Sakasama no Patema

"Sakasama no Patema" is a gripping WWII drama set in 1944 Nazi Germany, detailing the struggles of a young German boy, Age (Eiji), hiding his Jewish friend, Patema, after the government declares that all people of Jewish descent must be "taken care of." Together, they traverse war-torn Germany to bring Patema home and along the way discover the truth of the government's persecution.

...

No, not really. That plot synopsis is pretty close though.

After falling into a pit that her village declared a danger zone, young Patema is plunged into a bizarre new world where everything is inverted. Suddenly, literally falling into the endless sky ... becomes a very real possibility. She meets an inhabitant of the land, Age, and they quickly connect with each other. Patema clings to Age very closely, as he is the only thing that stands between her and being "eaten" by the sky. Despite her fear of the sky, Patema discovers the amazing new world that she had been told stories of as a child, living her dreams of seeing the world for what it really is.

The world that Age lives in is classically isolated and under absolute rule, complete with a 1-dimensional dictator that crosses his hands in a way that screams "excellent work, my minions." Looking into the sky is forbidden, and Age has already suffered for his curiosity. With Patema, however, he learns that there is more to the world than what he has been taught, and seeks to live his own dreams of flying in the sky as well.

The characters are connected in this visually stunning film, literally to stop them from falling but also to emphasize the message that people of different backgrounds can coexist and live peacefully. It's a time tested story that we are no doubt familiar with, but the way the film uses the inverted gravity to bring the main characters together and to build the legends and myths surrounding the world is remarkable.

The fact that everything in the film is reversed depending on your perspective is a unique aspect that plays with what is real and not. For example, you could turn your screen upside down and still watch essentially the same film, because the film itself frequently turns itself around so that we can see the same thing from either Patema or Age's perspective. What is normal ground to Age is a ceiling to Patema, with nothing but the vast sky beneath her feet, and vice versa.

The story is thought provoking and with so many inversions of the screen, we begin to feel just like one of the characters, confused at the sudden shift of gravity and afraid of what is beneath us. Through this adventure, Patema and Age encounter new worlds themselves, thinking to themselves "This is what was really out here?" They see beautiful things, like the stars in a swirling galaxy, and they see the abandoned, like the wasteland their ancestors forgot about. Even when everything comes together, there are still mysteries left unanswered. Why not try figuring them out?

The artwork and animation for the film are top notch. Particular detail is made to the sky, because for all the characters, it is such a mysterious place. Clouds swirl in streaks of white and gray, the stars peek out from the night sky, and the sun illuminates in soft streaks of orange and yellow. There is a scene in the middle of the film that is particularly stunning, where Patema and Age finally found out what links their world and the truth of the past. The color palette between Patema and Age's world is very distinct, and its use of color is no doubt excellent.

Along with the visually pleasant film is a soundtrack that captures the mood perfectly. Sometimes it is like "space" music, and at other times it is a sweeping orchestral piece to go along with the sense of adventure in the film. The ending song is "Patema Inverse" by Estelle Michaeu, which is a nice listen that emphasizes the connection between two different worlds.

It's been a long time of waiting for this film, but it was well worth it. It was an enjoyable, romantic adventure that took the familiar story of acceptance between 2 different worlds and spun it literally around with gravity inversion, a result of a failed experiment from a long, long time ago. At the heart of the film is a realization that people need each other to survive, and to discover our common features is truly a wonderful thing.

Don't be afraid to look up at the sky! Likewise, don't always look down at the ground! There is a much bigger, more fantastical world out there than what school and books tell you. All it takes is a little push.

A world where there are two sides. Sakasama No Patema (Patema Inverted) is more than just inverted but serves as an illustration to how connections are built. But from these two worlds also breeds hatred and struggles. For Patema, a princess of the underground kingdom, fate comes that ties her together with a young boy as the two worlds collide. A journey into this movie will feel like a sci-fi adventure, one that is inverted and surrealistic with its stylistic performance.

