Cha Jun-hwan, Seo Su-min Star in Roy Kim's 'Sparkle' Music Video

Roy Kim is putting his own stamp on one of the most beloved Japanese film songs of the past decade. The Korean singer-songwriter releases his remake of "Sparkle," the signature ballad from the 2016 anime film "Your Name.," on Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. KST across major streaming platforms.

The track is the fourth release from the "J-POP REMAKE" project, a series that hands well-known Japanese songs to Korean artists for reinterpretation. Roy Kim's version keeps the emotional pull of the original while shifting it into his warmer, more restrained vocal register.

Ahead of the release, Roy Kim previewed the song on Sept. 10 through a video on his official YouTube channel titled "Singing It Early." Filmed in a studio setting and dressed casually, he performed a stripped-down version of "Sparkle" that leaned into the song's quieter emotional beats.

For the Korean lyrics, Roy Kim worked directly with lyricist Lee Seu-ran, who has credits on multiple hit songs. The two aimed to preserve the original's themes of youth, love, and fated encounters while reshaping the phrasing to fit Korean.

The accompanying music video drops alongside the song. Figure skater and actor Cha Jun-hwan and actress Seo Su-min star as the leads. Set in a warmly lit bookstore, the video follows two young people exchanging notes tucked between the pages of books, telling a quiet coming-of-age story through glances and small gestures.

A teaser released earlier hinted at a heavier emotional turn, ending on a shot of Seo in tears while smiling. On Sept. 10, a handwritten message from Seo also went out on the project's official social media. "I was happy to be part of Sparkle," she wrote. "I hope the sparkling moments viewers see in the music video stay with them for a long time."

The original "Sparkle" was performed by Japanese rock band RADWIMPS for director Makoto Shinkai's "Your Name.," which became one of the highest-grossing anime films of its era. The song has kept a steady following in both Japan and Korea in the years since, tied closely to the film's themes of longing and connection across time.

Roy Kim's remake trades the original's soaring rock build for a slower, more intimate arc. The opening sits quietly before the arrangement lifts toward the back half of the song, giving the vocal room to carry the emotional weight.

The "J-POP REMAKE" series reflects a broader softening of the cultural line between Korean and Japanese pop music, as Korean artists increasingly revisit J-pop catalog songs for domestic audiences. For Roy Kim, whose career has been built on acoustic-leaning ballads, "Sparkle" is a natural fit, and a rare chance to reintroduce a widely loved anime song to Korean listeners in their own language.