Asako I & II is a movie (not two) based on a novel by Shibasaki Tomoka. Asako is an introverted Osaka girl, who encounters a boy called Baku at a photo exhibition. Even though her friend Haruyo warns her, she engages in an intense relationship with him. Baku is an enigmatic character, and I can't say that I completely understand his personality.
Two years later, Asako is working at a coffee shop in Tokyo, and is shocked when she meets a well-dressed man who looks exactly like Baku. He claims that his name is Ryouhei, but Asako is confused, and doesn't know what to believe. No wonder, since it is the same actor.
It is quite a serious and realistic movie, that might be called a romantic drama, with an addition of some psychology, and it is not always a nice experience. It can be surprising sometimes. Other times it can feel slow. It actually took me three days to finish it.
Rather than the overall plot, it was certain individual scenes that made the strongest impression, because tension could flare up at any point. A few other scenes were interesting because they felt unusually realistic in their depiction of everyday life.
Asako was played well by Karata Erika, but that did not seem too difficult, since Asako is quite even-tempered.
Higashide Masahiro, who played Baku, had a lot to do, acting two personas in the same movie. He did so with great energy, and became the most impressive actor, at times stealing the attention from the title character.
The side characters also made a positive contribution. Especially Asako's friend Maya in Tokyo, who seemed more energetic and likeable than Asako herself.
The best thing is that the leads are speaking the Osaka dialect. The coziness of western dialects is hard to withstand.