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Movies like Sae

The best movies like Sae are Love & Pop (1998), Drowning Love (2016) and Tomie: Rebirth (2001). If Sae hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Love & Pop (1998)

    Tokyo schoolgirl Hiromi and her friends engage in a practice known as enjo kosai, or "compensated dating", where older men pay young girls for dates. Hiromi plunges deeper into this world to raise money for an expensive ring.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. Drowning Love (2016)

    Natsume Mochizuki works as a teen model in Tokyo, but she learns that she has to move to her father's hometown of Ukigumo. She is in a desperate situation because she can't do the things she wants to do in Ukigumo. One day, she meets Koichiro Hasegawa. He is the successor of the Hasegawa family. His family is wealthy and is respected in the area. Natsume Mochizuki and Koichiro Hasegawa become attracted to each other, but something changes their fate.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Tomie: Rebirth (2001)

    Young art student Hideo paints an unnerving portrait of Tomie, who whispers that she loves him. Inexplicably, he reacts by stabbing her to death with a painting trowel. Two friends, Takumi and Shunichi, arrive on the scene and help him dispose of the body. To cheer him up, the boys take the unwitting murderer to the nearest bar for a party... but a mysterious girl named Tomie shows up, bearing a few odd physical resemblances to the dead girl in the ground.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. Lowriders (2017)

    A young street artist in East Los Angeles is caught between his father's obsession with lowrider car culture, his ex-felon brother and his need for self-expression.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Always - Sunset on Third Street (2005)

    In 1958 postwar Tokyo, the residents of a humble Third Street neighbourhood struggle, dream, and grow together as rapid modernisation transforms their lives beneath the shadow of the newly rising Tokyo Tower.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. Psychic Kusuo (2017)

    Born a powerful psychic, high schooler Kusuo Saiki craves the simple life. But the weirdos in his class make it difficult to conceal his abilities.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. Art School Confidential (2006)

    Starting from childhood attempts at illustration, the protagonist pursues his true obsession to art school. But as he learns how the art world really works, he finds that he must adapt his vision to the reality that confronts him.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. Date A Live: Mayuri Judgement (2015)

    A huge sphere suddenly began to emit a mysterious spiritual wave to the Tengu City that should have regained its peace. A mysterious, beautiful girl showed up at the same time. Silently, what is her purpose to cast her line of sight to Shidou and the others? The real purpose is...?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. Tokyo Ghoul (2017)

    A Tokyo college student is attacked by a ghoul, a super-powered human who feeds on human flesh. He survives, but has become part ghoul and becomes a fugitive on the run.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. Pompo the Cinephile (2021)

    Operating out of the movie capital "Nyallywood," Pompo has been shooting one B-grade entertainment flick after another that anyone would enjoy. One day, Pompo's "movie buff" assistant Gene spots a new script written by Pompo and is moved by its exquisite story. In a fit of passion, he proclaims, "I want to see this as a finished work in theaters as soon as possible!" However, Pompo tells him, "So you shoot this film." Thus, Gene takes on his first directing gig. Meanwhile, Natalie, an ordinary girl who just arrived in town with movie actress dreams, has been discovered by Pompo...

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Orange (2015)

    A girl mysteriously receives advice from her future self and as a result her group of friends, along with a newly arrived, troubled classmate, learn how to be better friends and a better community.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  12. Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (1991)

    A Super Namekian named Slug comes to invade Earth. But the Z Warriors do their best to stop Slug and his gang.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Paradise Kiss (2011)

    Hyasaka Yukari only wants one thing: to enter the college that her mom wants. One day, she meets an extravagant group that loves fashion. They were searching for a model and Yukari fits their ideal model. From now Yukari will know the world of fashion and modeling, and what she really wants.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. Gantz: Perfect Answer (2011)

    Summoned by the black sphere, Kei and Masaru fight against extraterrestrials until Masaru grows tired of fighting and refuses to continue.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. A Gentle Breeze in the Village (2007)

    Soyo, a student in a school with only six students, develops feelings for the new student, Hiromi, who has moved from Tokyo.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. The Karate Kid (1984)

    New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. Love Exposure (2008)

    The story of a teenage boy called Yu, who falls for Yoko, a girl he runs into while operating for the sake of sin as an upskirt photographer in an offshoot of the porn industry. His attempts to woo her are complicated by a spot of cross-dressing - which convinces Yoko that she is lesbian - dalliances with kung-fu and crime, and a constant struggle with the guilt that's a legacy of his Catholic upbringing.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  18. Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

    A look at a few chapters in the life of Poppy, a cheery, colorful, North London schoolteacher whose optimism tends to exasperate those around her.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Nisekoi: False Love (2018)

    Raku Ichijo (Kento Nakajima) is an only son and a high school student. His father is the leader of yakuza group Shuei-gumi. Raku Ichijo doesn't like to fight and he studies hard. His dream is to become a public official. One day, he passes the entrance gate at his high school and is kicked inadvertently by Chitoge Kirisaki (Ayami Nakajo). She is a new transfer student at the school. Chitoge Kirisaki is the only daughter of a rival gang leader. To keep the peace between the rival gangs led by their fathers, Raku Ichijo and Chitoge Kirisaki decide to act as boyfriend and girlfriend. --asianwiki

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. Totally F***ed Up (1994)

    Gay, alienated Los Angeles teens have a hard time as their parents kick them out of their homes, they don’t have money, their lovers cheat, and they are harassed by gay-bashers.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like Sae and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Sae?

The closest matches to Sae are Love & Pop (1998), Drowning Love (2016) and Tomie: Rebirth (2001). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Sae?

Start with Love & Pop (1998), the closest match to Sae.

What is the highest-rated movie like Sae?

Love Exposure (2008), rated 7.9/10 by 556 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Sae?

Pompo the Cinephile (2021) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there Japanese movies like Sae?

Yes: Love & Pop (1998), Drowning Love (2016) and Tomie: Rebirth (2001).

How are movies similar to Sae chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Sae, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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