In Those Days

Life for Mikito Tsurugi (Matsuzaka Tori) appears to be over before it even began. His university dreams have ended in failure, and he has no job...or career prospects. He is broke and cannot find a girlfriend. Happiness is a stranger to him. One day, his friend lends him a DVD of music videos. While he is watching, he suddenly becomes besotted with the female Hello! Project singer Aya Matsuura. He begins following “idol” groups – and in doing so, meets a number of similar-minded young men. They decide to form a band – resurrecting a dream he once had of becoming a bassist in a pop group. The band picks up a small cult following among fellow idol group fans. And a firm bond of friendship begins to form between the young men. But this hobby cannot sustain them for long, and they eventually start to find other things to do with their time. The past comes back in flash, however, when one of Mikito Tsurugi’s bandmates is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Will the band pull together one last time to help ease the trauma of these last difficult days? This movie was based on a true story – and an autobiographical essay by the “real” Mikito Tsurugi “In Those Days” is a 2021 Japanese movie that was directed by Rikiya Imaizumi.