Shunsuke Michieda of the Japanese boy band Naniwa Danshi reunites with director Takahiro Miki after the success of 2022’s Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight for another adolescent romance that plays an achingly familiar tune.

Adapted from Misaki Ichijo’s novel of the same name, The Last Song You Left Behind stars Michieda as Haruto, an orphaned teenager who lives with his grandparents and has a secret passion for writing poetry. When his classmate Ayane (Meru Nukumi) learns of this, she defies convention and approaches him to propose that he write lyrics for her to sing.

Ayane reveals she has a severe case of developmental dyslexia, which almost entirely prevents her from reading or writing. Despite this, she is a talented musician who performs regularly at her uncle’s restaurant and yearns to become a pop star. This dream might just come true with Haruto’s help.

Read my full South China Morning Post review here