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Love on Trial

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Mai, a rising J-Pop idol, is finally about to have her big break when she unexpectedly falls in love. But in a treacherous industry where young singers must maintain an image of flawless purity, love is forbidden. When her relationship is exposed, Mai's agency takes drastic action, dragging the couple to court over the "no love" clause in her contract, throwing her life into chaos.

Critics Reviews

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Jessica Kiang Variety Where there’s the potential for incisive commentary on the chew-em-up, spit-em-out nature of modern celebrity, Fukada’s oblique approach has all the rhythm of a popsong’s intro stuck on a never-ending loop: all filler instrumental, no catchy hook. May 28, 2025 Full Review Hannah Strong Little White Lies Love on Trial meanders along with all the drama of a gentle boat ride, never quite kicking into gear, and the lack of development afforded to the supporting characters reduces Mai’s studio opposition to cartoon-like villains. May 23, 2025 Full Review Josh Slater-Williams IndieWire Sometimes the lack of detail in portraying the fictional pop group comes across as though budgetary constraints are responsible; other times, it feels like storytelling steps were fudged in favor of shortcuts. Rated: C+ May 22, 2025 Full Review James Mottram South China Morning Post Fukada captures something of the sinister corporate culture behind the contemporary music industry. Better yet, he carves out a human story about the precious and precarious nature of young love. Rated: 4/5 May 28, 2025 Full Review Alistair Ryder Vague Visages As Mai retreats from the spotlight, so does the film around her, and while there are some impressive small-scale moments, the story ultimately gets too removed from the world it’s criticizing to land a rousing call-to-arms against it. May 26, 2025 Full Review Matthew Turner Next Best Picture This is an emotionally engaging and compellingly provocative drama with a sharply written script, a pretty great soundtrack, and a terrific central performance from Kyoko Saito. Rated: 7/10 May 23, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Koji Fukada

Director

Koji Fukada

Screenwriter

Shintaro Mitani

Screenwriter

Shin Yamaguchi

Producer

Yoko Abe

Producer

Atsuko Ôno

Producer
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Movie Info

Synopsis Mai, a rising J-Pop idol, is finally about to have her big break when she unexpectedly falls in love. But in a treacherous industry where young singers must maintain an image of flawless purity, love is forbidden. When her relationship is exposed, Mai's agency takes drastic action, dragging the couple to court over the "no love" clause in her contract, throwing her life into chaos.
Director
Koji Fukada
Producer
Shin Yamaguchi, Yoko Abe, Atsuko Ôno
Screenwriter
Koji Fukada, Shintaro Mitani
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese