Der Schneeprinz

Snow Prince - Forbidden Love Melody (Japanese: スノープリンス 禁じられた恋のメロディ , Hepburn: Sunō Purinsu: Kinjirareta Koi no Merodii ) is a 2009 Japanese film. This film is adapted from the 1872 novel A Dog of Flanders and is inspired by the 1971 film A Small Love Melody.[3] Directed by Joji Matsuoka and written by Kundō Koyama—the scriptwriter for the film Departures,[4] it is a poignant story of a middle class woman's teenage friendship with a poor artist. Shintaro Morimoto plays the role of Sota, the orphan artist who lives with his grandfather, and Marino Kuwashima plays the role of Sota's friend, Sayo. Together, they have to weather the many challenges that come their way because of their lowly social status. Snow Prince marked the film debuts of Morimoto and Kuwashima.[4][5]

The main and supporting cast of Snow Prince was revealed on 11 May 2009,[6] and the filming subsequently took place at a movie village located in Shōnai, Yamagata from November 2008 to February 2009.[7] The theme song of this film, entitled Snow Prince, was sung by a group of 10 boys including Shintaro Morimoto, the lead actor of this film.[8] This song debuted at the 9th position on the Oricon weekly charts.[9]

Snow Prince had its international debut in Flanders, Belgium,[10] the setting for A Dog of Flanders. It then showcased at the 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival,[11] and subsequently opened in Japanese cinemas on 12 December 2009.[12] The film, which grossed $845,375 in Japan and Singapore, received mixed reviews from critics.[2] Actor Teruyuki Kagawa was nominated for the best supporting actor award at the 52nd Blue Ribbon Awards for his role.[13]