Ai Means Love

Miki Hayashi has just arrived in America from her native Japan to help her family's struggling Samurai video store. Ian Marchall is using his computer skills to put his parent's business online, and tries to maintain his own values in the face of pressure from friends.

Miki's father, Daisuke, is a former Samurai movie actor who has never forgotten the code of the Samurai. When vandals threaten the town's businesses, he joins Greg Marshall and the irrepressible Betty-San in a community patrol, with unexpected results.

In the tradition of Japanese matchmakers, Betty-San introduces the two families, and Ian and Miki embark on a rather unconventional courtship. Navigating the two cultures and discovering the roots of their faith is not easy. As external events threaten to divide them, Ian and Miki must decide whether to live by their convictions or by the pressure from others.

Love, Honor, Family and Faith are at the core of "Ai Means Love." This warm and humorous story combines tributes to the classic cinema of Japan with traditional American cultural elements to create an uplifting tale of family, friendship, honor and commitment.

Dove Review

Here is a fantastic movie which focuses on honor and respect. How many of those do you see these days? This is viewing time well spent.

Daisuke Hayashi is a former film actor who made Samurai movies and moved his family to America from Japan due to the persecution they encountered for their Christian faith. Daisuke’s daughter, Miki, arrives in America from Japan to help her family with their struggles in running a video store. Miki’s path crosses that of Ian Marchall, who knows something about honor as he is helping his parents by placing their business online. It soon becomes apparent that the Marchall family was meant to cross paths with the Hayashi family. When Miki is faced with deportation, Ian makes a decision which can change everyone’s life. Yet the film features humor too, such as when Daisuke says some Americans believe all Japanese films are either cartoons or Godzilla movies! In another funny scene a Japanese man refers to a computer “Greek” instead of “geek”! The coming together of two cultures presents plenty of opportunities for laughter.

This is a wonderful movie and we highly recommend it and we are pleased to award the film our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal.

Dove Rating Details

Faith

None

Integrity

Some men are seen dying by a sword in an old video movie but there is no blood on screen; store windows are painted over and broken and in one scene a man uses a stick to defend himself against three ruffians.

Sex

A few innuendos including a comment about "scoring"; a young man makes a comment about wishing he could have a "slice" of the waitress who served them; husband and wife kiss.

Language

Nerd-1; Butt-1; A man thinks another man saying "harass" is saying "A"; "Duh"-1; "Idiots"-1

Violence

Drugs

Beer is ordered and drank and there is a comment about partying every night; some sake is consumed.

Nudity

Breasts are seen on a few wooden statues; cleavage.

Other

A man says there is a long line of medicine men in his background; there are a few inspirational scenes in which prayer is offered over meals and Bible reading takes place; it's stated Bushido was taught in Japan before Christianity and it was a foundation which led to the Christian teaching.

More Information

Film Information

Genre

Comedy

Runtime

100

Rating

N/A

Reviewer

Edwin L. Carpenter

Actors

Bob Charnley, Devin M. McDonald, Joan Crooks, Kazuo Tsubata, Masako Foltz, Satomi Pirrone, Sayaka Stephens

Writers

Kate Tsubata

Directors

Mie Smith

Producers

Kate Tsubata, Mie Smith, SunJae

Studios

LightSmith Productions