The brainchild of the movie falls under the hand of Yasuhiro Yoshiura, who also serves as the director. His previous involvement in projects such as ... Eve of Jikan and Pale Cocoon labels him as a colorful director, one that can turn a sci-fi story inside and out. And indeed, Sakasama no Patema is such a film that is literally turned but this time from up and down.

To get an experience of what the world is like, one should first be familiarized with how flight works. Literally, the movie has the two main characters, Patema and Age (Eiji) hanging on to each other as they see their perspective world from different points of view. You ever heard of the perhaps humorous joke of ‘don’t look down’ on a suspended bridge? Try putting your shoes into their position in this movie and you’ll get a good general idea. Nonetheless, the movie wastes little time by introducing the two main characters and their perspective worlds. In the underground kingdom, the technology is rigid and desolate. People there relies on scavenged food and crude machines to survive. But as a curious girl like Patema, she’d definitely want to explore what the outside world is like. Of course, curiosity almost kills the cat as she ventures into the danger zone and gets herself into some serious trouble, more than what she had imagined.

On other hand, there’s the surface world. Unlike the underground kingdom, the technology there is sufficient and its strength lies with the superiors. Classrooms are in fact held indoors with dictatorship and authority by the higher ups. Taken for granted, Patema falls into the danger zone and is thrown into danger until Age prevents her from “falling down”. From there on, we get whole scenarios where he must hold Patema in order to prevent her from flying away. It brings credibility to the term of ‘inverted’. But for a movie with this sense of adventure, there’s needs to be more to add on. From an experimental perspective, there’s also a sense of prejudice as the antagonists label certain characters as “sinners”. On the other hand, there’s the way how Patema experiments with her life in the surface world. At first, it’s easy to tell that she’s scared as a new kid in the world of the unknown. Oh and don’t forget the fact that she sees the world differently as everyone else through her inverted vision. It’s a unique gimmick despite lacking strength in crafting its concept of gravity. In fact, gravity is defied and the law of the universe is negated.

They’re not star-crossed lovers but Patema and Age shares a rather unique relationship. Combined with the way they discover each other, the pair brings dynamics, humor, and integrity. It takes guts to fight off governmental control or those menacing looking bat humanoids as seen throughout the movie. At the same time, their connection builds off what little time they share with each other. Unfortunately, this doesn’t transit into any sort of significant development as most of their moments in the sky is reflected by struggles. What we have here is something they contrast in terms of dealing with their families, friends, and relatives. Patema has the love of her people in the underground kingdom. On the other hand, Age shares minimal connection with his professors and friends (or at least so evidenced) in his society. To make matters worse, we briefly witness Age’s past which comes out as more of a painful memory rather than as a treasure.

As thought provoking as the film sounds to be, the antagonist can and should be labeled as rather stereotypical. Although not a mad scientist, he still has similar ambitions such as making Patema a guinea pig of sorts through intimidation. And of course, he doesn’t get the answer he wants to hear. At the same time, we learn that the classes taught in Age’s world serves more as a propaganda rather than education. There’s a conspiracy vibe going on as we find out more about the past involving the “sinners” and experiments. Then, there are interesting concepts involving the world referred to by the characters. One could formulate their own theories and come to conclusions as how they function. It creates interesting and methodical ways of seeing the story from another point of view, perhaps not opposite down but more with thought.

Like I mentioned before, this isn’t love story but it does have some flags going up in the sky. Some moments capture fine details involving how Patema and Age are fated to be together while other times creates a feeling of despair. For Patema’s childhood friend though, he becomes more like a scapegoat to the story. Despite his heroic efforts, he seems to be unrewarded towards the end. At the same time, the antagonist’s obsession to discover the people from the underground world leads to a downfall, even to a point where his own subordinates questions his motivations. Still, action speaks louder than words and during climatic moments, we witness it firsthand. While it is dramatic, it’s also cheesy and unrealistic where one could feel less attached to how it’s presented.

