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Princess Hiro.
Perfect love story.
Touching love story.
Perfect and touching real-life based love story.
Yutaka Takenouchi (absolute love!!!) and Tokiwa Takako (one of my fav Japanese actress) are incredible. The chemistry between them made their parts and their love more real.
A special extra point goes to Takenouchi because he really makes us see him as a Chinese prince. Off went his longish hair and goatee... Short hair and round wired glasses came instead. I've read critiscs about his (and other characters' Chinese) but I think it was pretty decent (and I speak for experience).
An extra, extra point goes to the thinking head behind casting Takashi Sorimachi as Takenouchi's character's best friend. They looked so great together in Beach Boys that I really enjoyed watching them together as friends again... Simply delicious.
The plot in a couple of lines: Princess Hiro tells the story of a Japanese nobility girl who gets to marry the youngest brother of the Manchurian Emperor just before WWII started. Although an arranged marriage they fall in love and spend most of their lives together.
The fact that Hiro and Pu'Chie were real people and that their love story was real, made it even better for me. After watching I rushed to look for more info about them.
Pu'Chie was the one choosing Hiro among other Japanese girls, from a group of photos he was offered. After their first lunch together both agree to keep on with the marriage... They both were shy and uncomfortable at the situation but also curious about the person who may become their partner for life.
...the secret courting went before that. Japanese authorities didn't want people to know this marriage was going to happen until it actually was done.
They get to know each other and start a live together. They share private moments of happiness, realizing they were really in love.
However, Manchurian Emperor wasn't thrill with the idea. For him his brother's marriage was a Japanese doing... It didn't occur to him that his brother was actually in love with his Japanese wife.
Lt. Sakurai, Pu'Chie's friend since he studied in the Imperial Army, visited them from time to time. During one of his visits, Pu'Chie learned that he was going to be a dad.
Huisheng (don't know if I write it properly) was their first born daughter, a disappointment to the Japanese because a boy would mean that a Japanese would reach the Chinese throne and the legitimacy of their control over the Chinese people.
They visited Beijing and the Imperial Palace and make a promise to come back there together again.
The Emperor comes to his senses and learns to share moments with his nieces. Husheng is born two years after her older sister.
When Japan enters WWII starts losing control over Manchukuo. Hiro and Pu'Chie moved to Japan for a while but decide they have to come back as Pu'Chie's mission is to protect his brother the Emperor and Hiro doesn't want to be apart from her husband.
Huisheng stays with her grandparents because she has classes to attend. Her younger sister goes with her parents. The departure is sad but they thought they were going to see each other in no time... they were wrong.
Things for Japan and Manchukou gets worse and they realize they can get Huisheng to join them.
The Japanese gets nervous about their control of Manchukuo. Lt. Sakurai, who was visiting, defend Pu'Chie in front of some Japanese Army high ranks and gets a very dangeous post...
The Japanese abandon the Manchurian court. Pu'Chie has to protect his brother (who is pretty much scared hidden under his bed). They decided to leave before and Hiro, the Empress and Pu'Chie's sister would follow.
... that meant 16 years without seeing each other. Pu'Yi and Pu'Chie were imprisoned in Russia first and China later... Hiro was kept prisoner in several places, her main reason to live, trying to keep Husheng safe. Finally a Japanese officer (Toru Nakamura!) friend of her husband, helps her and she manages to be in the last ship to Japan with her daughter.
After some years with no news about Pu'Chie's wereabouts, not even knowing he was alive, a letter comes, thanks to Huisheng's doings. From that moment Hiro and Pu'Chie manage to keep in touch writing each other. In one of the letters she must tell him about Huisheng's unexpected death.
Finally, after the end of the war, Chinese authorities allow Hiro to join Pu'Chie to live together in China. The encounter in the station is very emotional.
Pu'Chie cries for the lost of his older daughter. He didn't see her since again since they left her under her grandparents care. Too painful for a father to survive his daughter.
They kept their promise and visited the Imperial Palace again. After that we learned more about the real Pu'Chie and Hiro. Their story was tragic at some points but speak of a love that last till their deaths.
Just one more thing: Please, watch it if you get the chance.
