Trailer: ‘Stella Next to Me’

By   |  Jun 14, 2025

‘Stella Next to Me’ (隣のステラ) is a 2025 Japanese romantic drama directed by Hana Matsumoto.

Based on the manga ‘Tonari no Stella’ by Ammitsu, the film revolves around a high school girl who has feelings for her childhood best friend, but realises he is out of her reach after he becomes a celebrity. The cast includes Riko Fukumoto, Yusei Yagi, Yuki Kura, Mayuu Yokota, and Sho Nishigaki.

Synopsis: Chiaki (Riko Fukumoto) and Subaru (Yusei Yagi) are childhood friends who live next door to each other. They were the best of friends, but Subaru was scouted and became a young model and actor. Chiaki has had a crush on Subaru since she was a child, but has kept her feelings hidden due to the significant gap between a popular celebrity and an ordinary high school girl. Eventually, her feelings overflow and she finally confesses them. However, she is crushed when Subaru tells her that he only sees her as a childhood friend. She decides to support Subaru as a friend, but her feelings for him are not easily broken… [© Far East Films]

‘Stella Next to Me’ opens across Japan on August 22, 2025.

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