Artwork is handled by the relatively unknown studio Purple Cow Studios Japan. Yet, its craftsmanship decorate the backgrounds with great creativity. It sharply details the contrast between Patema and Age’s world. The steampunk style of the underground kingdom shows consistency while the surface world focuses on its more advanced society. Character designs also makes sense with Patema’s designs matching her curiosity and attractive cyan hair. However, Age’s character design shows little distinctiveness but instead comes off as a rather normal human being. For the antagonists though, they share facial features to demonstrate their intimidation. In particular, the bat humanoids have a design that makes them look like malevolent machinations. It creates the feeling of fear and how hunters can become the hunted. Finally, the camera angles is important to really bring the idea of ‘inverted’ to life. And I’d have to say, it did just that. You’ll have to see it to believe it.

Likewise, soundtrack is strong and demonstrates maturity. There’s no stupidity in its OST as comedy isn’t a main focus. During the more dramatic scenes, the soundtrack systemically follows in rhythm with the mood. On the other hand, we also get tense and sorrowful moments when characters are put into more complex situations. Speaking of characters though, Patema and Age has voices that matches their persona. Patema sounds like a normal girl despite her status as a princess in her world. There’s no egoistic or brash attitude coming out of her but rather as a girl who is just curious. Similarly, Age has the voice mannerism of a normal boy and often worries about the well-being of others, in particular Patema.

If you ever wanted to fly, take this movie as a motivation. Of course, you’ll probably need some aerial experience to ensure yourself that you don’t land in the wrong place. For Patema and Age, they land themselves into an adventure that will be unforgettable for the rest of their lives. As a movie crafted by such innovative ideas, I find it to be well done but not ultra-thought provoking. Sure, the idea is great but the time the characters spent together lacks meaningful development. Whatever the goal the movie was trying to accomplish focuses mostly on its premise with less emphasis on characterization but more on concept. Still, this movie should still be on your watch list especially if you’re in a mood for wanderlust.

Every day, in discussions about any subject: “I don't see how they can believe that.” “I don't know why they think like that.” Perspectives that don't mesh with our own are often cast aside, and some choose to build a comfortable nest of their own ideas without realizing that other viewpoints could be equally valid. Entire lives are lived in this fashion. And, yet, the ability to see through the eyes of another is dear to us as human beings, intellectually and emotionally invaluable. Case in point: Age finds Patema clinging to a length of wire, her feet pointed up towards the sky, utterly upside ... down, apparently floating. To Patema, though, Age is upside down, and she's actually falling past him. An impasse is reached. Do they argue the specifics of whose point of view is accurate, or do they offer each other a hand and meet eye-to-eye?

There wouldn't be a movie if they didn't opt for the latter. And they become quite a pair. Age is observant and intelligent, but sullen and despondent; Patema is upbeat and adventurous, but somewhat scatterbrained and clumsy. These are perhaps not the most unique attributes for the protagonists of an animated adventure film to possess, but what distinguishes them as more than lazy cliches is the ease with which we can see how each of them is a natural product of their respective environment. Age, once a dreamer with plans of leaving the ground and flying, has been beaten down in his day-to-day life by a society which believes that the sky is a source of death and destruction. Bereft of anyone to share his thoughts with, he has locked them away and chosen to meet the minimum expectations of his world with begrudging cynicism and indifference. Patema's world is equal but opposite—its rules discourage exploration as well, but out of a real desire to provide safety rather than to control. The people of the underground try to shelter Patema, and the result is a girl whose curiosity and enthusiasm far exceed her capabilities and knowledge. These two are not merely personalities dropped into a world, but characters built from the ground up to make sense in the world of Patema Inverted.

Moreover, their chemistry works with the simple grace that is characteristic of this film. Patema's earnest curiosity pulls the old Age back into the light, unearthing his buried interests and passions, restoring some of the childish happiness and optimism which he was forced to outgrow. He, in turn, provides the reason and restraint that she is lacking. Together, they're a force to be reckoned with, a billiard ball of measured recklessness careening through a world that has never seen their like.

