Their Distance ("Shiranai, Futari") is a Japanese independent film directed by Rikiya Imaizumi, starring the members of NU'EST (mostly Ren, Minhyun, and JR), Fumiko Aoyagi, Hanae Kan, Haruka Kinami, and Tateto Serizawa. The film takes place in Japan, but half of the dialogue is in Korean.
Kim Leon, an apprentice working at a custom shoe shop in Japan, has become withdrawn after causing a car accident leaving Mikio Arakawa paralyzed below the waist. His co-worker, Akiko Kokaze is in love with him, which he doesn't notice. At the same time, Yoo Jiwoo realizes he's in love with both his Japanese teacher, Kanako Koda, and his girlfriend, Han Suna. Meanwhile, Kanako grows concerned about her future with Mikio, who feels he has become a burden to her.
When Suna gets drunk over her frustration at Jiwoo, Leon finds her on his favorite bench the next morning and becomes captivated by her, following her home every night to make sure she arrives safely. This sets of a chain of events involving characters with One Degree of Separation: Jiwoo and Suna's friend, Nam Sangsoo falls in love with Kokaze; Suna finds herself attracted to Leon and begins seeking out the park where they met; Jiwoo tries to figure out his feelings; Kanako and Mikio try to work on their relationship; and Leon is forced to confront his past when Mikio and Kanako visit him.
Tropes in Their Distance:
- Advertised Extra: Baekho and Aron are featured in the international trainer, but they both play minor characters who appear in one scene.
- Ambiguous Ending: At the end of the movie, Jiwoo and Suna decide to stay together, while Suna comes to believe she will never see Leon again. Right after Jiwoo leaves, Leon shows up in front of Suna to thank her, and he tells Kokaze he is happier because he's fallen in love with Suna. The main purpose of the ending is to show that Leon has gotten over what happened in the past because Suna had unknowingly helped him change, but the audience is left wondering if Suna or Leon will actually act upon their feelings, or how it may affect the people around them.
- Anachronic Order: The events of the story jump between April 2 to April 17.
- Brick Joke: On April 4, Sangsoo offers a customer a basket to carry her groceries, to which she coldly asks him if the store cleans the baskets. On April 17, at the end of the movie, he offers it to her again and assures her he washed it.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: Leon is quiet and withdrawn, while Suna is very outspoken and helps him confront his past.
- Dark and Troubled Past: The opening text of the film says that Leon had caused a car accident by running a red light on his bike, which had resulted in Mikio being paralyzed from the waist down. Leon has not been able to get over it.
- Even the Guys Want Him: Mikio got into a car accident because he had been so caught up with how beautiful Leon was, that when Leon ran a red light on his bike, Mikio hadn't realized he ran out into the road to warn him.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Jiwoo urges Kanako to make up with Mikio because he wants her to be happy. Likewise, when Kokaze tells Sangsoo about Leon, she suggests that they help Suna find the person she's looking for, so that Suna will get rejected by him and leave her open for Leon to confess to her (though she's not aware that the person Suna is looking for is actually Leon).
- Kissing Under the Influence: Suna drunkenly kisses Sangsoo when he takes her home.
- Love at First Sight: Sangsoo falls in love with Kokaze the moment she said hi to him, and he admits so in his love letter to her.
- Love Dodecahedron: Sangsoo is in love with Kokaze, but she is in love with Leon, and Leon is in love with Suna. Suna is dating Jiwoo, but finds herself attracted to Leon at the same time, while Jiwoo firmly states that he is in love with both Suna and Kanako. Kanako, however, does not return Jiwoo's feelings and is in engaged to Mikio.
- Never Trust a Trailer: Compare the original trailer
and the trailer made for the Korean release: the Korean release plays down Mikio and makes the film seem more upbeat by focusing on the Leon-Suna, Sangsoo-Kokaze, and Jiwoo-Kanako pairings, ignoring the fact that most of these pairings are one-sided. - Stalking is Love: Leon finds out where Suna lives after following Sangsoo to their workplace, and then he follows Suna home every night without her knowledge. Kokaze finds out by following him after work.
- Teacher/Student Romance: Jiwoo admits he's in love with Kanako, but Kanako doesn't return his feelings.
