Video Pick of the Day: Kawaei Rina stars in Ayaka’s short movie MV for “Sakura”

Ayaka’s short movie MV for “Sakura” was released on YouTube.

Since performing the song when Ayaka was on her nationwide tour last September, it was a song that many fans requested and a song that has garnered a lot of attention.

The 13-minute video was directed by Maruyama Kenji, who directed many videos for SKE48, AKB48, Kato Miliyah, Nogizaka46, Amuro Namie, Little Glee Monsters, MONDO GROSSO and more.

As “Sakura” gives a feeling of graduations and saying farewell to friends, teachers and to one’s school, Maruyama who listened to the song, wanted to create a short movie MV about “graduation from the death of one’s best friend”.

The video stars former AKB48 member Kawaei Rina as the character Natsuki.   Natsuki lost her best friend Niki before their high school graduation.

The music video shows Natsuki and her best friend Niki preparing for graduation on March 6th and at the end of the day, they talk about seeing each other the following day.

On March 7, 2017 (at 8:07 a.m.), Natsuki  gets a call from her mother and finds out that something has happened to Niki.  On March 8, 2017 (at 8:07 a.m.), graduation day has come and she must prepare for graduation day.

A month since graduating and since the death of Nikki, Natsuki is not dealing well with her best friend’s death all that well.   And a guy friend, tries to talk to her and he can sense she is not doing well.

Natsuki can’t help but think about the past with her best friend during their first and second year in high school but nearly a year after Niki’s death, she’s still have a hard time getting over Niki’s death.

She gets a text message on March 6, 2018 (at 8:07 a.m.) from her guy friend to come by the high school she graduated from.

At March 7, 2018 (at 8:07 a.m.), Natsuki heads to the high school where she had fun with Niki and remembers the past.

When she finally walks out to the schoolyard, her guy friend is waiting to surprise her with a touching memory for Niki.  And Natsuki comes to the full realization that she must move forward with her life and say goodbye to the past.

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