Japanese novelist praises Vietnamese song

By Tan Cao April 19, 2023 | 07:13 am PT

Japanese novelist Takuji Ichikawa. Photo by Takuji Ichikawa Instagram

Japan’s renowned novelist Takuji Ichikawa has complimented Vietnamese singer Hua Kim Tuyen’s song “Anh Se Den Cung Con Mua” (I Will Come With the Rain), which was inspired by his novel.

Ichikawa posted the music video of the song on his Instagram and Twitter account on Tuesday and revealed that a friend sent it to him a couple of days ago.

"It’s a great song," Ichikawa commented.

Tuyen said he was emotional after receiving the compliment. His inspiration for the song was Ichikawa’s 2003 best-selling novel "Be With You".

"I hope the author of the novel can feel the spirit of the song through the melody. I want to thank Ichikawa for writing such a great novel, which gave me the inspiration to compose," Tuyen said.

In 2018, Tuyen watched "Be With You", a remake of the 2004 Japanese film of the same name, based in Ichikawa’s novel. He was impressed with the script and the acting of Son Ye-jin and So Ji-sub.

"After reading the novel, I feel like I am living in the love story of the characters. Every detail just pops up in my head," Tuyen added.

The music video of the song has attracted 2.4 million views on YouTube.

Takuji Ichikawa, born in 1962, is widely known in Japan for his romantic novels including "Say Hello to Him When the Time Comes" and "Love’s Photograph". Many of his novels have been adapted into films.

Tuyen, 28, has written many hits for Vietnamese singers including Amee, Uyen Linh and Hoang Duyen.