Before Mondo Grosso's song "Labyrinth" became a huge hit on youtube, Hikari Mitsushima was singing Avril Lavigne's songs 10 years ago in this movie written and directed by Sion Sono.
This movie is loosely based on the american manga "Make 5 Wishes", which follows the lonely teenage girl Hana who is obsessed with Avril Lavigne as a way to escape from her current life. In the manga, Avril plays as her conscience and as her imaginary friend. Things change as soon as Hana orders a demon-like creature which grants her any 5 wishes of her choice. The excitement, hope and companionship that this "real" creature provides her, slowly starts replacing the imaginary Avril in her mind. However, serious consequences come along with each one of her wishes.
The main difference in the live-action adaptation is the change of Hana with her twin sister Minami as the main character, who didn't exist in the manga. Hana's story is told through Minami's flashbacks, as she explains her reasons to join the singing competition.
This competition, which didn't exist in the manga, takes most of the plot in the movie. On the other hand, the manga focuses on Hana and her interactions with the people around her. While the doll is seen as a way to make any wish come true just by asking it, the auditions convey the message that you must work hard if you want your dreams to come true. A nice change by Sion Sono which added more depth to the story.
For those who are curious about the manga, it is on youtube.
"Make the Last Wish" came 1 year after "Love Exposure" and it's easy to notice how it borrows so much from that movie, with Hikari Mitsushima playing Minami/Hana and Sakura Ando in a minor role playing a bully, characters that remind me of Yoko and Koike. Some of the same soundtrack is here as well. For me, all these similarities were a big plus. Always nice to watch anything with Hikari Mitsushima in her prime!
