First Love

2019 1h 48m JA

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 347

CrimeActionComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

One night in Tokyo, Leo, a young boxer, meets his first love, Monica, an imprisoned sex worker. Caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme, they find themselves pursued by a corrupt cop, a yakuza, his nemesis, and a female assassin.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon Prime VideoSubscription

MUBISubscription

MUBI Amazon ChannelSubscription

Hi-YAHSubscription

Amazon Prime Video with AdsSubscription

Hi-YAH Amazon ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Masataka Kubota
Leo Katsuragi
Nao Omori
Ōtomo
Shota Sometani
Kase
Sakurako Konishi
Monica
Becky
Julie
Takahiro Miura
Yasu
Mami Fujioka
Chiachi
Yen Cheng-kuo
Wan

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Takashi Miike
Writers: Masaru Nakamura, Muneyuki Kii
Languages: Japanese, Mandarin
Countries: Japan, United Kingdom

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 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Japanese, Mandarin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Japan, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Takashi Miike, shot by Nobuyasu Kita. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Masataka Kubota and Nao Omori and Shota Sometani carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt10228168 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Takashi Miike directs. Nobuyasu Kita behind the camera. Koji Endo scores. Akira Kamiya cuts. Produced in Japan, United Kingdom. Dialogue in Japanese, Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 7 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Japanese, Mandarin.
3International production across 2 countries: Japan, United Kingdom.
4Directed by Takashi Miike, shot by Nobuyasu Kita. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Koji Endo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Akira Kamiya shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Masataka Kubota and Nao Omori and Shota Sometani carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt10228168 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 10 themes, including "escape", "yakuza", "boxer", "terminal illness".

The technical file

Cinematography: Nobuyasu Kita
Original score: Koji Endo
Editing: Akira Kamiya
Production design: Tsuyoshi Shimizu
Stunt coordinator: Keiji Tsujii
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
Certification (US): R
IMDB: First Love (2019)

Also by

Takashi Miike

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Dr Nostromo2026-06-20
★ 8/10
79/100 When I sit down to watch a Miike film, I know I'm either gonna like it or hate it. This one was a blast. The Yakuza, the Chinese mobs, thieves within the ranks, a corrupt cop, all go to war over a bag of drugs with an enslaved girl, who has weird hallucinations, making her escape with a boxer, right in the middle of it. Neither the viewer, nor anyone in the film, has the slightest idea of what's really going on and the bodies are dropping like flies. This was an absolute roller coaster ride of unbridled chaos that was supremely entertaining and a joy to watch. big smile -- DrNostromo.com

Production companies