I saw this film in Japan. It is absolutely beautiful, and very moving. Probably the most moving film I have seen in recent memory. The story is very sweet, full of of young love and the love within a family. The second half had me, and every other member of the audience (which spanned a very large demographic range), bawling (one 6yo girl had to be taken out of the cinema she was in such a state). It does seem like a very long film, the ending went on longer than expected, but it tied the film together and fitted with the rest of the film. I love Hana, the end song done by Orange Range. All the elements of this film mesh together perfectly to make it an amazing experience. It's a bit of a pity the DVD doesn't have English subtitles, but for those who know a reasonable amount of Japanese, it's well worth it.
