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May 6, 2016
Sarusuberi is not a film I believe anyone can enjoy, but I have no reservations about calling it a work of art. Not only is it a beautiful film overall, the experience it provides in both its characters and its setting is poignant and thought-provoking despite its straight-forwardness, something that is regrettably rare in major feature-length anime releases.
Sarusuberi has neither a main conflict nor a linear narrative, instead made up of a handful of shorter stories that are loosely held together by O-Ei, the film's central character. It is difficult to asses the story's effectiveness, because there isn't really a particular "goal" that it tries
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to achieve, thus no tangible criteria to judge it against. I did think, however, that each section of the movie had something of interest in it, was well-paced, and never felt pointless.
The format also leads to the overall tone of the completed film being very subdued, with virtually none of the melodrama one would expect out of an anime. Where the movie gets its flair from are, in my opinion, the art, as well as the masterfully done sequences of magical realism woven throughout. There aren't many, but when they do appear these sequences are breathtaking, effectively adding some variation in what could have easily become a monotonous film.
Due to the lack of a real plot, it's also difficult to asses the film's characters. While there is little development for most of them (though O-Ei does receive some, subtly but powerfully so,) it can also be said that they aren't really meant to undergo much development in the first place. All I can say is that I believe the film is meant to be experienced with the characters rather than following them as they try to get from Point A to Point B, and for this purpose most of the characters are interesting and unique (though not always likeable, which in my opinion is a good thing), even though some appear only briefly.
The animation, art, and sound in this film are all exceptional. Perhaps due to the presence of O-Nao, O-Ei's blind sister, this film is truly a sensory experience. So much attention is paid to the details in the scenes where she appears - everything from footsteps, the crackling of woven grass, the creaking of a great wooden bridge - that it adds a touch of realism to the animation. A number of scenes delightfully weave some of Hokusai's actual art into the visuals, creating some of the most potent scenes of the film. Edo period Japan is crafted so immersively that it would be a joy to watch the film even for just that purpose.
The only thing about this movie I'm not sure that I loved was the music. The film makes use of a more traditional orchestral soundtrack, with sections using traditional Japanese music, and, strangely, in a couple of scenes, electric guitar riffs. While I understand what the film could have been going for - perhaps showing O-Ei's character at odds with the norms of her time, I found it rather jarring to hear.
Not all will have the patience for or the interest in this kind of film, but I would recommend Sarusuberi to fans of historical anime, animation, and subdued slice-of-life shows of the non-moe variety. It is a beautiful, subtle, intelligent film that doesn't try too hard to be any of those three, which is what, I believe, makes it so excellent.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 28, 2016
Since I first saw Cardcaptor Sakura as a kid in the early 2000s, no other anime has come close to dethroning it as the best of its genre. Yes, I will come out and say it, I believe it surpasses (the still beloved, but infinitely more flawed) Sailor Moon as the best shoujo and magical girl anime that I've seen, and I've seen a LOT of shoujo and magical girl anime.
On the surface, Cardcaptor Sakura might seem like a standard magical girl show, because in some ways, it is. The premise of a main character finding a magical artifact that grants them power and have
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adventures with an animal sidekick is far from groundbreaking. A majority of the episodes have a familiar, almost villain-of-the-week format as Sakura tries to capture all the Clow Cards. The series even has the standard pool/beach/class trip episodes. What sets this anime apart is that it does everything so well, and instead of falling into a repetitive cycle of catch card, present a moral lesson, and repeat until the "Big Bad" at the end is defeated, it chooses to focus on its characters, emotional impact, and introduces many varied and well-developed subplots, all without undermining the show's narrative.
I'm going to start with characters, because I believe they are the strongest aspect of this show. Cardcaptor Sakura has some of the most likeable characters and richest relationships in anime. All the major characters of the show receive some amount of development without ever bogging down the plot, and even many background characters are fleshed out despite having less screen time. The characters have depth - even those that evidently modeled after anime character archetypes will break the mold at some point. Even Nadeshiko, Sakura's mother, who shows up only in flashbacks and briefly as a ghost, is never entirely a one-dimensional character despite her extremely limited role in the show.
The relationship development in this show is exceptional. Over the course of its seventy episodes, all of the relationships develop or are revealed so naturally that it's difficult to find fault in them. Sakura and Syaoran's romantic relationship, which becomes one of the pillars of the show, is "slow burn" done right. By the time the blushing and stuttering starts, I'm never compelled to question it. The change in their relationship from enemies, to friends and rivals, to having romantic feelings towards each other is a joy to experience. The same goes for Meilin's friendship with everyone, Yukito and Touya's relationship, Tomoyo's selfless love for Sakura, and even Sakura's dad and his relationship with Nadeshiko's family. Even the "bad guys" of the second half of the show are well-written, and some of the Clow Cards become characters in their own right, as well.
The overall plot and story are also very good. Though it does get a bit convoluted towards the end with time travel and reincarnations and such, it never gets to the point where things get too illogical or stupidly hard to follow. The show doesn't sacrifice a good narrative structure in favour of its "gimmicks," if that makes sense, so even when bewildering moments do pop up they have no lasting consequences on the overall enjoyment of the story. As I've seen how CLAMP can be at it's weirdest, Cardcaptor Sakura, I think, was handled very well in that department. The ideas presented can be simplistic at times, and I do think that sometimes there's too much of a focus on the importance of romance and such, it never gets preachy or tries to beat moral lessons over the audience's head.
The show also does an excellent job of making a majority of the seventy episodes feel relevant and not filler-y. While there are some episodes that slow the pace down and some that have less of an impact plot-wise, this, again, never seriously bogs down the rest of the more relevant episodes.
