Hotaru takes a train to her uncle, while remenising on her previous summers in the forest, nearby her uncle's house. When she was young, she got lost in the forest. There she met a spirit with a mask, named Gin, which helps her back to reality. Gin is a ghostly spirit, which is unable to touch humans. Together, over the many summers they meet, share an unforgettable friendship.
This is Takahiro's first movie, with a career of directing and animating tv series (including Cowboy Bebop). It's only 45 minutes long, which feels way too short for a film with such a grandiose story, that spans many years. The short running time makes every minute a delight, so viewers with short attention spans will appreciate this most.
Animations are best when they take the viewer on a journey, unable to work in other film mediums. The beauty of the forest, the glistening of the water and the Japanese Spirits would be void if filmed in real locations with real actors.
This movie is most notable for the story. How it's told, the idea and the sad, sad ending, make it stand far above mediocrity. Sometimes I felt the story was too manipulating, but when the inevitable occurs in the tear-jerking finale, it makes up for everything.
TO CONCLUDE
It may lack the visual details of Shinkai, or the classiness of Ghibili, but this is a funny, sad and entertaining yarn.
SCORE
79
No comments:
Post a Comment