Socrates in Love


Socrates in Love is a 2001 Japanese melodrama novel, written by Kyoichi Katayama and published by Shogakukan, which revolves around narrator Sakutaro Matsumoto's recollections of a school classmate whom he once loved.
It is also known as Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World, which author Katayama used after his editors advised that his original novel title Socrates in Love wouldn't work.
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Plot summary

In a small town of southern Japan, Sakutaro "Saku" Matsumoto and Aki Hirose, classmates since junior high, become high school students. During this time they begin to date and their conversations circle around the idea of what love really is, beginning after Saku's grandfather shares his own past love story with Saku.
After a trip the two take to an abandoned island, Aki discovers she has leukemia, which limits her chances to go outside or see Saku. Once Saku learns the truth, he buys flight tickets to take Aki to Australia's Uluru ; a place she had always wanted to visit after missing the school trip there, but she dies before she could board the plane.
The story takes place as a flashback through Saku's eyes as he and Aki's parents travel to Australia to spread Aki's ashes in the place she had always wanted to see.

Main characters

  • Sakutaro "Saku" Matsumoto : the narrator who's referred as "Saku-chan" by Aki. His name is taken from Japanese poet Sakutarō Hagiwara's name.
  • Aki Hirose : Saku's classmate who later becomes his girlfriend. She has leukemia.
  • Ryunosuke Oki : a classmate of Saku and Aki. His name is based on Japanese writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's name.
  • Kentaro Matsumoto : Saku's grandfather.

About the title

Socrates in Love is the English translation of author Katayama's original Japanese title, 恋するソクラテス.
The novel and its manga adaptation were published in the United States by VIZ Media under the English translated title of author Katayama's original title.
The 2004 film title, Sekai no Chūshin de, Ai o Sakebu, is abbreviated in Japan as Sekachū.
To date, the 2005 Hong Kong DVD release of the 2004 film adaptation is the only English-language release that has its title Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World in English. The 2004 film and the 2004 TV series still haven't been released to the English-language market outside Hong Kong.

Film and television adaptations

Japanese film (2004)

Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World was opened nationally in Japan on 8 May 2004, which brought Masami Nagasawa recognition as an actress. It was a huge success, and its theme song, "Hitomi o Tojite" by Ken Hirai, had record sales as well.

Television drama (2004)

Crying out Love, in the Center of the World was adapted as an 11-episode TV drama series, directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi, and broadcast every Friday on TBS at 10PM, from 2 July to 10 September, in 2004.
Like the film, the drama features an original character that doesn't appear in the novel — Aki Kobayashi, a single-mother friend of adult Sakutaro. She has feelings for him, but he struggles not to see her as the late Aki's replacement. Their situation is complicated when Aki's young son sees Saku as a father figure.
The drama's theme song, "Katachi Aru Mono", is notable for having been written and performed by Kou Shibasaki, who appeared as Ritsuko Fujimura in the 2004 film adaptation.

Staff

  • Script - Yoshiko Morishita
  • Filming - Satoru Karasawa
  • Direction - Yukihiko Tsutsumi, Yasuharu Ishii, Yuichiro Hirakawa
  • Producer - Akihiko Ishimaru
  • Theme song - "Katachi Aru Mono" by Kou Shibasaki

Cast

Korean film (2004)

The 2004 film was remade and released in South Korea as My Girl and I on 23 December 2005. It was then released in Japan on 26 August 2006, under its Japanese title, You Are the Center of My World.