Saw this back when it dropped, never finished an Anime movie so pissed; that 2 hours were spend on what should’ve been 30min.
The movie overall could've been a cute short film, without the time skip and unnecessary side characters. Just self indulgence on full display.
And funny how I (a detractor) am talking about the film, thus bringing it back into minor 5sec of relevance, when people who liked the film, (so far as I’ve seen) forgot it even existed.
When pure raw emotion/ hype is your reason for liking something- when the emotions & hype fade, that’s the hill what you liked dies on.
Hype & emotions do not last forever. Same goes for relationships.
Anyways,
The bullying aspect was executed “OK”, very mean stuff.
Though the entire thing was just a huge play on your emotions. Rarely have any female designs that stray from the “stock cute girl design”, no pronounced nose, heavy set, burns that don’t look like tattoos, overbite, sloped eyes, nope just 24/7 the cutest possible iteration. Because how could you feel empathy for someone that isn’t appealing to your Darwinian biases.
Typical presentation, the "insert your tears here" moments were cringeworthy (because you can tell they really, REALLY want you to feel something), didn’t work for me. Worst parts of the movie because it’s so extra and over the top.
Neon Genesis Evangelion had hard to watch scenes because in context they were supposed to be actual larger than life problems. But they were not this pedantic. (and thats coming from me)
Same with that stair climax scene in Garden of Words, with the crying, and leaping on him & shit, the music swell, all over a misunderstanding. Just melodrama stupidity.
You’d think a fool legit died or something.
This is what most Anime (slice of nothing happens) movies are, just unintentional Rom-coms taking themselves too goddamn seriously.
Cause the easiest road to 5 stars for Otaku’s is make a mf cry, that’s all it takes. and what does that even matter when recent generations are so overly emotional these days anyway. WHO ISN’T crying nowadays.
The voice acting was good, from all the cast. (SUB)
The titular couple had little in common as people, let alone a would be couple, she was a blank slate of nauseating innocence, but she was cute. (Per japanese obsession = cute cute cute, thats her existence. No attitude, no allergy, no weird hobbies. Nope just Angel in incarnate. Too good for this world.)
He remembered her & kept hounding her out of curiosity, guilt, intrigue and because he’s tall & endearing and she’s short & cute- we’re supposed to want him to succeed in re-entering her life.
Pure superficial aesthetic.
If she had a temper or something, an ugly laugh, sore loser, something/ anything resembling a flawed human being, that would be better. Hell if she went through a transformation and became like a UFC or underground deaf streetfighter badass, that shit would be fucking wild, the movie just throws you the biggest curveball of the anime industry and funny given she was bullied so that's how she'd cope.
And it wouldn’t just be a contrived plot point, because it’d make narrative sense as to why she’d feel driven to be a fighter, to never be preyed on again.
The joke would be you'd expect exactly what you got in the movie, someone whose ripe for romantic crap, but she ends up being the exact opposite, still feminine, but not available & has better things to do. Because why not.
Leagues more entertaining, because now the intrigue is: HOW TF is he going to end up with her, HOW?!
But you see, this only works if she’s frail, “cute cute cute” and vulnerable 24/7- ya know the Japanese’ peak standard for a domestic infantile pet, Errr i mean a “WAIFU” guys, my bad. Got the two mixed up...
Otherwise how could the movie possibly end without some kind of contrived romance thread that realistically shouldn’t exist.
And all that time & she has no partner?
If they had any balls they’d made her like girls, instead of some side characters being subtly lesbian, so bold guys, very brave.
So him getting with her is an impossibility and him making amends can be genuine in isolation outside romantic motivations, thus removed from the fact that he’s obviously guaranteed her hand after the bullshit drama is done. Because that’s the agenda of the events, not actual redemption.
Predictable.
Him grown up, he was more vulnerable & apologetic due to him being bullied to balance out her innocent nature and that alone was enough to get them to develop feelings. Zero chemistry, just well drawn/animated/colored scenes of being in the same vicinity and being wholesome.
Wholesome isn’t chemistry (*Cough Clark-Kun and Lois-Chan *cough cough), that’s the problem with Deku and Ochako, & it took me a while to figure that out cause it’s easy to think just being cute means that’s a recipe for success.
And because he became a victim of bullying like she was, another indicator that we’re supposed to want them together. More manipulation, so he didn’t have to earn shit. Despite the fact that he deserved that shit, she didn’t.
You don’t get rewarded for suffering consequences of your own actions.
Stock syndrome is cute because the girl is cute, the movie.
Could've been better but could've been worse. never watched it again, but unfortunately the good animation burned it’s existence into my mind.
It was a nice/ “sweet” film for what it was.
Overly drawn out, melodramatic; The entire story could've been wrapped up as a more concise short film. Under an hour.
Just watch Spirited Away, Mirai, “Flavors of Youth”
or the underrated Dareka no Manazashi (A good short film people forgot existed because it’s not highschool Tween melodrama bait)
Gets the point across without holding you hostage for 2 hours.
