Crying Out Love in the Center of the World

2004 2h 18m JA

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 59

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

While searching for his fiancee Ritsuko, Sakutarou rediscovers through flashbacks the void deep within him caused by the events from his high school days.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Takao Osawa
Sakutaro Matsumoto
Ko Shibasaki
Ritsuko Fujimura
Masami Nagasawa
Aki Hirose
Mirai Moriyama
Young Sakutaro Matsumoto
Tsutomu Yamazaki
Shigezou Matsumoto
Kankuro Kudo
Ryunosuke Oki
Kanji Tsuda
Johnny
Issey Takahashi
Young Ryunosuke

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Isao Yukisada
Writers: Yuji Sakamoto, Chihiro Ito, Isao Yukisada
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Isao Yukisada, shot by Noboru Shinoda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hidehiko Urayama. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tsuyoshi Imai shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Takao Osawa and Ko Shibasaki and Masami Nagasawa carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0424430 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Isao Yukisada directs. Noboru Shinoda behind the camera. Hidehiko Urayama scores. Tsuyoshi Imai cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 22 years ago.
2Directed by Isao Yukisada, shot by Noboru Shinoda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Hidehiko Urayama. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Tsuyoshi Imai shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Takao Osawa and Ko Shibasaki and Masami Nagasawa carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0424430 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
8Classified under 12 themes, including "regret", "based on novel or book", "loss of loved one", "terminal illness".
9Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Noboru Shinoda
Original score: Hidehiko Urayama
Editing: Tsuyoshi Imai
Production design: Osamu Yamaguchi
Costume design: 新井正人
Runtime: 138 min · 2h 18m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Crying Out Love in the Center of the World (2004)

Also by

Isao Yukisada

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Alunauwie2025-12-01
★ 9/10
Crying Out Love in the Center of the World follows Saku as long-buried memories of his first love resurface, revealing a tender yet painful journey through grief and unfinished emotions. Through melancholic visuals, honest dialogue, and the symbolic use of a voice cassette, the film bridges past and present to show how love can linger even after loss. Ultimately, it portrays acceptance not as forgetting, but as releasing with grace so life can move forward. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)

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