Heroine Disqualified Today

Girl meets boy. Girl loses boy (usually due to a misunderstanding involving a sprinkler system or a missed flight). Girl runs through an airport in a wedding dress. Girl gets the guy. The credits roll. The end.

But what happens if you don’t get the guy? What happens if you show up to the airport, out of breath, and he’s already boarding the plane with someone else? Heroine Disqualified

By the end of the film, she learns the hardest lesson in adulthood: Girl meets boy

If you haven't seen this 2015 Japanese film (or read the manga by Momoko Kōda), here’s the gut-punch premise: She thinks she’s in a shoujo manga. She has the childhood best friend (the handsome, track-star neighbor, Rita). She has the tragic backstory. She even has the quirky best friend for comic relief. Girl gets the guy

We love her because most of us have been the "Heroine Disqualified" at some point. We’ve been the one who rehearsed the witty comeback three hours too late. We’ve been the one who thought friendship was a down payment on a future relationship. We’ve been the one who confused proximity with destiny.