Metrics
Genre:
Coming-of-age, Anime
Rating:
7.8 /10
Audience:
Teens, people who remember their childhoods fondly.
Rewatch Time:
45m only, so you can rewatch weekly. Big emotion, but the ideals are more captivating than plot.
Winner:
Gin (Koki Uchiyama)
Review
These kinds of movies are just so artsy that sometimes it's hard to appreciate them. This movie, though, has the iconic cat-mask-wearing Gin, who's got a tragic backstory that means he can't touch anyone. Then there's Hotaru (Ayane Sakura) who grows up from a six year-old to a high school student, and her journey in this short movie is almost as tragic as Gin's. They do have a pretty heartwarming relationship, but the animation, music, narration, and supporting characters really do help to build a world that supports their story and seems authentic. The last scene is honestly really sad, but felt inevitable, and there are a lot of beautiful shots in the movie. I feel like it might be an allegory for children and their imagination, but I'm not sure how the ending would factor into that. Still, it was definitely great value for time, and I think it's worth a recommend.
Spoiler Territory
Not really spoiler-sensitive.