China's word-of-mouth movie sensation "Dear You" was released in Japan on Friday, with distributors reporting instant sell-outs.

"Dear You," a low-budget film featuring a largely unknown cast, has become one of China's most unexpected box-office successes this year. Since its Chinese mainland release on April 30, the Chaoshan (Teochew)-dialect film has struck a deep chord with audiences via its tender emotional portrayal and heartfelt core storyline, grossing more than 1.8 billion yuan (about 265 million U.S. dollars) at the box office to date.

The story follows a debt-ridden young man who travels from the Chaoshan region in south China, one of the major origins of the Nanyang [Southeast Asia] migration, to Thailand in search of his grandfather and uncovers a family secret linked to "qiaopi," letters and remittances sent home by overseas Chinese.

The film has enjoyed a strong opening that exceeded expectations after debuting in seven cinemas across Japan.

"Every time we release tickets for the Shinjuku theater, they are snapped up immediately. For Friday, Saturday and Sunday shows, tickets are usually sold out within 10 minutes," said Xie Yi, the film's distributor in Japan.

The overwhelming demand has promoted the distributor to double the number of screening venues, and all seven original theaters have decided to extend their screening runs.

On Saturday, the Japan Teochew Association organized a group viewing event.

"We arranged this activity to watch 'Dear You' together because this film tells the shared history of our forebears who migrated overseas. The qiaopi [overseas letters] carries the homesickness of overseas Chinese. At the same time, we hope to educate the younger generation of overseas Chinese about the struggles of our predecessors in Southeast Asia and remind them not to forget our roots. Besides, we hope this event also serves as a cultural bridge, introducing overseas Chinese culture to Japanese society and promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan," said Yang Chia-hsien, vice president of the association.

Many overseas Chinese in Japan said the film's vivid, everyday details powerfully recreate the resilience of earlier generations of overseas Chinese and their devotion to homeland, stirring emotions that transcend age.

"I shed tears several times during the movie. Living far from home, we can truly understand the feeling of missing our homeland and families," said a Chinese audience member.

The film has also attracted many Japanese viewers, who said its themes of family, faithfulness, and mutual support resonate across borders, and its tender emotional storytelling left them a lasting impression.

"I think the grandma's line -- one must always uphold loyalty and moral principles -- perfectly captures the spirit of the whole film. The kindness one person shows to others can keep rippling outward and change many lives. This is a film that moves you to tears," said a Japanese audience member.