Hotarubi no Mori e

Okay, so Hotarubi no Mori e was one of the anime's I watched when I first got into Anime. It's still one of my top favorites.

If you're really picky with you're anime. (Because I was and still kind of am) Then let me assure you. This is perfect in every way. You may not like subtitles (because some people I know don't) but Hortarubi no Mori e isn't brought down in any way by being subbed.

Story 10/10

It is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever seen. Some people may think that it revolves to much on just the two characters but I ... think that it's perfect that they don't waste any time with other character besides mostly Gin and Hotaru. Sure it's only like 40 minutes, but not once did it feels rushed. It actually amazing how perfect it was for how short it was. And I don't want to give anything away but even though the ending may not have been what people wanted. It was perfect in it's own sad way.

Art 10/10

The art has to be endlessly praised for all eternity. Seriously, that's how amazing I think the art was. I wish I could write such a long paragraph but it's just to beautiful for words to explain it.

Sound 10/10

The background music to the songs. Everything was beautiful.

Characters 10/10

The characters couldn't be more perfect. I think my favorite time of the movie is when she is little. Hoturu couldn't be more adorable. And it's funny the way they interact with each other. I like Gin, (aside from being hot) is because he is always calm and also sweet. And speaking of characters I think the spirits were a great addition because you don't really get the feeling he's a spirit after seeing what he looks like without his mask. But the other forest spirits help with that impression.

Enjoyment 10/10

What? do I really have to explain why I gave a 10/10 for this. Of course I enjoyed it.

Overall 10/10

So, I'm recommending this to everyone. No matter how old you are, what gender , if you love/ hate anime. This movie is perfect for everyone.

as much sorrow it brings to not to look forward to something you have always looked forward to for so many years. its is very hard to let go of a special feeling you get when you know something you have much awaited for is coming closer, something you have always wanted is going to happen soon.

Love is inevitable, incomparable, uncontrollable, it just happens. it is sad to see that the love depicted here is non-existing in life now a days, maybe thats why my eyes flooded at the ending.

it is a beautiful piece of work, that drives you emotionally to such an extent ... that you dont even know. it is beautiful, pure, serene and inexplicable.

sometimes it just needs 2 hearts, a connection between them and a life long waiting to be with them thats it, no touch nothing. thats love,it just happens and you dont want anything else than to see that person by your side.

with tears drooling down my eyes, i conclude saying that at the end of the day every song ends, but that doesnt mean you will not enjoy the it. :)

This movie... I dunno, maybe I hyped it up for myself too much being a massive lover of the culture of the Jaypuns, but this movie to me was not the outstanding movie I thought it would be. Don't take this the wrong way, this movie is good, but that's it... It's good. Not shit, not bad, not amazing nor outstanding, just good. Let's see why - I'm Waldy565, I'm back after a LONG hiatus, and let's jam.

The story revolves around a girl called Hotaru, and when she's playing around in the forest (at this point she's around 6 years old) she bumps into, quite ... litreally, a masked forest spirit called Gin. Catch is, he can't come into contact with humans, or he dissapears. I won't spoil why, but does make an interesting plot point. We watch Hotaru grow up via timeskips, and it's your typical romance story. I'll talk more about this later on, but that's the point I was talking about earlier - TYPICAL love story, GOOD movie. Nothing outstanding. 7

The art and sound are very simple and minimilastic. By simple, in terms of the art, I mean like any anime post-2006/7, that kinda style. Sound consists of violin/piano interludes... Not traditional Japanese instruments (tiako drum, shinkansen, that kinda stuff) like I expected, but definetley not bad. 7

Characters - Despite not being outstanding, these characters are certainly not unlikeable or unrelatable. Few "aww" points - Gin realizes he's going to like Hotaru when she grows up, so he says I love you in Hotaru's 6 year old "phase", and she says it back, but it has that innocent "she doesn't know what she's saying because she's a kid" quality to it. Cute.
They go to a festival at one point, and as I said, Gin can't touch humans, that includes Hotaru. So instead of holding hands, they tie a kinda cloth/sash thing to their wrists. N'aww.
Lastly, Gin takes off his mask at one point near the end so he can put on Hotaru and kiss the mask, obviously because he can't kiss her. Again, real cute. They're both really nice but that's like their only personality. Again, this doesn't mean they're bad - they aren't one-dimensional or boring, but there are definetley more developed and loveable characters.

Enjoyment/Overall - All in all, Hotarubi no Mori e is a good movie, and one thing is it's not the usual hour and a half run time, only 45 mins, 40 if you don't watch end credits - that's essentially just 2 anime episodes. However, given the option of something similar, such as Pom Poko, with it's japanese cultural links and focus on characters, and this, I would take the alternative, for example I would take Pom Poko over this. But as I've said, if this seems interesting to you don't let this conclusion deter you, it IS a good show, just, in my opinion, an average good as oppose to an outstanding good.

This is my first review, so it will be short and to the point.

If you enjoy Natusme Yuujinchou you'll love this. It has the same feeling, art and atmosphere but most importantly it has something that Natsume is missing, romance.

And for people that are only into action/adventure anime, you should this a try its nice to take a break from all that action once in a while, I'm sure that you;ll at least enjoy it.

The story is beautiful and although the ending came as a surprise to me, it will leave a lasting impression on you. And be warned, you will want to ... have some tissues nearby, they'll came in handy!

Overall 10/10!

Allow the movie was about 45 minutes it's actually very sweet. It's that kinda thing you always wonder about if it's really true or not and what if it were true?

A little girl wanders into a forest and ends up getting lost, cries because she alone and can't find her way suddenly a young boy finds her and helps her get out of the forest. The girl continues to visit the boy each summer and she begins to get lost in thought wondering about him. The little girl grows a little each time she visits, grows older but he doesn't.

At first I couldn't ... figure out why this film was so short but after I finished it I realized, it didn't need to be any longer. It touches you in a way that doesn't make you die of laughter or turn away because of that false love at first sight, no the two just balances each other out. Those heart warming moments when you think its a romance movie to those 'I did not see that coming' scenes when you get confused thinking if the two are one in the same movies. The film really makes you think, leaving you hanging but not in the way that you can't figure out on your own. I makes you feel happy inside even thought it maybe a little sad but that just what life is it doesn't have a 'and they lived happily ever after' The End.

This is my first review, and I am very excited that this is my first.
After watching the first few minutes of this anime, I had this feeling that I would end up crying.. and I did. A lot. ill try not to leave any spoilers.

First of all, the animation was absolutely beautiful. The characters were drawn simply, but elegantly. There was nothing over the top. The music was delicate and lovely and really went along with the scenes. It was often times the music during a really intense scene that would get me, and I would get tears in my eyes.

Though the ... movie was short, it was very sweet. This seemed very different from normal shojo anime. I didnt find any of the characters annoying, the romance was enchanting and adorably pure hearted.

I really loved the relationships between the characters, mainly the relationship between Gin and the other spirits. Instead of being disagreeable towards Gin as a baby, they took him in and changed him into a spirit. It was the same with Hotaru. The spirits cared for Gin and knew that Hotaru made him happy, so they accepted her. I also really loved how you get to see Hotaru's growth and development as a character, and you get to be there with her as she realizes her love for Gin.

The only reason why I gave this a 9 instead of a 10 was because i wished it was longer... the ending was beautiful, but it seemed so sudden. I don't know myself what they could have done better, all I know is that i wish they added more!

Love this anime so, so much

This movie... I don't know. When I read reviews on this anime, I don't understand. Did I miss something ? I don't think so. I found the story too short : to me, it was impossible to deal with this subject in 40 minutes.

The story is about a girl lost in the forest that meet a forest spirit. The spirit, called Gin, looks like a normal human, except the fact that he's wearing a mask and can't touch humans. This plot could be interesting but he explains too quickly what happened to him... and he never talked about it again.
There is a lot ... of timeskips, and it shows ( I'd rather say : it TRIES to show) how Hotaru's mind evolves over time. When she decides that she wants to stay forever with Gin, it's a matter of second. I feel like the plot was set up during the first 30 minutes and the real story started only at... hum, 25th minute ?
I would like to explain more but I don't want to be redundant so I'll just tell it clearly: it is TOO SHORT. Everything is too short and that let me very frustrated. 6.

The art and sound are simple but fair. I mean that it is not bad, but not that good : You listen to the music in background (I mean that you don't really notice it), it doesn't stay in your mind. You can appreciate the art, but I don't think i'll remember the characters tomorrow. 7 for art and 6 for sound.

Oh, yes, characters. Really, they are ordinary and almost boring.
We know nothing about them (wow, she is a little girl that come to see her grandfather every holiday, wow, he is a spirit. End.) and they are not developed. 5.

In the end, it is not a bad movie, but I didn't feel anything. I was just wondering when the interesting / appealing part would come - it didn't. I think it needed one more hour to develop the story and the characters.
I didn't enjoy the film so I give a 5 for enjoyment.

10/10 for everything.

The story is simple yet magical. Focusing on only two main characters, in the short time of the film, it develops a warm bond between them. Hotaru, especially when she's a child is shown perfectly, a little naughty but very sweet as well. Gin, shows a nice positive approach towards things.He's a nice guy. And though there are very small encounters of other spirits from the forest- their dialogues are proof enopugh of how much they all care about Gin. He's their little kid. The Summer Festival of the forest gives a slight hint of the Japanese folklore.

The landscapes in the movie ... are beautiful. They give a calm feeling. All characters are nicely drawn. Animation- no complaints there either. The music is sooting. Loved the Piano pieces.

To sum it up - It was a short yet a wonderfully heartwarming story. Absolutely recommended to watch :)

Hotarubi no Mori e, I had been putting it off for a while and I finally got around to watching it. It's roughly 40 minutes long and for such a short movie, I felt feelings I rarely ever feel when watching Anime.

The story is very simple, a young girl goes to visit her Uncle every summer and during one of her summers there she meets a spirit in a sense who lives in the mountain forest along side other spirits. The summer she had met gin she had gotten lost and they say if a human wonders into the forest they shall be lost forever! ... however gin leads her out of the forest and after that they promise to meet back there every summer. Although there is one catch she can not touch Gin, if he is touched by any Human he will forever cease to exist.

The art style is beautiful, the sounds and music fit the mood of the scenes, the characters seem so easily to get attached to in such a short period of time! I can honestly say this short film deserves nothing less than a 10/10

Story: Even if the movie was 44:59 minutes long, it captured my heart without doubt. At first I had no idea that this anime was a movie so I guess that was one reason that I didn't want to watch it... I was so used to clicking on the next episode for the story to continue. The story was so well that it made me cry so hard without even realizing it until the end and I didn't want it to finish. I had no idea that this story was going to end like that. I even wanted something more out of it. It's like ... each minute was so precious to me!
Art: GOSH THE ART WAS AMAZING! There are no words to describe how much detail the author placed. Not only the people where well drawn but it's like even the trees and flowers had a significant purpose for the movie. The only part I didn't like was the was the girl was made because it seemed as if she looked like that as a child which irritated me. I wanted like her to be a girl with those eyes yet she starts looking better when she's in high school! It would've made me feel like the guy deserved her more for the way the guy was excellently drawn.
Sound: I felt like the sound was so clear and fluent. It seemed as though I was there. The voice actors did an amazing job so kudos for your excellent work! That was how I imagined it in the first place so I do have to admit it did pleased my ears.
Character: Omg the romance between the main characters were like heaven to me. It was so well organized and beautiful at the same time. The guy's personality was great and so was the girls. It looks as though both are quite suitable for each other. I grew so fond for each character that once they're gone they're gone and I know i'll spend days crying in my bedroom for just thinking about them...
Enjoyment: This movie was all enjoyment, there was not a time that I didn't want to take my eyes off the screen. I was too scared to miss one part of the movie that'll capture my attention. It was funny, sad, sweet, and every little thing you can come up with would be the whole movie.

Overall...all I can say is... THIS WAS WORTH MY 44:59 MINUTES OF TIME!!! I'll watch this over and over again everyday if I want to. I soooo recommend this to anyone that does not have a clue about true love because I for one am so used to watching fake love being thrown around as an otaku and my daily life that watching this will break my imagination and my heart... and it will continue to break my heart every time I watch this so for all of you out there... IT IS A DEFINITELY WATCH THIS NOW!!!

"Into the Forest of Fireflies' Light" is a short and beautiful movie. The cinematography is good and the music and sound effects are wonderful. That's where the wonder stops, unfortunately. Thinking back on it, the story is just another case of human and non-human star-crossed lovers that have the cadence of Spirited Away. However, the entire romance is predicated on a relationship between an ageless supernatural being in the form of a young adult-looking man (Gin) and a 6-year-old girl (Hotaru) who can't touch each other otherwise he will disappear.

For much of their relationship, Hotaru is a child which is why I docked so many ... points. Had she met Gin when she was in high school and grew from there, it would have actually felt satisfying. And no, Gin, telling a 10-year-old girl she "looks like a woman" does not make her a woman. I don't understand the need for creators to make their characters predators and toddlers in order for a "successful" romance. It's creepy and unnecessary. Teens can barely form a concrete assessment of what's needed in a healthy relationship with what little experience they have; a 6-year-old would (and should) have no concept of sexual attraction. Not only that but it's really odd that a 20-year-old's voice and speech pattern is coming out of a 6-year-old. Also, why did he keep striking a 6-year-old on the head with a blunt object that could kill her? It was supposed to be comedic relief but it just made Gin look like a jerk. I know he has no real world experience so dealing with children is not something he'd understand. That and the age thing were so poorly thought out and the creators are 100% to blame.

Even if the protagonist were an appropriate age, the characters don't have much in ways of personalities. Hotaru ages through the years while Gin remains the same. Much of what happens between them is left to a montage of the two just spending time together, which is sweet but it narrows the opportunities for the audience to learn more about the characters through dialogue. Another thing I don't understand is why Gin would suddenly be so careless and touch someone who even remotely looks human when he's lived his whole life not touching anyone. Sure, it was a sad moment but it makes no sense to slip up for the sake of "plot." If they decided to continue, I would've written them both as appropriately-aged spirits living in the forest together where they can finally touch and be together. Alas, no such thing happened and the age thing is particularly vile—hence, my score.

This medium lenght movie is just in those type of romance animes where the romance itself is very light. That means, there are hardly any hugging, kissing or body contact, it is just a brink of love which is slowly flying around in the air.
It is about two living being spending time together, learning how to treasure each other, especially when one does not have a lifetime to spend together with the other person. I think it is just touching how simple a relation can be, without any involvment of money, movies, school or the society. This is what the movie can give ... to those, who are planning to watch it.
For me, the movie itself also tought that, in a relation it can also do good when two people are away from each other for longer too. The art and the characters are not awesomly cute, does not have huge breasts, nor have any special features. They are just simple beings, and that is why I really liked this movie.
As I wrote first, this movie is a bit like a blooming flower of love, where at start you hardly notice anything, but slowly, and very gently, the magic is drifting in right to the end. The ending itself was not something I was expecting, so I did like it very much that it was surprising.
If you like romance type of animes, where the romance itself does not show so bright , like a shining bright star, you will like this cute little movie.

If you like movies that are simple yet heartwarming then this is the movie for you.

The art style is done by the same artists who did Natsume Yuujinchou. This gentle slice of life gives you this sweet feeling which pulls you into the movie.

Even though there are no complex elements, the simplicity of the background, the bonds between the characters and the relaxing melodies are just enough to captivate your heart.

I love this movie, the passion between Gin and Hotaru brought me to tears. The ending was a bit of a surprise for me but it was still a good movie, i enjoyed ... every bit of it. :)

I recommend this for people who are into these kind movies to watch but be warned you may need tissues :P

Hotarubi no Mori - with only a run time of 44 minutes and a rating over 8.7 i commend you

This is a short anime film which gets you right in the heart.
It's about a girl visiting this forest every summer to meet this boy/spirit. However if she touches him he disappears.
The film plays with that idea which can make you laugh and cry.

The film teaches you an unforgettable lesson by the end about reality even with it's supernatural genre and i thought that was done very well.

Art - Brain Base production, so it's nothing short of amazing.

Sound - As the ... film is only 44 minutes the sound rather doesn't captivate the viewer but just backs up the scenes. The peaceful moments are REALLY peaceful, the sad moments are REALLY sad and so on.

Character - the 2 main characters, Gin the boy and Hotaru the little girl. The girl doesn't have voluptuous boobs or sexy legs or whatever, she is just and innocent lady which i thought was a refreshing pace compared to some of the modern day women. Gin is awesome, that is all i can say about his character.

Enjoyment - bloody fantastic and this is the type of anime that stays with you.

Overall - 9

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

Did anyone get that feeling about the ending? Where throughout the entire anime you were like, 'No, it can't possibly end like that, no way'. And when it does you're like, SONUVA &*^* NOOOOO

Love is uncertain and fagile, but warm and beautiful. Just like lights from a firefly.

With smoothing music, a nostalgic love story slowly unrolls. It starts accidentally, and progresses slowly but steadily. Boy and girls roams through fields, through forests, across rivers, over lakes. They walk together, play together, laugh together. Year after year, love sprouts slowly between them. Just like every other couple.

Except they cannot touch each other. Or else he will disappear. Neither of them can afford this cost. Staying together is already the best they can get.

But nothing can last forever. This is nobody's faute. Things just happen. They finally get to hug ... each other, the first and the last.

This is a fairy tale about love, with warm music and excellent art. It feels just like a fresh breath from the forest.

Happiness is an affair of beauty and tragedy, both marred and meaningful because of it's ephemeral nature. You grasp it for as long as you can manage, the time spent a moment in a millennia, and watch it as it slips away into eternity--but a pleasant memory. Hotarubi no Mori e is a lesson in the transient nature of happiness, and the abiding will of love. It's a heartbeat in 44 minutes that will likely stick with you for as long as you hold it near. Movies like this don't come by the dozen.

Story: It's a simple tale that never tells you too much. In ... a calm reminiscence of a summer from your childhood, Hotarubi no Mori e excels at making you smile, recalling the tribulations, excitement, wonder, and longing born from long days under a hot sun. It manages to be both subtle and profound while illustrating it's own lessons with an almost reckless grace. Due to it's length, it rarely drags out a scene--though it's at times too punctuated. It has the air of a scrapbook: a collection of moments drawn together in a serene retelling that means something else to each who gaze upon it. All in all, it's a master in it's own brevity.

Art: In a style fittingly reminiscent of Natsume Yuujinchou, it captures and assists the atmosphere well. It's simple, though beautiful, and manages to be at it's best when it's most important. It's especially good at contrasting the supernatural nature of the sprits with the wilderness surrounding them while also painting them as something that belongs. It does, however, have a lot of stills, which detracts from it at times. It's also, like many anime, undetailed at distances. Neither of these things take too much from the experience, however, and it's still an enjoyable movie aesthetically.

Sound: Hotarubi no Mori e uses a lot of piano pieces, which work well to compliment it's often calm tone. Never too noticeable, the music does well to fit the setting and is rarely too distracting or loud. Like a good anime should, it uses it as a means to give more life to the moment, rather than distracting the viewer from it's faults or showcasing it's soundtrack. The sound does it's job well here; it's a solid performance.

Characters: In a way, this is both it's greatest asset and it's most prevalent weakness. While the characters do manage to come across as relatable, likeable, and real, they also feel shallow at times. Not much is said about them, and the cast is so small that you feel like you're not getting the full story at times. The backstories are strong, but brief, and it almost seems like the mains could be easily replaced with completely different characters to a similar effect. The emotion conveyed does feel realistic, but is at times lacking. It has an odd sense of melancholy in place of sadness and it weakened by it's inability to go to extremes. Nevertheless, like many other aspects of the anime, there's nothing really wrong about any of that. It's just not optimal.

Enjoyment: The great thing about this type of anime is that it's never particularly weak. Despite some of it's failings, it does manage to never truly get boring. Though the ending is a little sudden, it does help back the messages and concepts consistent throughout the story in a way that also plays to the moment. It's very cerebral in it's execution, and draws you in without being particularly flashy; it's well though out for such a short film. Few animated movies are as good per minute as Hotarubi no Mori e, and even fewer are as beautiful in the process.

In an almost unrelenting performance, Hotarubi no Mori e is a well put together package that does little to disappoint or draw away from it's positives. Though not perfect, it is a great example of pace and moderation while making due with it's screentime and playing it to it's favor. Hotarubi no Mori e is a great anime for any who can appreciate it as a whole, while relating it to their own experiences. In a tale of happiness, it can only last so long, but is worth it every step of the way.

I found this movie from searching for an anime that had a bittersweet ending, and when I found this I feel like I have been changed. This movie shows just how time can be something that people take for granted and that it can be cruel at time. It shows how deep a person's first love can effect them emotionally and through their life.

Story: The story is about a girl that has known a spirit ever sine childhood and every summer, whenever she sees him, her feelings grow into something more than friendship. Her visits affect this spirit as well as he too slowly ... falls for her but there is one set back. She cannot touch him for then he would disappear. After knowing the plot of this, I knew that this would be a movie with a heartbreaking ending as I have read manga with similar plots. Even if it is not original, it nevertheless did not fail to pull out the hurt tears from me.

Art: The art is.. not something that can be memorable compared to usual anime series. Though for a movie, it was very good in keeping things balanced and nothing seemed out of place. What I liked was that the art kept to it's simple story line as it stuck with simple animations instead of the usual showy characters with “immense beauty”.

Sound: This here, this is all preference. I very much like the classical music genre and this movie's soundtrack is just all classical music. Due to, the music, for me, made an incredible enhancement in the emotions in each scenario. Emotions like falling in love and feeling heartbreak for the first time. The voice actors on the other hand, they did not really make an impact on me but they were not bad. I just feel that they might have needed a bit more emphasis on making a scene more emotional.

Character: Unlike most of the anime that I have seen, the characters did not have this IMMENSE back story but were just like any normal person. They were not flaunted with their flaws, but were just like normal people that you would see in person. This was quite a refreshing thing to witness after watching too many anime that had characters with pasts that hugely influenced the way they are.

Enjoyment: Throughout the whole 45 minutes, I was just incredibly interested in seeing what would happen next. Literally, I did not move at all because I did not want to distract myself from seeing a small detail. Even though I did shed some bitter tears in it's tragic ending, I did not have any resentful feelings towards the movie as I felt like that just showed how good something is when it affects you like that. On the other hand, I did have some laughs scattered here and there due to it's cute silliness in moments of when the girl is in her younger childhood.

Overall: To summarize this whole thing, this movie is one I would recommend to my other friends as I feel that this movie that is not very popularly known needs to be shown to other people. The simplicity and refreshing feel of this movie is one that I will not forget and would eagerly want to watch multiple times in the future.

