New movie "April Bride"

"April Bride" (in Japanese: Yomei Ikkagetsu no Hanayome), based on the true story of a young woman with breast cancer, first aired as a TV documentary. Many people were intrigued by the touching story and made the following book adaption a best-seller with over 880,000 copies sold. In 2009 it finally made its way on the big screen starring Eikura Nana and this June you will be able to follow her life yet again with the stage adaption of the tragic and encouraging story.

Kanjiya Shihori (24) and Watabe Gota (24) are the starring duo this time. They both are talented actors with already a lot of activities in movies and doramas, but they both already have gathered experience on stage as well. Yesterday was a press event to promote the upcoming play and both of them attended it.

In short the story is about a young woman with breast cancer who never looses her will to live her short life to the fullest. Thanks to the support from her relatives, her friends and her boyfriend she is able to keep such a willpower until the very end of her life. "Right now I'm trying to memorize the script, but I already can't read it as just an outsider anymore. I can't help crying whenever I read it. Little by little I'm trying to get closer to the heroine Nagashima Chie and understand her feelings," Kanjiya said. Further she added, "Up until now, when asked about the pressure of playing in a starring role, I've always said that, even though it's the leading role, it's just one frame of the whole movie. However, this time I want to put so much effort into the role that I will be able to boast about my performance. I will work hard to move and impress everyone who is going to watch the show."

Watabe as well, "It has a very sad theme, but I want you to look beyond that sad facade. Look at all the things you are able to learn from this story. I hope it will deepen your appreciation of love and life itself." It's also the first time the two are acting together. "He's a very straight man, but once you open the door to get through to him he becomes a real gentlemen. It's always 'ladies first' with him and he really makes you feel like a princess (laughs)," Kanjiya praised him. Watabe immediately replied, "With this dress she looks so… incredible. She's a really great person and I hope that we can become much closer friends during the upcoming practice sessions…"

On that occasion, reporters tried to get a statement from Kanjiya about her alleged relationship with singer DAIGO (31), but she denied those rumors. "We really aren't dating at all. Me, my family, everyone was really surprised about those rumors," she said. Then what about dating Watabe? "I wouldn't mind dating someone like him."

Kanjiya and Watabe seem to have a great chemistry going on, an essential point for the portrayal of such a touching story. In Tokyo they will raise the curtain in June, Osaka in July.