The film follows their lead, rolling along from obstacle to obstacle. It carries the marks of veteran storytellers. It's paced brilliantly, balancing frantic, high-energy chases and momentous events against careful, deliberate exposition and instances of character introspection, maintaining a brisk speed while occasionally giving the film (and the audience) a chance to breathe and consider the impact of events. Despite the thoughtful and curious nature of its concept and setting, it neatly avoids the tar pit of wordiness and overindulgence into which stories of that nature have the chance of sinking; it is never too slow or too obtuse, instead rationing its heavier sci-fi aspects so as not to become overly ponderous. It foreshadows its twists and turns with admirable finesse and carries itself smartly, eventually leading to a conclusion which, while definitely a shock, ends up providing the satisfaction of a story brought to fruition from start to finish as one realizes that all of the requisite hints were provided, and it suddenly all makes smashing, effortless sense.

Visually, there is much to love. While the production values might not stack up to those associated with many feature films, this is nonetheless a pleasant movie to look at. Key character designs are refreshingly simple, yet distinctive, and backgrounds are filled with bright, glossy detail. However, it is Yasuhiro Yoshiura's skillful direction and cinematography which steal the show. A pan across a classroom shows, row by row, each student staring blankly ahead, except for Age, who gazes out the window at the forbidden sky. Patema fears the stars in that same sky until she sees their beauty reflected at an angle in Age's briefcase, truly aligning her perspective with his for the first time. Yoshiura's compositions and shots not only draw the eye with subtle technique, but reflect the theme of the film, wordlessly expose the thoughts of his characters, and imbue each scene with a sense of purpose.

It's worth mentioning, though, that the swift, simple and energetic nature of the film is a double-edged sword. When a light, pleasant story is told with such sure-handed competence, it's not unreasonable to wonder what could have been had the storyteller gone the extra mile in search of more creative ideas, more thematic resonance, more lasting impact. In essence, Patema Inverted is just a little safe. The settings—both Age's oppressive totalitarian society and Patema's underground village of peaceful outcasts—tread well-worn territory for sci-fi. The antagonists—the unquestionably evil, short-sighted dictator and his doubting second-in-command—are also old standbys. They serve their roles adequately, but unlike Patema and Age, they lack the foundation of character needed to be true standouts from their respective crowds. And while the film contains many tidbits about what we can understand and accomplish when we merge our perspectives, and the inherent fragility of close-mindedness, it's lacking the focused thematic punch in the gut needed to make a permanent impression.

That's not to say that Patema Inverted is a brainless work, that it's poor, or even that it's merely forgettable, airy entertainment. The opposite—it's not only entertaining, but also clever, deftly executed, artfully made, and chock-full of those little touches that make the difference between a tired, mediocre creation and one that is palpably bursting with the life, thoughts, and energy of those who created it. It might not aspire to greatness, but it's good with such confidence and efficiency that one can't help but smile.

This review is spoiler free

Sakasama no Patema or otherwise known in English as Patema Inverted follows a simple yet endearing and thrilling tale that 2 teenagers of different worlds partake.

The story:8.4
The story was certainly interesting and captivating. The contrasts between the two worlds and their differing yet converging societies allows for the audience to be absorbed into the world. The truth isn't white and black or wrong and right, instead it's more of how we view and value the world in Patema Inverted. The ending feels conclusive yet there just needed to be a bit more to make the story float(see what I did there?). ... The only problem was that it was there but it just didn't feel perfect, although the displayed 'worlds' in Patema Inverse aren't as perfect as seen either.

The art/animation:8.7
The art helped illustrate the story and made the thrills a flying experiece, it almost felt as if one was flying too in this adventure. The scenery and contrasts between the two sides of the world gives resonates with you to provide a journey worth looking at. The problems that were in the art would be how sometimes there didn't feel like there were enough frames such as during slow-motion scenes which makes it feel jarring. Overall enjoyable to watch without a lot of ruined details.

The soundtrack:7.4
This would probably be the worst part of this film or rather the part that isn't as fascinating although it does the job. There might be 3-4 tracks that were rememberable but it didn't feel too integrated with the movie.

Characters:8.0
Most of the characters displayed and explored into feel believable. Unfortunately the main villain didn't feel too believable and came off as a cheap villain while only maybe 4-5 other characters being given detail while the rest feel and look like each other,bland and irrelevant although it is arguable that those few select characters were all that was needed to carry the movie.

