Snow Prince: Melody of Forbidden Love (Sunô Purinsu: Kinjirareta Koi no Merodi / スノープリンス 禁じられた恋のメロディ)
German title: Der Schneeprinz: Melodie einer verbotenen Liebe Francaise title: Snow Prince Spain title: Snow Prince Russian title: Снежный принц Original title: Sunô Purinsu: Kinjirareta Koi no Merodi / スノープリンス 禁じられた恋のメロディ
Alternative titles: Der Schneeprinz: Melodie einer verbotenen Liebe
Drama – Japan Production year: 2009 Movie length: 115 minutes
Set in the early Showa era (the mid-1930s), »Snow Prince« tells the story of a 10-year-old boy named Sota who lives with in a poor, snowy village with his grandfather and his dog Chibi. He’s been friends with a girl from an affluent family named Sayo since they were little, but Sayo’s father doesn’t approve and tries to keep them apart. Sota dreams of becoming a professional painter one day, and with the lessons learned from his grandfather he manages to stay optimistic while enduring mounting hardships.
The story begins in the present when the elderly Sayo Arima receives an unexpected package one day which happens to be a manuscript. As Sayo reads it, the movie goes back some 70 years in time to the snow-country village where young Sayo grew up.The story then focues on the friendship between Sota and Sayo. 10-year-old Sota lives with his grandfather and a dog named Chibi in a small snowy village. They live in such a poverty that Sota cannot even afford to go to school, but however hard the situation is, Sota never holds a bad feeling against anyone around and keeps his dream alive to become a painter. He has been friends with Sayo, a girl brought up in a wealthy family, ever since they were little despite the difference of their family position, which Sayo’s father has un-easy feelings against. However, Sayo’s mother is more tolerant and even asks her to bring gifts for Sato and his grandfather, whom he lives with after his mother died and father abandoned him. One day, Sota’s grandfather fell ill, and Sota went to sell coal to earn money to support his grandfather. He started crying when his wallet got stolen by a pickpocket, but his grandfather comforts him by saying, »Even when you are feeling bitter, you should not hate people«. Furthermore, his grandfather gives words of wisdom for the young child, gently advising Sato not to hate anyone or bear any grudges for the circumstances and predicaments in his life.