Both art and sound are simply excellent. For a show of its time, Cardcaptor Sakura is beautifully drawn and animated. It is mind-boggling to think that almost every one of Sakura's magic-using scenes was unique to accommodate Sakura's many outfits, instead of using a stock sequence like most other shows would. The art style itself has aged very well, as well. The soundtrack is cute and memorable, and I never felt that the background music was inappropriate, even in the rare moments where it sounded very nineties.
Cardcaptor Sakura is truly one of the best out there. While it could have so easily fallen into a stale, repetitive cycle as many magical girl series often do, it instead presents great humour, incredible characters, and touching stories that make watching this show an incredibly fun journey. I believe Cardcaptor Sakura is a true classic, one of those shows that will retain its appeal for years to come.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 28, 2016
High☆Speed!: Free! Starting Days is a solid movie that will likely be enjoyable to fans of the TV anime, and potentially even those unfamiliar to the franchise as a standalone coming-of-age film.
The story, while nothing exceptional, is solid. There is a degree of repetitiveness among the two seasons of the anime and this movie in terms of main themes and sources of conflict, and if this movie's other elements weren't so well-done I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. Fortunately, that's not the case. The movie had uncertainty about the future, family drama, and, as this is Free!, friendship being its main
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drivers, and while it did get a bit too melodramatic sometimes, overall I feel that the story was handled well and made for a movie that had some substance instead of having it be an hour of fanservice, which was a route they could have easily gone down.
There are some moments in the film that feel a bit awkward or shoehorned in (for example, Sousuke had more interaction with the gang than I'd previously thought from the way they act towards each other in the future, and I did question Haruka's future attitude towards competing.) but I don't think they detracted from my enjoyment of the film in a major way.
Where I feel this movie did an exceptional job is its characters. I was worried, at first, with such a large number of the main cast (especially since there is already an established universe) being original characters (not counting the novels). I was pleasantly surprised that all of them received some amount of development and had good, believable dynamics with each other. Overall, both new and familiar characters were likeable in their own ways, and I found myself emotionally invested in them.
One other thing that the movie did excellently is developing the relationship between Makoto and Haruka. For characters whose relationship in the future is already so well-known, their interaction in the movie never felt unimportant and are, in fact, what I believe are some of the strongest points of the movie, whether or not the larger franchise is considered. I left the theatre with a greater appreciation of their friendship, and I believe a better understanding of the relationship between the characters' older selves.
This being a KyoAni production, it was definitely a visual treat. While
I do think their style can be rather bland, the movie is undeniably very pretty, with fluid animation, great backgrounds, and good use of colour when it counts. There is one particular scene between Makoto and Haruka that was animated beautifully (more so than the rest if the film,) which I feel really emphasised it as a pivotal moment.
The sound and music were also fine, and served their purpose well. The music will sound familiar to those who have seen the series. It's not a soundtrack that will merit multiple replays on its own, but it was definitely effective in the context of the movie.
Overall, this is a movie I can recommend without reservations to a fan of the series. While I can see how it might be less interesting to someone not already interested in Free!, I think it still merits a watch for anyone who wants to see a beautifully animated but sometimes slow-moving coming-of-age film.
Note: I saw this movie in Japanese with no English subtitles. I am currently a Japanese language student, and while I'm confident that I understood almost everything in the movie, there may have been some things I missed. I will update this review if my opinions change after I see it again once the DVD comes out.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 3, 2015
Akagami no Shirayukihime is, in many ways, your usual shoujo anime. It is cheesy, trope-y and at every level almost laughably predictable. The premise isn’t particularly unique, the characters aren’t especially unique, and after watching a few episodes, you will have a good idea of how the rest of the show will play out. Despite all of this, Akagami no Shirayukihime still manages to stand out amongst the yearly deluge of mediocre shoujo series.
It becomes quickly evident that plot is not a major focus of this series. While there is a premise, and the show has a few ‘story arcs’ in a sense, much of
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the show will feel very much like a slice-of-life anime. The premise, events, and the conflicts introduced themselves are not particularly original. Overall, the plot takes a backseat in favour of developing its characters’ relationships, and this is where I think this show shines.
The focus the characters and their dynamics means that they become believable. Instead of falling into the easy stereotypes of the characters’ roles (e.g. the devoted aide, the antagonistic older prince), and expecting those stereotypes to be accepted for what they are, major characters' motivations are established through a good balance of backstory and interaction, and in a very straightforward manner. This also means that it doesn’t feel like the show treats its audience like idiots. Everything is given a strong foundation, allowing the show to progress unhindered by contradictions that need to be hurriedly explained away.
This is especially enjoyable to experience as Zen and Shirayuki’s relationship progresses. From the beginning of the show, Shirayuki is established as an intelligent, independent character who wishes to live by her own merit. She is a ‘strong female character’, but in a believable way - her strengths manifest in multiple dimensions, but so do her weaknesses. Most importantly, these traits are not tossed to the side in favour of her pursuing a romance. Zen, as well, is refreshing as a male protagonist. Despite the evident power imbalance in the relationship, which is one of the most major sources of conflict in the show, he is at all times respectful of Shirayuki’s need to be independent, a trait that he retains as his romantic feelings for her grow. When their relationship culminates towards the end of the show, it remains apparent that Zen values Shirayuki's friendship, companionship and intelligence over his own feelings. It is satisfyingly evident that their relationship is built on mutual respect, trust, and love.
Technically, this anime is well-executed. As an old fan of the manga, I was initially disappointed at the slight change in style, however, the show is vibrant, the animation smooth, and the art mostly consistent. While there is no particular flourish to the show, it still at time manages to be a visual treat. The sound is good, with the music serving its purpose in terms of establishing atmosphere and elevating emotional scenes, though not particularly memorable
Overall, this show is one I can easily recommend to anyone looking for a feel-good romance shoujo anime, and perhaps some people outside of that description.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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