This Japanese story of strong bondage between two adolescent males can't be properly considered gay,and more of in the occident the new term is bromance. And that's most of the plot of this long movie, 2h10. Boy enters an orphanage school, is bullied for its stammering, supported by another and conduced to the choir, where situations eventually are transposed. Subplots include an embryonic leftish movement never well explained. Bore, bore, pure boredom. Beautiful landscapes in a meditative film indented for Japanese fanfics, which will give significance to small rocks left in precise points.The beautiful landscapes that changes throughout the seasons are a plus.

BOYS CHOIR, yes this is a movie about a boys choir in a rural Japanese orphanage. This is the truest item.This film was listed a comedy & also having a gay theme.IT IS NOT A COMEDY, also there is nothing gay about this film in ANY meaning of word gay. Yes 2 of the lads become friends, NOTHING is even inferred that they are more than friends.There is also a needless leftist subplot involving a female friend of the choirmaster, who causes a tragedy.The film is also way over long.Running time of 130 minutes is at least 40 minutes too long.The opening scene was very confusing, I did not know what was happening, the final scene was needlessly tragic.How this film won awards is beyond me.It is DULL & BORING. I have seen more than a few movies about Boys Choirs & Choirs in general, most were at least uplifting & you left with feeling good.At the conclusion of this one, I felt no emotion only utter boredom.The settings are interesting & the cinematography is good. The performances by all are just passable,Ratings *1/2* -- out of 4--43 points out of 100---IMDB 3 out of 10

This is a very interesting and well-made film, well worth watching. It has been carefully constructed and bears repeat viewings. The film is set in the 1970's and revolves around a newly orphaned teenage boy who also happens to stutter. Sent to an orphanage, he is teased and almost runs away, until a beautiful, androgynous boy convinces him to join the choir. The dynamic between these boys forms the overall arc of the rest of the film, with the choir itself serving as the vehicle. There is also a subplot involving the choir-master and a female from his political-activist past (this explains the 70's setting), which is more diversionary than effective. One might expect a lot of homo-erotic subtext in such a setting, but it is almost completely played down. Yet then when there is a sudden intrusion of a female choir -- the movie suddenly is all erotic symbolism for one scene, whose only purpose is to trigger the third act (which is a little uneven).The camera sometimes moves too much for its own good and the hand-held is not really necessary, but overall the movie is nicely filmed in rural Japan. The music score is quite beautiful.

Lots of bits of this mostly meditative film are quite good. There are beautiful images and some heavenly soundscapes. There is also a promising central story concentrating on the friendship of two odd young boys in a provincial boarding school and their interest in choir music.The standout character is the incredibly effeminate Yasuo, with the angelic high voice and commanding personality. His good friend, the stuttering Michio, doesn't make much of an impression, although he is the main and viewpoint character.But it's a case of good ingredients and mediocre method. The story falls well over the line dividing leisurely and slow, and jumps around too much. The violent episodes in the middle of the film don't quite gel with the usually gentle but sometimes cruel feel of the rest. It ends up being dull and muddled, as well as frustrating, because there was much good material, of which a much better result was quite possible.