Heroine Disqualified File

If you haven't seen this 2015 Japanese film (or read the manga by Momoko Kōda), here’s the gut-punch premise: She thinks she’s in a shoujo manga. She has the childhood best friend (the handsome, track-star neighbor, Rita). She has the tragic backstory. She even has the quirky best friend for comic relief.

And suddenly, Riko isn’t the heroine. She’s the obstacle . She’s the jealous childhood friend who gets a single panel of pity before the real leads kiss in the rain. Heroine Disqualified

Heroine Disqualified screams the opposite: If you haven't seen this 2015 Japanese film

Riko is messy. She’s loud. She wears ugly sweaters. She throws tantrums. She tries to "win" Rita back by sabotaging his relationship, and she fails miserably. She looks pathetic. She even has the quirky best friend for comic relief

Girl meets boy. Girl loses boy (usually due to a misunderstanding involving a sprinkler system or a missed flight). Girl runs through an airport in a wedding dress. Girl gets the guy. The credits roll. The end.