Year: 2009
Runtime: 119 mins
Language: Japanese
Director: Yuri Kanchiku
Haunted by a painful past, 17‑year‑old Rio tries to soothe the void inside her by pursuing money and material comforts. When she unexpectedly crosses paths with Kouki, a university professor, she is drawn into an unlikely romance that forces her to confront her insecurities and discover what truly matters beyond wealth.
Warning: spoilers below!
Haven’t seen My Rainy Days yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!
Read the complete plot breakdown of My Rainy Days (2009), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Rio Ozawa [Nozomi Sasaki] is a beautiful and manipulative 17-year-old high school student who, along with her best friends Maki [Mitsuki Oishi] and Miho [Araki Nanaki], engages in compensated dating and extortion to earn money. After defending her naïve classmate Tomoko [Hikaru Yamamoto] from the school bully Naoko [Saki Kagami], Rio invites Tomoko to join her clique and soon manipulates her into participating in their compensated dating scheme. It is revealed that Rio and Naoko are secretly lovers, and that Naoko assisted Rio in luring Tomoko into the clique.
One day, a photo developing store accidentally swaps Rio’s photographs with those of a man who also bears the Ozawa surname. Rio arranges to meet Kouki Ozawa [Shosuke Tanihara], an introverted 35-year-old history professor, to swap the photos. As they walk together, Kouki faints and is rushed to the hospital. The next day, Rio visits him at the hospital, and they begin to bond. As Rio falls in love with Kouki, she asks him to tutor her, stops doing compensated dating, and ends her romantic relationship with Naoko.
When Rio scores 99 on her history test, Kouki agrees to take her on a date. While in a library one day, Kouki kisses Rio for the first time. Unbeknownst to Rio, Kouki underwent surgery for a brain tumor three years earlier, but the tumor was not completely removed. Kouki’s cousin Kaori [Wakana Sakai] tries to convince him to reconsider another surgery, but he does not want to be a burden to others. To avoid hurting Rio, Kouki suddenly distances himself from her, leaving her heartbroken.
Naoko, who has been skipping school, walks into class unexpectedly and tries to stab Tomoko, accusing her of taking Rio away from her, but Rio shields Tomoko. Naoko then runs onto the school rooftop, with Rio in pursuit. Naoko tearfully tells Rio that she had been repeatedly raped by her mother’s boyfriend and that her mother blamed her after he left her, so Naoko murdered him. Rio attempts to dissuade Naoko from jumping, but as Tomoko, Maki, and Miho arrive, Naoko jumps to her death after professing her love to Rio.
Distressed by Naoko’s suicide, Rio confesses to Tomoko that she was the one who ordered Naoko to bully her, prompting Tomoko to sever ties with Rio. However, when Rio collapses from stress at school, they rekindle their friendship. After Rio laments to her friends that Kouki has moved out of his house without saying goodbye, they convince Kaori to visit Rio at the hospital. Sympathetic, Kaori reveals that Kouki has been transferred to another university and gives Rio his new address.
Rio meets with Kouki and reveals that three years earlier, she became pregnant as a result of rape, so her mother took her to the hospital to have an abortion. She then resorted to prostitution and extortion as a way to avoid getting hurt again, but after meeting Kouki, she realized that seeing a loved one get hurt was much more painful. Kouki acknowledges that Rio is no longer the same person. Shortly after Rio boards a bus, Kouki faints.
Rio accompanies Kouki to the hospital and learns of his brain tumor. When she visits him the next day, he tells her that he never expected to fall in love with a girl like her knowing much time he had left to live, but since meeting her, he began wishing for more time with her. Rio urges Kouki to undergo another surgery, even at the risk of losing his memories. He reluctantly agrees, and shortly before the surgery, he finally tells Rio that he loves her.
Some time later, Rio graduates from high school. On a rainy day, she returns to the hospital to find Kouki, who survived the surgery. Though he does not seem to remember her, he agrees to walk her to the train station under his umbrella. After Kouki walks away, a tearful Rio stands in the rain. Shortly afterwards, Kouki returns and covers Rio under his umbrella, and she joyfully embraces him.
Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 15:32
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Characters shattered by trauma find an unlikely path to healing through a transformative romance.If you were moved by the story of Rio and Kouki in My Rainy Days, you'll find similar emotional journeys here. This collection features movies about characters overcoming severe trauma through a transformative love story, exploring themes of healing, painful pasts, and bittersweet redemption in dramas with heavy emotional weight.
The narrative follows a character defined by a traumatic history—such as abuse, loss, or exploitation—who is living a self-destructive or emotionally closed-off life. The inciting event is the arrival of an unexpected love interest who sees past their defenses. The core of the story is the turbulent process of learning to trust and love again, often facing external obstacles and internal turmoil, leading to a cathartic but imperfect resolution.
Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared focus on the powerful, redemptive potential of love in the face of severe psychological pain. They blend a dark, intense tone with a hopeful, character-driven romance, creating a deeply emotional experience centered on healing and personal transformation.
Intense, socially taboo romances unfold under the shadow of looming tragedy and moral complexity.For viewers who appreciated the intense, forbidden dynamic between Rio and Kouki in My Rainy Days, this thread gathers similar emotionally charged melodramas. Discover movies featuring complex, taboo romances set against dramatic backdrops of terminal illness or moral ambiguity, all culminating in a powerfully bittersweet ending.
The plot hinges on a romance considered forbidden or problematic, creating immediate tension. This central relationship is tested by a series of acute crises—such as a terminal diagnosis, blackmail, or the exposure of secrets—that accelerate the emotional stakes. The pacing is steady and relentless, moving from one dramatic peak to another, ensuring the viewer is constantly engaged with the characters' fraught emotional states, ultimately resolving in a way that acknowledges both love and loss.
These films share a specific recipe: a core of forbidden love, a high level of dramatic intensity, a steady pace of unfolding crises, and an overwhelmingly bittersweet emotional payoff. They are united by their ability to wrench strong emotions from the audience through morally complex and tragically framed relationships.
Don't stop at just watching — explore My Rainy Days in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what My Rainy Days is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of My Rainy Days with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape My Rainy Days. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of My Rainy Days that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about My Rainy Days: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
Discover movies like My Rainy Days that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.
My Rainy Days (2009) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline
My Rainy Days (2009) Movie Characters, Themes & Settings
My Rainy Days (2009) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow
Movies Like My Rainy Days – Similar Titles You’ll Enjoy
Moonless Dawn (2019) Full Summary & Key Details
After the Rain (2018) Ending Explained & Film Insights
It Stopped Raining (2019) Full Summary & Key Details
Sky of Love (2007) Film Overview & Timeline
The Days Between (2001) Spoiler-Packed Plot Recap
Daydream of Love (1980) Detailed Story Recap
Summer Rain (2006) Complete Plot Breakdown
School Days (1000) Plot Summary & Ending Explained
High School Girl’s Diary (1981) Movie Recap & Themes
Blue Rain Osaka (1983) Spoiler-Packed Plot Recap
Falling High School Girl and Irresponsible Teacher (1000) Movie Recap & Themes
Japanese Girls at the Harbor (1933) Movie Recap & Themes
Days of Youth (1929) Story Summary & Characters
Waiting for the Rain (1978) Plot Summary & Ending Explained
Season of Good Rain (2009) Ending Explained & Film Insights