Can you love someone you can't touch? It seems you can, if you're willing to except the inevitable - it wont have a happy ending. But if the road itself is worth walking who cares where it leads.

"Hotarubi no Mori e" is piece written by Yuki Midorikawa, if you've watched her other work "Natsume Yuuchinjou", you know what to expect from this short film as it's every bit as good if not better.

What was is like being a child? To be honest I don't quite remember it very well, but one thing I recall is that I wasn't as skeptical as I am now. If ... I were to come across spirits, ayakashi, or whatever I guess I would just go ahead and believe that they exist.
Such is the case with Hotarubi, a 6 year old girl who got lost in the woods where she met Gin, a spirit who would disappear if touched by a human and he cannot leave the woods. And so, a unique friendship was born. A friendship that would grow deeper as time passes, but it cannot bring them any closer nor will it break them apart.

Magical it may had been but the summer came to an end and it was back to the city of Hotarubi. The summer comes, and it goes leaving the yearning for each other for another year. But as it's said, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder."
And though they wish to be together, though they with to be closer, can they really be?
And so she said,"Time might separate us some day, but still, until then, let's stay together."

Time may be valuable, but we all spend it at the same pace. It gave us all we have and someday it'll take everything...........It makes me want to ask, what exactly is a happy ending? Is there even such a thing?

Story: 9.2 - The story is as beautiful as it is tragic. Every phrase was well written.

Art: 10 - A brilliantly colorful natural environment, character design perfectly resonating with their personality...I really didn't find any flaw in the art.

Sound: 9.5 - For the theme song simple Japanese classic would go with it perfectly, that's exactly what is has.

Character: 9.8

Enjoyment: 10

Overall: 9.7

The Light of a Firefly Forest is a very simple anime, which isn't necessarily a bad thing in all circumstances, but in my opinion it does this anime a disservice. It's very bare bones from top to bottom. There are very few characters, very little development of said characters, very few plot points and very little to take away from it after your viewing is over. Perhaps comparing against Shinkai- a man genuinely in the conversation of the best to ever do it- is not the fairest of comparisons, but when I look at movies of a similar length, such as The Garden of Words, ... or even of significantly shorter length such as Voices of a Distant Star, and then I compare the amount of plot and emotional impact between those and this it makes it quite clear there really is no comparison.

The one core rule of the film- our main human character must never ever touch our main spirit character or he will disappear forever- is clearly established and repeatedly reinforced quite early on in the film, so it was very irksome to me that the characters took no precautionary measures whatsoever to prevent accidents and regularly walked extremely closely to one another and were one bad step away from accidental contact. It felt like neither character was particularly concerned about the enormous, irreversible consequences of a single accident.

The ending of this film felt predictable, anticlimactic and abrupt. I can't imagine most viewers would be wowed or find it overly satisfying, nor can I imagine a viewer fighting off tears or feeling truly emotionally impacted in any lasting or meaningful way.

For being over a decade old this movie is pretty, but anime that look good to various extents are more and more commonplace these days and it's nowhere near enough, as with every other part of this, to make it remotely memorable long term.

Ultimately I don't actively recommend AGAINST watching it- it's short, simple and inoffensive and you haven't "wasted" a great chunk of your time if you choose to give this a go- but it's super super skippable and forgettable if you choose not to watch it, and for that reason I find it very difficult to recommend.

OBJECTIVE RATING- 6 to GENEROUS 7 for the right viewer
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT RATING- 6-6.5

When you read the plot of this anime, it gets your attention as to how the ending would turn out. All i would say is beautiful. The ending might bring tears to your eyes or kill you with such good ending. Nothing more or nothing less is what you can expect out of this anime. The fact that it was 44 minutes long was good enough and again, the story it just absolutly beautiful. I would highly highly recommend this anime to anyone, wether you like action, horror, slice of life, romance, etc. because this anime is one of those animes that anyone will love.