is a 2006 Japanese movie directed by

Isamu Nakae is a masculine Japanese given name. Written forms Isamu can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *勇, "courage" or "bravery" *勲, "merit" *敢, "gallantry" *武, "war" The name can also be written in hiragana or katakan ...

and starring

Yūya Yagira is a Japanese actor. In 2004, he became the youngest winner of the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of 12-year-old Akira in the highly acclaimed '' Nobody Knows''. Career Yagira was 12 years old and not a professiona ...

and

Erika Sawajiri is a Japanese actress, singer, and model. After debuting as a junior model in 2001, Sawajiri transitioned to acting in 2002 and has starred in '' Break Through!'', '' Shinobi: Heart Under Blade'', and '' 1 Litre of Tears'', for all of which she ...

Plot

Recently graduated from high school, 17-year-old Shiro (Yūya Yagira) decides to put off college and work at a gas station instead. Shy and introspective, Shiro understands he is at a turning point of his life, but is unsure of what lies ahead. Though his parents disapprove of his decision, he has the support of his flower child grandmother (Natsuki Mari) who declares that a gas station is a romantic place for life's drifters. Surely enough, soon a new co-worker, college student Noriko (Erika Sawajiri), drifts into Shiro's life. He falls headfirst into a bittersweet first love that ushers him into the world of adulthood.

Cast

- Shiro Yamashita *

- Noriko Watanabe *

Mari Natsuki (née , more commonly known by her stage name , is a Japanese singer, dancer, actress and philanthropist, who describes herself as a "person who plays." Born in Tokyo, she started work as a singer from a young age. In 2007, Natsuki announced h ...

- Grandma *

Chen Bolin Chen Bolin (; born 27 August 1983), also known as Wilson Chen, is a Taiwanese actor. He is known for the films '' Blue Gate Crossing'' (2002), '' Buddha Mountain'' (2010), ''The Continent'' (2014), and '' 20 Once Again'' (2015), as well as the ...

- Mike *

Yo Oizumi is a Japanese actor, comedian, television personality and voice actor. He is a member of the theatrical and musical unit TEAM NACS, and is represented by Creative Office Cue. His wife Kumiko Nakajima is a drama producer at Fuji TV. In 1995, ...

- Gas Station Guy *

Ryō Kimura is a Japanese actor who debuted in 2002. His first movie was ''Moonlight Jellyfish'', in which he co-starred with Tatsuya Fujiwara. He played the role of Michio, a mentally challenged 15-year-old boy diagnosed with an incurable skin disease calle ...

as Makkī *

Gaku Hamada is a Japanese film and television actor. He was a regular cast member of Fuji TV's '' Operation Love'', appearing in all 11 episodes broadcast in 2007 and the 2008 special, and receiving an award for his role. He has made numerous other TV appea ...

as Naoki *

Mayuko Iwasa is a former Japanese entertainer, model, and actress. She was formerly represented by Platinum Production. Among numerous other television and film appearances, she played the lead role in the film adaptation of Kaoruko Himeno's novel '. Caree ...

as Yoko *

Yū Aoi is a Japanese actress and model. She made her film debut as Shiori Tsuda in Shunji Iwai's 2001 film '' All About Lily Chou-Chou''. She subsequently portrayed Tetsuko Arisugawa in '' Hana and Alice'' (2004), also directed by Iwai, Kimiko Tanigawa ...

(cameo)

Production

Released theatrically on 16 September 2006 under the sub-title ''What little girls are made of''. ''Sugar and Spice'' was also released as a DVD in March 2007 with English subtitles.

Reception

Critic Kevin Ma calls the film a "bittersweet romance that's more bitter than sweet" but surprisingly involving for a two-hour film, concluding that it is "an appealing film with photogenic stars, but a story that's hard to relate to.

References

External links

* 2006 films Toho films 2000s Japanese films {{2000s-Japan-film-stub