Juri Ueno: ao akua

Young, free and madly in love. As teenagers, the world was their oyster—but, as adults, their lives seem dimmer, like a very important piece is missing.

Because of her past, 17-year-old Rio lives her days filling the emptiness in her heart with money—until one day, she meets a university professor named Kouki and falls in love.

When an aspiring actress hits it big thanks to a candid Instagram post, the lives of several Tokyo women cross as they struggle to define happiness IRL.

Eru is a 28-year-old woman, good at working but scared of dating. Emu is a 25-year-old woman who enjoys love but does not know what real love is. This drama series depicts the two different love styles of these women.

This documentary follows the unstoppable all-female Japanese idol group, AKB48. With a complicated balance of competition and friendship among the members, their bond is strong. The footage was taken from over 1000 hours of recorded videos throughout 2010 and includes personal interviews with select members revealing each of the girls' struggle, joy, growth, and dream.