Again is the story of a girl who must overcome a painful event. After losing her father in an accident, Hatsumi moves to a small village with her strict mother. She joins the school track team and meets Ryutaro, a boy who picks up scrap paper around the village. They become close, but just as she begins to develop romantic feelings toward him, Ryutaro does something terrible to her. This is where Hatsumi’s problems begin. Adults do not understand what Hatsumi is really suffering from. Even her own mother does not seem to understand?she only talks about her own pain rather than listening to Hatsumi’s. Only Mari, her best friend, seems to understand her. In the end, Hatsumi draws her own conclusions and makes a decision, in doing so getting over the pain she suffers. Only then is she able to go back out into the world. Director Kanai Junichi perfects this excellent film with detailed touches of Hatsumi’s progress. (KIM Ji-Seok)