To Love (1997): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1997, To Love is a drama and romance film directed by Kei Kumai, running about 114 minutes.

What it’s about. Mitsu works in a factory and has a crush on Tsutomu, a young man she met on the Tokyo streets. One day the two go out, and after some deception, Tsutomu manages to have his way with her. Coming from a broken home, he is frightened by love, so he cruelly allows her to wake up alone. A month passes and a more grown-up Tsutomu returns. The lovers joyously reunite and move in together. All is blissful until both notice a strange sore on Mitsu's arm. The doctors diagnose it as leprosy. Without telling Tsutomu, Mitsu checks into a leper sanitarium. Hanging out with society's pariahs gives her much insight. She discovers the old lepers to be wonderful people. In turn, Mitsu becomes their source of joy and renewed hope. Still, she misses her Tsutomu. One day, the doctors inform her that they erred and that the sore is not leprosy. Happily she heads back to her true love until she realizes with a guilty pang that to return to him would mean unhappiness for her newfound friends

Who’s in it. To Love stars Miki Sakai as Mitsu Morita, Atsuro Watabe as Tsutomu Yoshioka, Jō Shishido as Chinen and Chieko Matsubara as Yamagata, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, To Love has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch To Love page.

If you liked it. Fans of To Love tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.