AllMovie

A boy follows his heart instead of his head in this comedy-drama from Japan. Norio (Morioka Ryu) is a seventeen-year-old high school student living in a small rural town who isn't sure what to do with his future and keeps thinking about killing himself. When his parents commit suicide, Norio figures it's only fitting that he follow the family tradition until his teacher Ameki (Meguro Maki) suggests another path -- going to Tokyo and studying to become a lawyer. Norio is infatuated with Ameki so he's willing to give her idea a try; Akemi is also fond of Norio, though her feelings are entirely platonic while his are not. Akemi volunteers to pay Norio's tuition, but the expense is more than she expected and she has to take on extra work in order to keep up with the bills. Norio, however, isn't much of a student and begins to think he's wasting Akemi's money, especially after he befriends a kid who thinks Norio is a well-known athlete. Kimi To Arukou (aka To Walk Beside You) was an official selection at the 2010 Rotterdam International Film Festival; director Ishii Yuya is no stranger to the Rotterdam Festival, having shown four feature films there in 2008.