endo (perhaps thankfully, her anime-specific blue hair has been toned down for the live-action film):
(SPOILER ahead!)
Finally, the trailer assures us that yes, the film will include the famous nurse’s office kiss scene. In this scene, Miki is knocked out by a basketball in gym class and wakes up to hear that Yu is checking in on her. Thinking that he is going to make fun of her as always, she pretends to be asleep, only to receive the surprise of her life instead.
▼ Where it all began: The first opening sequence of the TV anime series with its impossibly catchy, ’90s pop song
Marmalade Boy is slated to hit Japanese theaters on April 27th. Be sure to get your fill of the original manga or anime before then!
Source: YouTube/ワーナー ブラザース 公式チャンネル
Top image: YouTube/ワーナー ブラザース 公式チャンネル
Images: Warner Brothers Japan, SoraNews24, YouTube/ワーナー ブラザース 公式チャンネル