Plot
Kaoru has Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a medical condition that forbids its bearer from being exposed to direct sunlight. She sleeps during the day, and is active at night. She busks every night in front of a station, playing the guitar. Outside her bedroom window, she spots a high school boy with a surfboard. She watches him and his friends visit the ocean every morning before going to sleep. One day, she introduces herself to him without letting him know about her medical condition. The man identifies himself to be Kōji Fujishiro. When her friend drags her home, they sit by her window, while they watch Kōji meet his friends. Kaoru explains everything, and her friend notes that she probably goes to the same school as him, and offers to spy on him for her.
The next evening, she sits by the bus stop. Kōji arrives on his scooter. Both embarrassed, they start talking, with Kōji eventually promising to meet her, and listen to her sing another night, at the start of the school holidays. When they meet up, another obnoxious street performer has taken her spot. Kōji decides to take her to the city, where after seeing the sights, she starts playing in a square. A substantial crowd gathers to hear her sing. Afterwards, they watch the ocean, and Kōji asks her out.
Their date ends abruptly as the sun rises and Kaoru rushes back home. Kōji is soon informed of Kaoru's condition, and is taken aback. For a while, Kaoru stubbornly refuses to see him. Kōji learns of a recording studio, where Kaoru could record her debut single, and takes up small jobs to earn the money and pay for it. Her father, out of concern, invites Kōji over one night. At dinner, Kōji reveals his plans for Kaoru's CD. As they walk home that night, the two begin to talk, and Kaoru slowly realizes how much Kōji truly cares for her.
As her medical condition begins to worsen over time, she loses feeling in her hands, and is unable to play guitar. She assures Kōji that she still has her voice.
In the studio, she asks her family and friends to leave. She asks them to wait for the CD.
Some time later, as promised, Kōji brings Kaoru to the beach to watch him surf. The protective suit she had left hanging for years is finally used. By now, she is in a wheelchair. She complains that the suit is getting hot. With a painful expression that fades quickly, Kaoru's father tries to convince her that if she takes off the suit, it cannot bother her anymore, and that she could run around freely. She declines, and while struggling to stand up, she limps weakly toward Kōji. As she walks, she trips over the sand, and Kōji rushes to tend to her. She catches herself at the last minute, revealing that it was a feint, and giggles at his surprised face.
Later, Kaoru succumbs to her medical condition and eventually dies. She is laid to rest in a coffin full of sunflowers. Kōji and Kaoru's friends and family listen as Kaoru's CD is finally released. In the final scene, Kōji rushes towards the waves with his mind replaying her voice.
Adaptations
Television drama
In 2006, a television drama adaptation of the same name aired on TBS, starring Erika Sawajiri and Takayuki Yamada.[4] The theme song, "Taiyō no Uta", was performed by Sawajiri and released under the name Kaoru Amane as a tie-in, which also helped launch her solo singing career.[4][6]
Remakes
A Vietnamese remake based on 2006 television drama series titled Khúc hát mặt trời (literally translated as "A Song to the Sun") aired on VTV3 from November 25, 2015 to February 18, 2016, starring Nhã Phương as Yến Phương (originally Kaoru) and Quang Tuấn as Quân (originally Koji).[11][12]
In May 2015, writer Eric Kirsten announced an American adaptation of the film titled Midnight Sun, which is centered on Washington, USA.[13] The film stars Bella Thorne as Katie (originally Kaoru) and Patrick Schwarzenegger as Charlie (originally Koji).[14] The film was released March 23, 2018.
A South Korean film remake 태양의 노래 ("Taeyang-ui norae" literally translated as "Song to the Sun") but known to English audiences as "'Midnight Sun" was released in 2025.[15][16][17]
