Source: Toho Co., Ltd. Official Site: aozorayell-movie.jp (Japan)

Toho has provided promotional materials for YELL FOR THE BLUE SKY (?????, Aozora Eeru), the new live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name. The movie was directed by Takahiro Miki (WE WERE THERE, HOT ROAD) and stars Tao Tsuchiya (ULTRAMAN ZERO: THE REVENGE OF BELIAL, RUROUNI KENSHIN series), Ryoma Takeuchi (KAMEN RIDER DRIVE), Mirai Shida (ARRIETTY, THE WIND RISES), Fujiko Kojima (LESSON OF THE EVIL) and Yuki Yamada (GOKAIGER). YELL FOR THE BLUE SKY opened in Japan on August 20th. Toho is now offering the film for international distribution. INTRODUCTION A gem of a story about adolescence, featuring two young people who support each other and mature together. The live-action film adaptation of long-running hit comic! Not a "couple," but "partners." Yell for the Blue Sky is a long-running comic serialized in the highly popular magazine Bessatsu Margaret, which has produced other hits such as Blue Spring Ride and Strobe Edge. The series began in 2008 and has been collected into 19 volumes in all. The author is Kazune Kawahara, who has created many popular works such as High School Debut and My Love Story!!. The appeal of this movie lies in the fact that it is not merely a high school love story. To put it simply, the protagonist Tsubasa and her friend Daisuke are not in a romantic relationship but are more like partners. Tsubasa has low self-esteem but Daisuke encourages and supports her. In return, Tsubasa devotes herself wholeheartedly to playing in the school brass band as a beginner because she longs to become worthy of playing for Daisuke and his team. This story is different from previous love stories featuring two young people who fall for each other and eventually become a couple. Instead, it is a story about love and youth that depicts two people who care about and support one another on equal terms as partners.

STORY Tsubasa Ono (Tao Tsuchiya) enters Shirato High, a school with a distinguished history in the inter-high school baseball and brass band championships. She wants to join the brass band and play the trumpet to support the baseball team at the national championship tournament at Koshien Stadium. But she runs up against a wall from the start since she is a beginner for the music. Whenever she feels like giving up, her classmate Daisuke Yamada (Ryoma Takeuchi) always gives her support. Daisuke plays on the school baseball team, striving to qualify for Koshien someday, and is greatly motivated by Tsubasa`s efforts. Tsubasa starts taking action one step at a time. Although Tsubasa spends every day putting all her efforts into band practice, she cannot play as a regular member in sophomore. She weeps bitter tears, but Daisuke encourages her saying, "Just keep practicing, then!" Inspired by his words, she finally becomes good enough to be considered as a regular member.

Meanwhile, the baseball team loses in the spring preliminaries and is unable to qualify for Koshien. But Tsubasa plugs away at band practice from her desire to support Daisuke, and is finally selected as a competition member. She cannot hold back her love for Daisuke and tells him and he replies her, "I love you, too," and they promise each other they would become a couple if Daisuke can make it to the Koshien championship. They both look forward to their future as a couple.

CREDITS Japanese Release Date: Saturday, August 20, 2016 (Nationwide Roadshow) Running Time: 116 Minutes Cast Tsubasa Ono: Tao Tsuchiya Daisuke Yamada: Ryoma Takeuchi Aki Mizushima: Shono Hayama Yasushi Kido: Arata Horii Hitomi Kasuga: Fujiko Kojima Himari Wakita: Airi Matsui Akane Sawa: Yuna Taira Kota Usui: Yuki Yamada Yuka Mori: Mirai Shida Yoko Sugimura: Juri Ueno Crew Director: Takahiro Miki Original: Yell For the Blue Sky by Kazune Kawahara (Serialized in Shueisha’s Bessatsu Margaret) Screenplay: Yukiko Mochiji Producers: Hisashi Usui, Kei Haruna, Takahiro Kawada, Yusuke Ishiguro Executive Producer: Akihiro Yamauchi Planning and Production: Hisashi Usui, Kei Haruna Cinematographer: Motonobu Kiyoku Art Director: Hidefumi Hanatani Music: Yuki Hayashi Theme Song: "Miracle ?To the Future?" by whiteeeen (UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN) Original Soundtrack: Epic Records Japan Production: "Yell For The Blue Sky" Film Partners (Toho, Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures, Asahi Shimbun, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, East Japan Marketing & Communications, Shueisha, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, KDDI, Tokyu Agency, Horipro, Marui Group, Hakuhodo, GYAO) Distributor: Toho World Sales: Toho © 2016 "Yell For The Blue Sky" Film Partners © Kazune Kawahara / Shueisha

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About Toho Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1932 and headquartered in Tokyo, Toho Company, Ltd. is one of the leading entertainment conglomerates in Japan. Toho is best known worldwide as the producer of twenty-nine Godzilla motion pictures, based upon a character the company unleashed on the world back in 1954, and masterpiece films directed by Akira Kurosawa. Toho has been the number one distributor of motion pictures in Japan (both domestic and foreign) for eight consecutive years since 2003. The company is also, throughout Japan, the leading producer of theatrical works and one of the largest owners of office buildings and theaters.