Stars Kenichi Matsuyama ( Death Note, Death Note The last name, L change the world, Detroit Metal City ), HIromi Nagasaku ( 4 lies, Fukuie Keibuho no Aisatsu) and Yu Aoi (Honey and Clover {2006}, Osen )

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Mirume (Ken'ichi Matsuyama) is a 19 year old college student who falls in love with Yuri (Hiromi Nagasaku), an almost 40 year old art teacher at his university. Yuri isn't your typical college professor, having a quirky sense of humor and unpredictable personality. When Yuri invites Murume to her studio, she playfully seduces the still naive 19 year old student. Things become more complicated when Murume discovers that Yuri is married to a much older man ....


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...Despite the promise of risqué content (L in a sex scene?!), Don't Laugh at My Romance is only mature in its subject matter and not in its actual content. While all the titles for the film (The Japanese title - Hito no Sex wo Warauna - literally translates to “Don't Laugh at People's Sex”) suggest the presence of sex, we only see the before and after of the actual act, and only in longish medium shots. The film's lack of close-ups and use of extended quiet long takes may be frustrating to some, but the tame nature of the film represents Yuri's generally indifferent attitude towards sex and love.

What Don't Laugh at My Romance lacks in visual style is made up in spades by the performances. Matsuyama gives an appropriately low-key performance here as the dopey Mirume. He carries the desperately lovelorn character well, even though his character spends a third of the film acting down and withdrawn. With a female director at the helm, it's no surprise that the women register as the stronger characters. In addition to the scene-stealing Nagasaku, young actress Yu Aoi also stands out as Mirume's long-suffering crush En-Chan. With a spunky cuteness that complements Nagasaku's mature flirt, Aoi livens up the film whenever she's on screen and is the source for many of the film's comic moments. Iguchi never makes her a tragic character, despite her unrequited love for Mirume. With her endless optimism and youthful charm, Aoi's performance is guaranteed to make a few fans out of the audience.

While Don't Laugh at My Romance doesn't really feature any objectionable content, it's still strictly a movie for adults because of its mature attitude. The film may be misconstrued as a film that undermines the effects of sex because of its lack of serious drama. However, as Mirume's outcome and the title suggests, Iguchi is expressing that sex does come with effects. The effects may not always result in emotional outbursts, but it comes with a quiet devastation in real life that the young ones may not be able to comprehend. As a result, Don't Laugh at My Romance is a perfect antithesis to mainstream idol-led "pure love" romances, with its lack of contrived illnesses and dark backstories. It's not a particularly entertaining film, but it's certainly more sincere than what's floating around out there today. "

Source: LoveHKFilm