The Longest Night in Shanghai 2007

Naoki Mizushima, Masahiro Motoki, a renowned hairstylist, travels to Shanghai to work at a charity music festival, accompanied by his longtime lover and manager, Miho Takahashi, Naomi Nishida. Naoki’s talent shines as he crafts distinctive hairstyles for each performer, and the festival becomes a resounding success. Yet the job feels tiring, and his personal life buckles under strain. Miho’s presence and the shadows of Kawaguchi, Takashi Tsukamoto, who secretly loves Miho, put Naoki on edge. He wanders the city listlessly, loses his money and ID, and realizes he has come to rely entirely on Miho—so much so that he even forgets the name of their hotel, leaving him adrift in a city that feels both thrilling and foreign.

While Naoki is adrift, a taxi ride introduces Lin Xi, Zhao Wei, a bold and perceptive driver who becomes Naoki’s unlikely guide through Shanghai’s night. Lin Xi seems to be chasing a different dream—perhaps a wealthy fare—yet she is deeply moved by the moment when Dong Dong, Dylan Kuo, calls to say he will marry the next day. Lin Xi’s joy collapses into despair, and Naoki senses a similar ache in himself, even if he cannot name it.

Back at the festival, Naoki’s disappearance triggers a frantic search across the city. Miho, Kawaguchi, Hara, Shinobu Otsuka as Rie Hara, interpreter Xiao Shen, Sam Lee, and Yamaoka, Naoto Takenaka race through Shanghai to bring him back. In the midst of the chase, the odds bring Naoki and Lin Xi together in a night of vulnerability; both are tired and wounded, and their encounter starts a quiet connection that opens up space for them to share their fears, scars, and emptiness they’ve carried inside. Through this vulnerable exchange, they begin to see the possibility of understanding and healing in each other, even as the city continues to move around them.