‘Beautiful Early Evening Moon’ Japanese ultra-premium romance set to land in Korea in November!

This newly released 〈Beautiful Early Evening Moon〉 launch teaser opens with a cross-cut of Kohaku (Shunsuke Michieda) saying, “I don’t know things like love,” and Yoi (Seira Anzai) saying, “Love like that doesn’t fit me.” Yoi draws everyone’s admiration with her neat looks and steadfast heart, but unlike that image—and unlike Kohaku, who has perfect looks and a charming, flirtatious way yet doesn’t know real love, as well as the two “princes” who try to push love away—the moment comes with a twist line, “That isn’t love, I thought,” as they face each other and the confession, “I couldn’t look away, as if I were gazing at the moon,” quietly seeps in. Then the copy “First love—my heart feels like it’s going to burst” appears in large typography at the center of the screen, hitting the peak of fluttering nerves, and when the title 〈Beautiful Early Evening Moon〉 is revealed, the dialogue “Why is it that people’s hearts shake so much?” follows, delivering the emotional arc from the drama straight to prospective viewers. Even the ultra-close skinship that feels like it will reach you is captured in full—heart-thumping, breathless excitement from the source material, all condensed into just 30 seconds. In particular, the one line that caps the ending, “For the first time in my life, someone I truly like appeared,” is drawing explosive reactions on social media right after its release in Japan, even though it’s only a short video.

Meanwhile, the movie 〈Beautiful Early Evening Moon〉 has been at the center of buzz even before its official marketing got fully underway. The moment the casting lineup and visual cuts were revealed, social media lit up with women’s hearts racing and word-of-mouth spreading organically. The premise itself—“a girl’s prince and a boy’s prince”—sparked fresh curiosity, and with the original work’s fan base and the draw of the two lead actors coming together, expectations were raised well before the teaser even dropped. The original series has earned strong support for its polished artwork and nuanced emotional storyline, and the slow process by which the two protagonists gradually fall deeper into each other is widely cited as its core appeal. In particular, it also naturally connects with Korean sensibilities because the cartoonist even directly referenced Korean-style school uniforms when drawing it, delivering a flutter that won’t feel unfamiliar to local audiences, either.

Alongside that, Michieda Shunsuke, the leader of the group Naniwa Danshi, takes on the role of Ichimura Kohaku. He secured his first leading role in film with 〈Tonight, Even If This Love Disappears in the World〉, and he has also proven his acting chops by playing the lead in the drama [Detective Boy: Kim Jeon-il]. Right after his public release, he won explosive reactions thanks to a perfect synchronization that seems to transplant Kohaku from the original story as-is. For the role of Takiguchi Yoi, rising star Seira Anzai, born in 2004, was cast. With a neutral beauty honed through her work as a model, she fully carries the atmosphere of the “prince” Yoi, earning her praise as a fresh discovery. Following Japan’s theatrical release, the movie 〈Beautiful Early Evening Moon〉, which arrives in Korea right after the November College Scholastic Ability Test, is gathering attention as a dark horse poised to take over theaters with a romance like none seen this half-year—and to be the one responsible for the audience’s excitement.