3/5 stars

Japanese romances focus far too often on the frustrating first fumblings of inarticulate middle-schoolers. We Made a Beautiful Bouquet comes as a welcome respite, bearing witness to a romantic coupling between two consenting young adults experienced enough to recognise romantic yearnings when they stir, bold enough to reveal them verbally, and willing to act on them in a physical and enthusiastic manner.

Nobuhiro Doi’s film, known in some territories as I Fell in Love Like A Flower Bouquet, poses the old question “Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?” with its portrayal of a fledgling foray into an adult relationship, where the excitement of true love is eclipsed by the practicalities of personal and professional obligations.

The opening sequence establishes that Mugi (Masaki Suda) and Kinu (Kasumi Arimura) are no longer together. So, as the film flashes back five years to their first meeting, after missing the last train home, it is already established that their relationship is doomed. Nevertheless, it does affectionately chronicle how these two university seniors are swept up in a life-changing love affair.

Mugi and Kinu are drawn together by their shared passion for movies, manga and video games, and the film marks the passage of time using notable film releases and key events in the careers of their favourite artists. Their enthusiasm for one another and for venturing out into the world proves infectious, thanks in large part to charming, nuanced performances from Suda and Arimura.