Enjoyment:9.0
Certainly enjoyable as an endearing adventure that can be relatable to today's society of what is wrong/different to you and why you view it in such a way. Just remember, not always is as it seems to be with the movie being more than just a thrilling ride. You don't need to be highly intellectual to understand and have fun with the movie as it just goes with the flow taking you along for an unforgettable experience

Overall:8.4
It was certainly enjoyable and it just let me go on this thrilling ride. You will want to just let go and embark on a journey that is fun to watch and experience in the eyes of the two main protagonists. Although slightly dramatic at parts there is nothing that will make you crying or mad, no emotion that feels overdone.

Before you read this movies 8 star rating and get excited, understand that this is a concept-driven anime. Meaning that the world this movie is set in is very interesting and is the obvious center point of this anime. Everything else just kind of falls short. Because of this you will probably end up looking at your watch a couple times before the movie ends. Fortunately, there are some twists that will get your focus back to the screen again. Music is really nice. Animation and art style are decent. The characters are a little flat, but as I said this movie is more about ... the world than the people living in it. Overall, it's not a bad movie, just don't go in expecting too much. Watch it on a rainy day, or just to see an interesting universe that you've probably seen before.

Before you go into this film its advised you know what you are getting into so you don't waste 2 hours on accident. Inverted Patema is a simple movie that probably wasn't envisioned to be some kind of trump card of 2013 anime when it was being produced. The characters have about as much depth as a children's film (not that much) and there are lots of moments during the story that may strike you as a bit silly or overly convenient, even if you go in just trying to enjoy the film and nothing more.

Lets talk about the characters first. Patema is very ... cute. I guess she would get on my nerves after a while but this movie really isn't long enough for that. She is pretty much a damsel in distress, quintessentially so. She bumbles around, has an accident, gets captured and needs to be rescued. Well alright, everyone has seen this before but there's more to every anime than just its basic tropes. Nonetheless it never hurts to do things a little bit out of the box, but as far as character dynamic goes thats not something Patema accomplished. Every damsel needs a hero, and that hero is Age. Age is a very courageous student. There is nothing else that can be said about him that is of note, literally. Even his appearance is unremarkable, brown hair blue eyes anime man haircut and school uniform. He looks exactly the same as some other students that make an appearance for like 10 seconds as he goes to school. For an anime that has visual design as its strong suit, thats kind of disappointing. Anyways, Age quickly falls in love with Patema so the plot can progress. While films pacing will always lack compared to series, and this they don't have the ability to develop certain subtleties that can be present in them, it still struck me as odd how Patema and Age fall in love so fast. Age risks his life to save Patema several times, after only knowing her for a day or two. It's one of those instances in the film that you may think to yourself, this is a little cheesy. There is nothing else to these two characters besides this romance and the conflict with the villain, so I'll first talk about the villain, whom is your run-of-the-mill, tyrannical governor who commits evil due to semi-religious ignorance. He has no motivation, and is only after Patema because she is inverted and the inverted are according to the history of the surface people "cursed." Not a very exciting villain, by any shape or form. Inverted Patema also suffers from a very run-of-the-mill script, in which characters talk lines that have been said in at least 50 anime previously. Age I understand you love Patema and she means the world to you, but after being cornered by the dastardly villain, do you need to proclaim so 12 times as you wait for the plot to whisk you out of the dangerous situation? Also, although the premise to this movie is cool, that is as far as the positives of the story section goes. The world is not very fully explored, and the only things that held my interest were the two plot twists. Well, if that was the intended purpose of the twists then they succeeded, but it left a bad taste. Concluding this section, I think the majority of Patema's problems come from a very lackluster set of characters, character motivations, character design, and script.

Patema is not without some merits, but frankly they just kind of balance out the other stuff, rather than making up for it and going beyond. The premise of Patema, is definitely cool, and it was what drew me to watch the anime in the first place. I had never watched any kind of movie, anime or otherwise, with the premise of a person with inverted gravity, so naturally I liked the idea. Even in the cocnlusion of the movie, I still liked the idea. What I liked even more, and what I think is a definite plus of this movie is the visual design concerning inverted perspectives. This movie looks pretty good, but I can't say it looks outstanding, not compared to recent films like The Garden of Words which blows technical visual power through the roof. Where Inverted Patema succeeds is in creative and iconic scenes. I was very impressed by the viewpoint of a character that is about to fall into the sky and sees the world upside down, it was fun just to look around in this perspective and eye goggle. This novelty of it wore off eventually, but not so much that these sequences become a burden on your eyes.

