New Trailer for Japanese Romance ‘Asako I & II’ Marks Its Public Debut In The U.S.

From Japanese director and screenwriter Ryūsuke Hamaguchi comes the critically acclaimed film “Asako I & II.” The Japanese romance drama film was selected to compete in the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for the Palme d’Or and is set to open in New York in May.

The film follows the love life of Asako, a young Japanese woman in a relationship with a man named Baku. Asako is happy with her first love until he suddenly disappears one day. Two years later, when Asako is living in Tokyo and working in a coffee shop, she encounters a businessman named Rhyohei, who is very different from Baku personality-wise but looks exactly the same. Now, as she falls in love with this new man, she finally finds out what happened to Baku and is faced with a choice.

Asako is played by newcomer Erika Karata, while both Rhyohei and Baku are played by Masahiro Higashide. Higashide has starred in his fair share of movies, including a film adaption of the manga “Death Note,” where he played the lead. Director Hamaguchi is known primarily for his 2015 movie “Happy Hour,” which received awards and mostly good praise both internationally and within the U.S.

‘Asako’ will be distributed by Grasshopper Film, and what better time for the new trailer to be released than on Valentine’s Day? The film itself will be premiering at New York City’s Metrograph on May 10, 2019, with a national rollout to follow. Watch the new trailer for “Asako I & II” below.