Beat Mizorogi, a jolly high school student with an infectious smile, inspires his new classmates by organizing a fashion show in what would be the school's last festival. Besides helping his new friends Mei, Wanda, Miki, and Anna he was able to inspire his father and rekindle the love for fashion designing. Not everything about Beat's life however was all glam and smiles. His determination to complete the fashion show and to pursue his dreams of becoming a designer are tested when he learns of his girlfriend's condition and when his designs are copied by a clothing company.
RunWay Beat is a story of courage, friendship, and determination to pursue whatever it is that makes one happy. There is a bit of romance but it is not explored in the movie. The main characters are typical high school students but Beat's positive nature makes their friendship interesting. Beat is friendly, optimistic, and positive about everything yet he is tempered by experience. He is not a loud, boisterous character as you would normally expect from a character like him in a movie about young adults. The fashion show near the end of the movie is a bonus. Nevertheless the outcome is predictable and Mei's character is overshadowed by Beat even if the story is told from her point of view. Still, it's good movie for light viewing. And who wouldn't like Beat's infectious smile?
Rating: 6 out of 10
***
Cast:
Koji Seto as Biito (Beat) Mizorogi
Nanami Sakuraba as Mei Tsukamoto
Mirei Kiritani as Miki Tachibana
Imalu as Anna Akikawa
Kei Tanaka as Satoru Inuda or Wanda
Michiko Kichise as Hayato Mizorogi's assistant
Seiichi Tanabe as Hayato Mizorogi
Directed by: Kentaro Otani
Based on the novel Runway Beat by Maha Harada