Perfect love story.
Touching love story.
Perfect and touching real-life based love story.
Yutaka Takenouchi (absolute love!!!) and Tokiwa Takako (one of my fav Japanese actress) are incredible. The chemistry between them made their parts and their love more real.
A special extra point goes to Takenouchi because he really makes us see him as a Chinese prince. Off went his longish hair and goatee... Short hair and round wired glasses came instead. I've read critiscs about his (and other characters' Chinese) but I think it was pretty decent (and I speak for experience).
An extra, extra point goes to the thinking head behind casting Takashi Sorimachi as Takenouchi's character's best friend. They looked so great together in Beach Boys that I really enjoyed watching them together as friends again... Simply delicious.
The plot in a couple of lines: Princess Hiro tells the story of a Japanese nobility girl who gets to marry the youngest brother of the Manchurian Emperor just before WWII started. Although an arranged marriage they fall in love and spend most of their lives together.
The fact that Hiro and Pu'Chie were real people and that their love story was real, made it even better for me. After watching I rushed to look for more info about them.
Pu'Chie was the one choosing Hiro among other Japanese girls, from a group of photos he was offered. After their first lunch together both agree to keep on with the marriage... They both were shy and uncomfortable at the situation but also curious about the person who may become their partner for life.
...the secret courting went before that. Japanese authorities didn't want people to know this marriage was going to happen until it actually was done.
They get to know each other and start a live together. They share private moments of happiness, realizing they were really in love.
However, Manchurian Emperor wasn't thrill with the idea. For him his brother's marriage was a Japanese doing... It didn't occur to him that his brother was actually in love with his Japanese wife.
Lt. Sakurai, Pu'Chie's friend since he studied in the Imperial Army, visited them from time to time. During one of his visits, Pu'Chie learned that he was going to be a dad.
Huisheng (don't know if I write it properly) was their first born daughter, a disappointment to the Japanese because a boy would mean that a Japanese would reach the Chinese throne and the legitimacy of their control over the Chinese people.
They visited Beijing and the Imperial Palace and make a promise to come back there together again.
The Emperor comes to his senses and learns to share moments with his nieces. Husheng is born two years after her older sister.
When Japan enters WWII starts losing control over Manchukuo. Hiro and Pu'Chie moved to Japan for a while but decide they have to come back as Pu'Chie's mission is to protect his brother the Emperor and Hiro doesn't want to be apart from her husband.
Huisheng stays with her grandparents because she has classes to attend. Her younger sister goes with her parents. The departure is sad but they thought they were going to see each other in no time... they were wrong.
Things for Japan and Manchukou gets worse and they realize they can get Huisheng to join them.
The Japanese gets nervous about their control of Manchukuo. Lt. Sakurai, who was visiting, defend Pu'Chie in front of some Japanese Army high ranks and gets a very dangeous post...
The Japanese abandon the Manchurian court. Pu'Chie has to protect his brother (who is pretty much scared hidden under his bed). They decided to leave before and Hiro, the Empress and Pu'Chie's sister would follow.
... that meant 16 years without seeing each other. Pu'Yi and Pu'Chie were imprisoned in Russia first and China later... Hiro was kept prisoner in several places, her main reason to live, trying to keep Husheng safe. Finally a Japanese officer (Toru Nakamura!) friend of her husband, helps her and she manages to be in the last ship to Japan with her daughter.
After some years with no news about Pu'Chie's wereabouts, not even knowing he was alive, a letter comes, thanks to Huisheng's doings. From that moment Hiro and Pu'Chie manage to keep in touch writing each other. In one of the letters she must tell him about Huisheng's unexpected death.
Finally, after the end of the war, Chinese authorities allow Hiro to join Pu'Chie to live together in China. The encounter in the station is very emotional.
Pu'Chie cries for the lost of his older daughter. He didn't see her since again since they left her under her grandparents care. Too painful for a father to survive his daughter.
They kept their promise and visited the Imperial Palace again. After that we learned more about the real Pu'Chie and Hiro. Their story was tragic at some points but speak of a love that last till their deaths.
Just one more thing: Please, watch it if you get the chance.
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