Ranked #282

Colorful (Movie)

Being a fan of drama anime, especially ones that exemplify harsh realities of life in a real-world setting, I didn't think twice about giving this one a shot. Like Haibane Renmei (which I liked a lot) it deals with recollecting memories of one's past life and getting a shot at correcting the errors of the past. An unknown soul who commited a grave sin lined up, along with other souls in heaven, to receive his judgment inadvertently wins a lottery that gives him a second chance at life by doing an "internship" trial. A test that takes him back to earth and has to be able to remember the grave sin he committed and be able to enjoy and live life again through the body of someone who recently committed suicide, 14-year old Makoto Kobayashi.

Story: 10
The plot's idea of the afterlife and another chance at life is quite amazing. Although it's not so new, it provides a more understandable view of second chances and acceptance of real life circumstances no matter how difficult it is to cope with. The movie doesn't fail to capture reality through the view of a seemingly normal yet troubled family and the eyes of their youngest, melancholic, junior high school son who experiences disasters one after the other pushing himself to do the worst thing. Character development in the movie shows another positive, particularly with the protagonist who has zero knowledge and idea on Makoto's circumstances yet tries to cope with it all despite how unsettling it is to live another person's life and adjust to a new, albeit indifferent and sometimes distasteful, environment. And Makoto, who really fell on hard times, deciding to end it all, whose life the protagonist must pick up where he left off. Being a a film in the drama genre, this movie didn't fail my expectations of one that really digs deep and touches the heart.

Art/Animation: 9
The art for Colorful looked really great and fitting for an anime movie. The CG background was beautifully drawn and given much detail and the characters are drawn well fitting each character's personality. Both Saotome and Shouko were really depicted as goofy and/or eccentric, two people who really get along well with the similarly strange Makoto whose former self is isolated from other people. Makoto's father looks as simple as he is an ordinary low-rank salaryman and his brother who is academically strong but socially indifferent especially to Makoto, fits the four-eyes, tall and brooding character. Makoto's mother really shows the deep and emotional yet motherly figure and Kuwabara, Makoto's crush is really pretty and takes advantage of it. The images of the city landscape were also breathtaking and the places portrayed definitely shows a realistic imagery.

Music: 8
Of course, the best part I liked with regards to the music is the ED theme "Aozora" sung by miwa (who, by the way, has that really clear, beautiful and emotional singing voice). Beautiful song that perfectly fits the story which is about going through and living life no matter the diversity of life's "colors" may put you through. Although most of the movie plays with little or no ambient background music. I can say fitting music is put in the right places where the emotions are most intense.

Enjoyment: 10
Overall, the movie definitely lived up to my expectations of a beautiful drama. Emotions are spot on, at times even, Makoto's character might get on your nerves because of his attitude despite his family's efforts to show their love and support but hey, as they say, everyone is fighting their own battles. Also, even with the fantasy theme of reincarnation it didn't fail to portray reality, its harshness, and the beauty of living life despite the former. Definitely something you can't miss especially if you love drama like me. read more

Colorful is like a secret place of solitude that helps a person recuperate into humanity and society. It is like a living photograph of all the places you go, both inside yourself and in the world beyond, to meditate on what's important and who you are within the fragments of life. Sometimes being given a second chance and a different perspective is all it takes to see the world in a brand new light.

Story:
The story for this anime is engaging and moves along at a fine pace. Slowly we are introduce to the elements that made one persons life both rich and miserable and from there we learn what caused Makoto's decision to commit suicide.
What I found most intriguing was the method the anime took to unveiling these reasons and the little details shown to make the audience understand how important life's true connections are. Whether it's painting or being truly understood by someone, we all have something that changes our hearts and gives us a reason to go on. I felt this anime did a particularly good job at describing this to its audience.

Art:
Colorful is vivid and expressive anime, using painting as a medium for survival and contemplation. The still photography used in this anime tells a historical story of the nostalgia for a time that has past, and possibly never lived, but not forgotten. The skillful way it was incorporated is just another detail that made the anime enjoyable to watch and I found myself feeling that nostalgia along with the characters.

Sound:
The sounds were always appropriate to the particular feelings of a scene, and although there is nothing particularly catchy about any of them, what struck me the most was how much I felt that the seiyuu (voice actors) for this movie had a real talent for their characters. I've said often in this review how involved I was in the plot, and this was due mainly to the skill of the seiyuu, who I felt really embodied their characters, and the artists that created this world.

Characters:
The characters are really alive and left me feeling as though I got to know them better. Their personalities show through very well, given the same amounts of detail and you are left with parts of them long after the anime has finished. Each scene with them is beautifully construct to let the viewer in a little more into their lives and who they genuinely are.

Overall:
This anime was so engaging that I often could feel myself having great empathy for whatever a particular character was going through at any given time. I felt happy and introspective and sad and nostalgic right along with the characters and was carried away by their lives. I would definitely recommend this anime! read more