YUI!

I have two simple dreams: 1. To have a constant supply of money without me ever working; and more importantly, 2. To marry Yoshioka Yui, or YUI, for short. Simple, isn’t it?

But who is YUI, you ask? YUI is a Japanese singer/songwriter and one time actress (hopefully this will change). Her hit songs include Rolling Star and LIFE, which is the 5th opening and ending song, respectively, of the anime series Bleach. Feel my Soul was her breakthrough single, used as the official soundtrack of the popular J-dorama, Fukigen No Gene. Tomorrow’s Way was also used as the ending song for the movie Hinokio: Intergalactic Love. Che.rr.y was used for a Japanese cellular music service commercial. Her latest songs, My Generation and Understand, were also used as OSTs for the J-dorama, Seitou Shokun!, and for the movie Sidecar ni Iru, respectively. Her upcoming new single, Love & Truth, will be used for the movie Closed Note.

All these point to the fact that YUI is the new darling of the J-Pop scene in my native land. So her talent is without question, and I believe so is her look, which is the most angelic and awe-inspiring façade to behold (see picture).

However, it is her role in the movie Taiyou no Uta (A Song to the Sun/Midnight Sun) which made her a household name in Japan (ok, maybe not quite) and a fanboy favorite internationally. In the film, she played Kaoru Amane, a girl suffering from a rare skin disease called XP, which prevents her from going out during the day. The story is pretty simple: She’s sick and can’t go out during the day, so she instead sings in the town park during the night. She happens to chance upon a long-time crush-a surfer boy who delights to bask under the sun. Their love story blooms and you get the picture. Trust me, and I can’t stress this strongly enough, Taiyou no Uta is one of the best films out there. It’s a work of beauty, even without my admittedly strong bias for YUI. Find it and watch it!

And, oh, she sings her most popular song in the movie by far, Good-bye days, along with two of her other songs It’s Happy Line and Skyline.

But I end this article of worship by simply stating this: rYUIchi – its destiny!
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Taiyou no Uta was screened in various film festivals around the world including the Chicago Film Festival and a little known art film festival you might have heard called the Cannes. That means its GOOD and you should watch it!