Ima, ai ni yukimasu

 

いま、会いに行きます

Label: Frontier Works
Based on: Novel
Released: 2008.06.25


Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu ("I'll go and meet you right now") is a drama CD based on the novel of the same name. The novel has also been adapted into a movie (known as "be with you" in English) and a television drama. The details differ a bit between the different adaptions, but it tells the story of Aio Takumi, his wife Mio, and their son Yuuji.

The story begins with Aiou Takumi (CV: Ishida Akira) talking with a friend (CV: Naya Rokurou). It seems like he met someone and fell in love again. The man gives him a letter from a girl named 'Mio'.

In the next scene shows Takumi current life with his 6 year old son, Yuuji (CV: Ogata Megumi). It becomes that clear that he was married to someone named Mio and that Yuuji is their son, however Mio died a year ago, and Takumi and Yuuji are having some trouble dealing with all the housework on their own. We also learn that Takumi is not entirely healthy either. Due to some sort of illness he suffered from periods of weakness, and his memory isn't the best either.

Each weekend they go to the forest together, and one day suddenly find Mio at an abandoned factory lot in the forest. However, Mio has lost her memory and doesn't remember who she is or who Takumi and Yuuji are. Takumi lies to her that she came here with them and convinces her to go home with them. The reason for this is that shortly before she died Mio told him that "she would come and visit them when the rain comes".

Takumi always told Yuuji that people who die go to the "archive star", so Yuuji simply believes that she came back from that star. Takumi convinces him to pretend that Mio was still alive all this time.

Mio starts living with them again, and in order for Mio to remember who she is Takumi tells her how they met, how they started dating, and how they lived together. Especially the story of how they started to date is just so sweet. Both of them were very shy, and it is possibly one of the cutest relationship stories ever.

The entire story is both beautiful and sad. The scene at the hospital is one of the most heartbreaking scenes I've ever listened to, and the beautiful piano music that is used for most of the CD perfectly matches (and sets) the atmosphere.

The revelation was of why Mio was able to return to them really surprised me. Mio finds out the truth by reading a letter that she addressed at herself, and Takumi (and the listener) eventually also discover the truth by reading this letter as well. All I can say is that it made me love Mio even more.

The drama CD has two discs and is long, very long. The entire story is more than two hours. But I loved every moment of it. The cheerful parts, the sweet parts, and the heartbreaking scenes, and the bittersweet feeling it leaves you with.

I'm usually not really a fan of Ishida Akira his voice, but his Takumi really touched me. His acting is partly why I love this CD so much. The writing is beautiful, but his acting gave so much life and emotions to Takumi. Yuuji is the cutest kid I ever heard, which made his confession to Mio about he always felt guilty because he thought she died because of him all the more heartbreaking.

Conclusion:
Another CD that left me with tears in my eyes. I've had this on my 'to listen' list for ages and I'm glad I finally listened to it. I would love to read the novel but looking at the amount of yet-to-be-read books on my shelf, I'd better work my way through those first.