2025.07.09
Since its release in Japan on October 4, 2024, HAPPYEND has garnered overwhelming praise from audiences. Viewers responded with passionate reviews such as “a masterpiece in every aspect—its themes, visuals, everything,” “a near-future story that feels remarkably real,” and “a truly special film.” The film’s strong word-of-mouth led to an extended theatrical run.
As the film continues to expand its reach across Asia—including screenings in Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Hong Kong—it opened in South Korea on April 30, 2025, drawing over 10,000 viewers on its first day. It has since surpassed 100,000 admissions in the country.
To commemorate this milestone, a special return screening was held in Japan. Director Neo Sora was joined by the main cast for a celebratory stage greeting: Hayato Kurihara (Yuta), Yukito Hidaka (Ko), Yuta Hayashi (Ata-chan), ARAZI (Tom), and Kirara Inori (Fumi) reunited on stage, delighting fans and reflecting on the film’s journey and impact.
Tickets Sold Out Instantly! Director and Cast Reunite for the First Time Since Japan Premiere
The special screening event began with a thunderous round of applause from a packed audience, as the director and cast appeared on stage wearing matching T-shirts featuring exclusive Korean merchandise. It marked the first time since the Japan premiere stage greeting in October 2024—over six months ago—that this many members of the team had gathered. Notably, this was the first time Kirara Inori joined the group on stage, as she had not been present during the original event.Director Neo Sora opened with a heartfelt message:“I’m truly grateful that the film’s success in South Korea has led to this special return screening in Japan. I’m so happy to be reunited with everyone after such a long time. Thank you.”
Next, Hayato Kurihara addressed the audience, prompting enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.
“Thank you all for coming out in this summer heat. It’s been about nine months since the film’s release in Japan, and I’m so glad that people are still discovering and enjoying it.”Yukito Hidaka followed, saying,“I’m really happy to be back on stage in Japan after so long. I’m looking forward to enjoying this moment together.”
Korean Fans in the Audience! Director and Cast Reflect on the Film’s Overseas Success
When asked by the MC, “How do you feel about the film’s success in South Korea?”, director Neo Sora responded with a beaming smile, “Honestly, I’m just really happy.” He then added, “I saw on Instagram today that some people came all the way from Korea—are any of you here?”
To everyone’s surprise, around 15 hands went up in the audience, once again highlighting the film’s passionate following in Korea.
Sora continued,“Korea’s energy truly blew me away. HAPPYEND is an independent, art-driven film, so the fact that it resonated with such a large audience is incredibly moving. I’m deeply grateful—thank you.”
Hayato Kurihara, who appeared at a special stage greeting in Korea the previous week, shared his impressions of the audience there:
“The vibe in Korea was completely different from Japan. Around 80% of the audience were young women in their teens and twenties. When I stepped on stage, they screamed like I was a pop idol! I couldn’t help but feel flattered,” he said with a laugh, exchanging amused looks with fellow cast members Yukito Hidaka and Yuta Hayashi.
Hidaka added,“We’ve always believed that this film could speak to a wide range of people, so I’m really happy to see it being watched and appreciated here in Japan once again.”
Hayashi also reflected on the Korea event,“It was such a great experience. I really felt the difference in how the film is received—there’s so much love, and in such a unique way.”
From “Jaga Butter” to “Nori-Shio”: Behind the Nicknames and Cast Reunion Moments
The MC brought up a popular nickname on social media—“Jaga Butter”—referring to Kurihara and Hidaka.“I honestly don’t know why, but people started calling me ‘jagaimo’ (potato), probably because of my shaved head,” Hidaka explained with a laugh. “Then during the first trip to Korea, Hayato (Kurihara) had dyed his hair blonde, which people thought looked like butter. Director Sora posted a photo of us together, and it went viral—after that, people started calling us ‘jaga butter’ (butter potato)!”
He went on to say, “When we went to Korea the second time, Hayato’s hair was black again, and Yu-chan (Hayashi) joined us—so people started calling us ‘nori-shio jagaimo’ (seaweed-salt potatoes)!”
The audience chuckled warmly at the playful nickname.
It was the first time since the Japan premiere last October that the student cast members were all back together. ARAZI, who plays Tom, said with a grin,
“I’ve been feeling jittery since the beginning… and I still am now! But we’re all still close—nothing’s changed.”
