I
Give My First Love to You (Original title: Boku no Hatsukoi wo Kimi ni
Sasagu) | 2009 | 2h 2m
Genre:
Teen Drama / Teen Romance / Drama / Romance | Country: Japan
Director:
Takehiko Shinjô | Writers: Kotomi Aoki, Kenji Bando
Cast:
Mao Inoue, Masaki Okada, Natsuki Harada
IMDb:
7.1
My
Rate: 7/10
Takuma, who has a heart condition, knows that his life will not be long, so he tries to distance himself from Mayu, his first love. What Takuma doesn’t realize is that Mayu is willing to do anything to stay with him, no matter the risks.
Warning:
Sensual scenesSynopsis:
Takuma
is born with a heart condition that makes his life expectancy uncertain. From a
young age, he lives side by side with a ticking clock—and within those
limitations, he finds a light named Mayu, the daughter of the doctor who treats
him. Their relationship grows slowly, beyond just friendship.
As
they grow older, the gap between their lives becomes more apparent. Takuma
lives with a fragile body and an uncertain future, while Mayu grows up healthy,
cheerful, and full of possibilities. That imbalance makes Takuma begin to
question whether he has the right to stay by Mayu’s side.
Not
wanting to become a source of sadness when his time comes, Takuma chooses to
pull away. He enrolls in an elite high school—a distance he believes Mayu, who
has academic limitations, could never cross. However, that decision only
ignites Mayu’s determination. Through hard work Takuma never imagined, Mayu
manages to rank first in the school’s entrance exam, for one simple reason: to
stay with him.
When
love faces limited time, does distancing yourself truly mean protecting—or does
it only hurt more deeply?
Review:
Death
may be the one certainty that still feels the most frightening. Imagining
someone we love leaving without warning always leaves a sense of refusal, no
matter how much we know it’s inevitable. I Give My First Love to You,
adapted from the manga by Kotomi Aoki, invites the audience to dive into that
fear and resistance through a love story that is given an expiration date from
the very beginning.
The
film opens with a calm yet haunting narration—a confession about a love that
cannot live forever. This narration becomes a strong emotional foundation, as
well as a subtle hint of where the story will ultimately go. The audience is
drawn in with the awareness that this is not a story about “if,” but about
“when.”
Mayu
and Takuma’s relationship is built from childhood through innocent and sincere
interactions. At that age, they don’t yet understand love or death; there is
only a simple desire to protect each other. As they grow into teenagers, those
feelings evolve into something more complex—overshadowed by the awareness of
Takuma’s fragile body and uncertain future.
The
conflict in this film mostly plays out on an inner level. Takuma’s hesitation
to love fully, Mayu’s determination to stay, and the misunderstandings that
grow between them form a quiet yet painful drama. The presence of a third party
adds another layer, though it isn’t fully maximized, until they are finally
forced to face a reality that cannot be negotiated.
The
resolution feels somewhat rushed, with several conflict transitions happening
too quickly. Even so, the emotional impact remains strong. Takuma’s struggle
until his final breath for Mayu’s happiness, and Mayu’s loyalty to their
childhood promise, leave a mark that’s hard to erase.
Structurally,
the film does have its weaknesses. Some conflicts feel shallow because they
aren’t given enough room to develop, including the roles of supporting
characters like Kou and Teru, who actually have the potential to deepen
Takuma’s understanding of life and death.
There
are also certain logical inconsistencies—such as the ease of going in and out
of an elite school and access to the ICU—that slightly disrupt the story’s
cohesion.
Still, the performances feel natural and convincing. The support of music,
editing, and symbolic details like four-leaf clovers and small charms enrich
the emotion without feeling excessive.
In
the end, I Give My First Love to You is a simple yet touching story. It
reminds us that death can come at any time, and precisely because of that, love
should not be postponed or given halfway. As long as there is still time,
loving as fully as possible may be the only form of courage that truly matters.
Memorable Scene:
Takuma’s
life hangs by a thread. In desperation, Mayu kneels before Kou’s family,
begging for Kou’s heart to be given to save the person she loves. But on the
other side, Kou’s family is not yet able to let go, because they still cling to
a small hope—that Kou will wake up from his coma.
This
scene shows just how far a person is willing to lower themselves to keep the
life of someone they love. Hope, no matter how small, becomes the last thing to
hold on to. But when one person’s hope can only survive by sacrificing
another’s, love turns into a quiet and cruel dilemma—one with no truly right
choice.
Memorable Dialogue:
“God of the four-leaf clover, what does it mean to live?”
Ending:
Sad EndingRecommendation:
Worth to Watch(Aluna)
 – A First Love That Wasn’t Given Enough Time){kind=link}
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