As Hollywood studios continue to plumb new depths in search of pre-existing intellectual property to adapt, they might look to Japan’s growing subgenre of movies and TV shows based on songs. There’s been a steady drip of them over the past few years, spinning yarns from popular hits by artists from Akiko Yano (Koji Fukada’s “Love Life”) to Mika Nakashima (Kojiro Hashimoto’s “Snow Flower”).
Now there’s “First Love,” a luscious and spectacularly silly Netflix series inspired by the eponymous 1999 ballad by Hikaru Utada and its 2018 grown-up counterpart, “Hatsukoi.” The first is a wistful breakup song, released when Utada was just 16; the latter is an ode to the thrill of finding love again, further down the line.
Writer and director Yuri Kanchiku — who helms all nine episodes — uses these rudimentary pointers as the basis for a story spanning two decades, following its characters from the first flush of adolescent romance to the disappointments and second chances of 30-something adulthood.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.