Kirara Inori, who joined the stage greeting with the student cast for the first time and watched the film with the audience that day, shared her heartfelt thoughts:
“Watching the film again today, I was reminded of just how good it is. When I played Fumi, I wasn’t consciously thinking about it, but the love triangle between Yuta, Ko, and Fumi really comes through more clearly the more I watch it.”
She added with a smile, “Ata-chan, played by Hayashi-san, was surprisingly muscular! And I’ve always really loved Tom, played by ARAZI-san. The way his character sets the tone for the group—it really came across to me again today.”
Unique Directing Style and Early Acting Experiences Shared by the Cast
When asked by the MC about Director Sora’s approach to directing and working with the actors on set, Yukito Hidaka—who made his acting debut with this film—shared:
“There weren’t strict instructions or detailed direction, but since we were portraying close high school friends in a coming-of-age story, what I first had to learn wasn’t acting itself, but how to build the right sense of distance and familiarity with the others.”
Hayato Kurihara, also in his first acting role, added:
“Starting about two months before shooting began, we participated in workshops where we practiced things like creating emotional distance and connection. I learned so much during that time.”
Kirara Inori also reflected on the unique approach to rehearsals:“I only joined one or two of the sessions, but instead of jumping into scenes right away, we played games together as a group to ease the tension. That kind of relaxed, playful atmosphere isn’t something you find on most film sets. Once the cast was finalized, we gradually built up the characters and relationships from there. I remember that even during the shoot, the others would go home and rehearse the next day’s scenes together, and I think that deepened their connection and raised the overall intensity of the performances.”
A Surprise Message Wall—Proof That the Film’s Message Reached the Audience
A surprise moment unfolded as heartfelt comments from social media were projected onto the back screen of the stage.Messages such as:「I felt excited from the very first scene」「So glad I saw this just before turning 20」「Now I desperately want to eat kimbap」「I love this film—I’ll treasure it forever」「It makes me want to talk about it with everyone」
brought wide smiles to the faces of the cast. Among them, one particular comment stood out:
“It reminded me of a dear friend—made me think of how important they are to me.”
Upon hearing this, Kirara Inori turned to Director Sora and said,
“Wasn’t that something you told us early on, back when the script was still being developed?”
The director nodded, and shared the story behind it:“Before the first page of the script, I wrote a message just for the staff and cast. It said: ‘This is a film that will make people want to call their friends the moment it ends.’ That was always the goal. It’s so important to reconnect with friends you may have lost touch with. Especially now, when the world is increasingly divided politically, I think returning to our roots and simply talking to one another is more important than ever. So hearing that message come through in someone’s words—nothing could make me happier.”
Laughter, Sweat, and Love: A Joyful Reunion to Celebrate “HAPPYEND”
Filmed during the peak of summer two years ago, HAPPYEND was a project where the cast and crew quite literally sweated together. Yuta Hayashi recalled his infamous “sweat breaks” on set with a smile:
“I would sweat so much that the makeup and wardrobe teams had to keep drying my clothes. Everyone would be waiting around saying, ‘Hayashi-kun, are you ready yet?’”
The relaxed and friendly atmosphere on set felt just like a real high school, full of laughter and camaraderie.
One fun behind-the-scenes story came from ARAZI, who revealed that the scene where Tom does his homework in the music room wasn’t staged—he was actually doing real school assignments between takes.
During the photo session, the cast and director held up decorative fans with large characters spelling out “Asian Hit.” When they flipped the fans over, they revealed the iconic line: “I love you!”—Ko’s unforgettable words to Yuta in the film. Kurihara couldn’t resist recreating the moment live on stage, shouting “I love you!” to roaring cheers from the audience.
Director Neo Utagane closed the event on a heartfelt note:
“Love you all! HAPPYEND still has so much more ahead. Please tell your friends—call them if you have to! We’re excited for the film to reach the U.S. in September, and then France and beyond. Thank you so much for being here today.”
The event ended on a high, filled with affection, laughter, and excitement for what’s to come.
The film is now playing for one week only—with English subtitles—at Shinjuku Piccadilly until Thursday, July 10.
Don’t miss your chance to see the film that continues to captivate audiences across Asia, even more than six months after its original release in Japan.