‘Love Like The Falling Petals’ Ending Explained: What Was The Fate Of Misaki And Haruto’s Love Story?

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“Love Like The Falling Petals” is an emotional journey of a couple who fell in love only to find that time was not in their favor. Haruto Asakura won a coupon for the salon where Misaki Ariake worked as a hairdresser. It was destiny that brought them together. Haruto introduced himself as a photographer and cherished the time he got to spend with Misaki. He became a regular customer. After secretly admiring her for months, he finally got the courage to ask her out. Distracted by his request, Misaki injured Haruto’s ear. Even though the asking out took a dramatic turn, they would later fondly remember these days. “Love Like The Falling Petals” might be a bit too corny; even though there are emotional moments, it is an average Netflix watch at the end of the day.


“Love Like The Falling Petals’ Plot Summary

Misaki encouraged Haruto to pursue his dream of becoming a professional photographer. As the seasons changed, Misaki waited for Haruto. He contacted her only after getting his first salary as a photographer. The two then started spending their time together. They were beyond happy that they found each other. Haruto complimented Misaki’s smile. Her smile reminded him of the cherry blossom flower. He gifted her a scissors case. Misaki would hold this gift close to her heart for the rest of her life. Even though they had only been dating for a few months, Haruto felt that Misaki was his soulmate and wanted to marry her. He announced that he would wait for as long as Misaki would take to be his wife. Just when their romance was at its peak, Misaki fell sick.

She had a fever, and her limbs started to hurt. The doctor doubted that she had the rare progeroid syndrome. She would prematurely start aging, and her life expectancy was not that promising either. The test results confirmed the doctor’s doubt, and Misaki was scared about her uncertain future. She knew it would be impossible to continue her relationship with Haruto, but before leaving him, she decided to spend one night with him. She left the next morning and stopped replying to his texts and calls. Haruto visited her house and gave her brother a few photographs that Misaki took with his camera. Misaki treasured the one blurry photograph she took of Haruto, a memento of their beautiful days.

Major Spoilers Ahead


How Did Haruto Help Misaki?

Haruto had deleted Misaki’s number after she informed him that she was in a relationship with her ex-lover and wanted him to stay away from her life. He started concentrating on his work even though it was not easy for him to give up on Misaki. Meanwhile, Misaki’s brother carried her to an electromagnetic therapy institution that claimed to help their case, but it turned out to be a fraud business. Her brother tried everything he could to help Misaki’s condition, but he felt hopeless with time. Misaki’s hair turned grey, her skin wrinkled, and her eyesight became poor. She looked like an aged person while she was in her mid-twenties.

Her brother, dressed as Santa, asked Misaki to write down her Christmas wishes. She had written two wishes; one was to meet Haruto again, and the second was to relieve herself of the pain she felt. Her brother then spoke to Haruto and disclosed the truth. He made it a point to sit outside Misaki’s room every day and talk to her about every little detail of his life. Even though she did not show herself to him, she felt loved by hearing his voice and knowing that he still cared for her.

Haruto started developing an interest in a particular kind of photography through which he could demonstrate the passage of time and its impact on space. This helped him to finally get an exhibition space, and he invited Misaki to take a look at his photographs.


‘Love Like The Falling Petals’ Ending Explained: What Was Haruto’s Regret?

Misaki decided to visit Haruko’s exhibition. She wrapped herself in a bright red coat and a fluffy pink cap that her brother had gifted her. She dressed her best for the event, taking slow steps until she reached Haruko’s exhibition space. He took pictures of the places where the two visited and shared the best memories. The empty salon chair, the unoccupied restaurant seats, and the vacant staircase reminded them of their time spent together, and how those same places had lost their color with time. When the people are removed from the space, the objects turn mundane, but with the potential to turn magical once again. Misaki, later in a letter to Haruto, expressed how deeply she loved the exhibition day. It was sort of an adventure for her, as she stepped outside her house for the first time in a long while. Misaki fell into the snow as she walked back, and Haruto was quick to help her, but he did not recognize her. She was an older woman in Haruto’s eyes. Misaki was hurt, but she was also glad in a way that Haruto did not recognize her.

After her death, Haruto visited her room and saw the fluffy pink cap, which reminded him of the woman he met on the exhibition day. He cursed himself for not recognizing her. After all, she did smile with her whole face. Later, he received a letter that Misaki wrote to him, in which she reminisced about the days they spent together. She expressed that Haruto was the love of her life, and she was glad that they crossed paths. She even mentioned the day at the exhibition, but she kept their meeting hidden. She wrote that they did not meet that day. It was probably because she was not the Misaki he knew, or simply because she knew it would hurt him to know that he had not noticed her. Misaki encouraged Haruto to continue to take photographs because she loved them and hoped to see them someday.

The film ends on an emotional note. Haruto continues to take photographs the way she wanted him to. Haruto always remembered Misaki through the cherry blossoms that bloom during spring. This tragic love story is an average watch, with nothing extraordinary to offer. For lovers of the romantic genre, this might be a satisfying watch, but for the rest, it is one of those films that you can happily skip, knowing that you did not miss much at all.


“Love Like The Falling Petals” is a 2022 Romance Drama film directed by Yoshihiro Fukagawa.

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Srijoni Rudra
Srijoni Rudra
Srijoni has worked as a film researcher on a government-sponsored project and is currently employed as a film studies teacher at a private institute. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Film Studies. Film History and feminist reading of cinema are her areas of interest.

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