Secret:
A Hidden Score (Ienai Himitsu) | 2024 | 1h 55m
Genre: Drama / Fantasy / Romance | Country: Japan
Director: Hayato Kawai | Writer: Saya Matsuda
Cast: Taiga Kyômoto, Kotone Furukawa, Mayu Yokota
IMDb: 6.9
My Rate: 9/10
Minato
decides to stop playing the piano after a painful experience leaves him
traumatized, but meeting Yukino brings new hope into his life—until fate begins
to pull them apart.
What if a remake does not really want to be a remake? That
was one of the first thoughts I had while watching Secret: A Hidden Score
(2024). Instead of simply reproducing the story of the 2007 Taiwanese film Secret,
this Japanese version takes familiar pieces and rearranges them into something
that feels similar but noticeably different. The result is a romantic story
that may not have the same impact as the original, but still manages to leave
its own impression.
Minato (Taiga Kyomoto) returns to Japan after experiencing
trauma while studying at a university in England. He continues his music
education at the same university where his childhood friend Hikari (Mayuu
Yokota) studies. While walking around with Hikari, Minato discovers an old
building that was once used as a place for piano practice. Inside, he hears a
beautiful piece of music that is completely unfamiliar to him.
That is where he meets Yukino (Kotone Furukawa).
Yukino has just finished playing the mysterious piece, and
their first meeting immediately makes Minato curious about her. They later
discover that they are in the same class, giving them more opportunities to
interact. Slowly, that curiosity becomes affection, and the two begin spending
time together in a small park near the old building.
But there is something different about Minato.
After watching him compete in a piano match against another
student, Yukino realizes that Minato is carrying a trauma connected to the
piano. He is afraid of the instrument he once loved. Instead of pushing him,
Yukino tries to help him rediscover the happiness he once found in music.
Their days together gradually begin to heal something inside
Minato.
Then everything changes when Yukino sees Minato with Hikari.
A misunderstanding develops, and Yukino suddenly disappears. Minato becomes
confused and even goes to her house to look for her, but the visit does not end
well.
So the question becomes whether their love can survive what
has happened between them.
Secret: A Hidden Score is a Japanese remake of the
2007 Taiwanese film Secret, but calling it merely a remake almost feels
too simple. The foundation is familiar, yet the screenplay deliberately changes
the backgrounds of the characters and several important parts of the plot.
Minato's trauma and his reason for returning to Japan are different, and unlike
the male protagonist in the original, he is shown as someone who is considering
giving up the piano. Even his piano competition unfolds differently, because
Minato actually loses.
The backgrounds of the parents are also changed. In this
version, Minato's father is a café owner rather than a professor, while his
mother is extremely busy and barely appears. Those changes also alter the
relationship between Yukino and Minato's family.
Because of all these differences, I think inspired by
may sometimes be a more accurate way to describe the relationship between the
two films than simply saying this is a straightforward remake. The Japanese
film clearly follows the original's core idea, but also chooses to observe,
imitate, and modify it into something of its own.
And honestly, some of those changes work.
Minato's reason for returning to Japan adds useful meaning
to his character. It is not simply an excuse to move the story to a new
setting. The additional dramatic material near the end also creates an
emotional dimension that is handled differently from the first film.
But not every addition feels necessary.
The subplot involving Minato's mother, who was also a
pianist, could have been meaningful, but it is only touched upon briefly and
never fully developed. Hikari and Minato also do not receive enough interaction
for the audience to completely understand the growth of her feelings and the
jealousy that later contributes to the misunderstanding.
There are also quite a few scenes involving Minato's father
that feel excessive to me. They take up time but do not always add enough to
justify their presence.
That is one of the film's biggest problems: it sometimes
feels as though there are too many stories trying to fit inside the same
runtime. The transitions can therefore feel abrupt, as though the film is
moving quickly from one idea to another because it does not have enough time to
let every emotion develop naturally.
The performances themselves are good, but I wish the
chemistry between the main characters had been stronger. The romance is
supposed to be the emotional center of the story, yet some of the interactions
feel surprisingly flat. I could understand that Minato and Yukino were growing
closer, but I did not always feel the intensity of that connection.
There are not enough moments between them that truly stay
with me.
That becomes especially noticeable when compared with one of
the original film's strongest attractions: its piano performances.
The music in Secret: A Hidden Score is still
enjoyable, and the soundtrack is not a weakness. But the piano performances do
not feel as technically impressive or as thrilling as those in the 2007 film.
The song “Secret” is also more mellow, which creates a softer atmosphere rather
than the kind of musical climax that can raise the audience's adrenaline.
It is also worth noting that the piano playing was not
actually performed by the actors themselves, which somewhat reduces the sense
of authenticity in those performance scenes.
Still, I appreciate that the Japanese version preserves
several memorable scenes from the original. The conversation between Minato and
Yukino about Chopin and his lover remains, as does the scene where they dance
together at a party. These moments do not simply exist as nostalgic references.
They are connected to the romance in this version and eventually become
important bridges leading toward the final twist.
Another change that I genuinely appreciate is the decision
to tell part of the story from Yukino's point of view. Seeing events from her
side gives the audience a more complete understanding of what is happening. We
are no longer limited to Minato's interpretation, which allows the emotional
situation to feel more balanced.
I also think the ending is improved in terms of its timeline
and internal logic. It feels somewhat more relevant and believable within the
story's own chronology. At the same time, the film still manages to preserve
the romance and sadness that made the original memorable.
Visually, the film has many appealing qualities. The
lighting is especially effective in creating a dreamy and romantic atmosphere
in several scenes. The camera work and movement are also well handled,
capturing small details and important emotional moments. The music remains one
of the strongest elements of the film, even if the piano performances
themselves do not reach the same level as the original.
There are also some small details that make the timeline
feel confusing. The story has been modernized through mobile technology and
more contemporary settings, yet the dominant brown color palette creates an
older, almost nostalgic atmosphere. The use of bicycles as transportation can
also feel slightly out of place within that modern setting.
The makeup and wardrobe create another inconsistency. With a
twenty-year difference in the timeline, I expected clearer changes in the
appearances of older characters such as Minato's father and Yukino's mother.
Instead, the difference is not particularly noticeable.
One of the scenes that stays with me is when Yukino invites
Minato to play the piano with her while they are visiting his family's café.
Minato initially feels that he has lost the joy he once found in playing, but
making music together with Yukino brings that feeling back.
The happiness on their faces is simple but beautiful.
The lighting makes the scene even more memorable, giving the
moment a dreamy quality that fits the relationship they are building. It is one
of those scenes where music is not simply something the characters perform. It
becomes a language through which they connect.
The line, “If we are destined to meet, we will meet,” also
feels fitting for the story.
Destiny is one of those ideas that romantic stories return
to again and again. Sometimes we meet someone at exactly the right moment, and
sometimes circumstances pull people apart in ways we cannot control. Whether we
call that fate or coincidence, we still have to live with the choices made
along the way.
Overall, Secret: A Hidden Score gives us a
well-presented romance with a different perspective from the 2007 film. It may
not surpass its predecessor, especially when it comes to emotional intensity
and memorable piano performances, but it does not simply copy the original
either. It takes the familiar story, changes its foundation, adds new material,
and gives the female lead a stronger narrative perspective.
For me, that makes it worth watching, especially for viewers
who enjoy Japanese romance films and want to see how a familiar story can be
reshaped into something new.
Perhaps that is the hardest thing about remaking a beloved
story. You do not only have to retell what happened. You have to make the
audience feel why the story mattered in the first place.
And sometimes, even when a new version is beautifully made,
we still find ourselves comparing it to the memory of the first story that
touched us. The question is not whether the remake is different. It is whether,
after all those changes, it can still make us feel something we did not know we
were missing.
(Aluna Uwie)
Previously published on Alunauwie.com
"This article was originally written in Indonesian and
has been adapted into English for international readers."
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 Review: A Japanese Romance Inspired by Music, Memory, and Fate){kind=link}
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