In conclusion, I thought this movie was ok. I wouldn't rewatch or recommend it, because its fairly run of the mill film. I was impressed by the concept and the how they implemented the reverse gravity scenes, but disappointed by a really trope heavy story that doesn't try to do anything outside of the box.

It's a concept show. It has pretty animation, complemented with an appealing art style. It attempts to develop a vivid world, all the while presenting, and accentuating themes of acceptance. It tries to do all that, but it succeeds at none of that.

Aside from the concept itself, there's absolutely nothing novel about this. It has a vapid antagonist, inclusive to a totalitarian, more technologically-advanced society. Antithetic to that, is a more 'human', less-technologically advanced society. Both view the other are being the inverse of the other -- both literally in the show's rendition of physics, and figuratively in the values which they hold dear. ... The show's primary theme is acceptance, but because it hosts such a generic cast of characters, and an unconvincingly forced, brusque romance, it does little to make its argument convincing.

The show ultimately raises more questions than it answers. It's labeled as science-fiction, but it does nothing to actually explain what's scientific about it. If science is the process to which facts are discovered through trial and process, then the show's display of science is akin to didactic dogma. If it was the show's intention to be this 'meta' [by juxtaposing the lack of plot with the lack of justification practiced by one of the sides], then by all means, this show ought to be lauded as being revolutionary. In the more likely occasion in which the show was simply sloppily written, it'd ought to be scrutinized.

Nonetheless, despite all that, the show did have a concept with potential. The difference between Eve no Jikan and Sakasama no Patema is that the former show actually had focus, it was actually worth watching outside of its aesthetics. Sakasama no Patema didn't adapt, or write a well-thought out plot as much as it did a spur-of-the-moment draft inspired by a late-night session of methamphetamines tacked on with LSD. The movie presented an ultimate end-game midway through its completion, but it never bothered to end it. If this were an essay, and the prompt was "How to unite all humans", then it'd be akin to having ended it with the line "And that's why I like walruses the best."

In the end of it, the show was nothing more than a pretty display of artistic colors. It's artsy in its display of science, and it's artsy in its plot. It has a generic cast of characters, most of which are somewhat endearing. The development of romance between a certain two individuals seemed tacky, rushed, and undeveloped; it was done for the sake of symbolism. When a work defers verisimilar human sentiments to objective symbolism, then the work becomes nothing more than a brute, showcase of philosophy. While this work was not so egregious in doing so, it certainly didn't help out its characters. Nonetheless, even had the main cast been properly developed outside the cursory glance, the monochromatic antagonist would have invariably ruined an otherwise, varicolored world.

For Scifi-fan myself, I want to write a review focus more on it.
This review still got spoiler, though I try my best not to.

Story:
A very boy meet a cute princess form underground at a fate encounter, they create a bond that connect them to another level, lead them to the adventure that no one knew before.

Art:
Work outstanding with this genre (and situation), rolate and rolate, sometime you could be confused and lost the balance , like you dont know where the ground, where the sky.

Sound:
... OST is not very good but BGM is absolute amazing, delivered the feel and make atmosphere more intense.
Voice actor is out of my range, for a outsider like me, it's fine.

Character:
A boy lost something very important, then become lonely cause social around him. A girl "brave on outside" sure get along well cause she lost too. They build up relationship through sympathy. After lost contact, he come to realize that he dont want to lost this girl.
Character sure are simple, and expose very clear in movie. However the villain somehow show that he want to be picked by "inverted people" and somekind of want it for him only .

Enjoyment:
Super. Not a minute I leave my eye out of my monitor. My heart tumble and my mind keep yelling "I want to know more". well, Sci-fi fan. But the ending leave me confusing and not want to accept it's ending.
(Though I know sci-fi always do that, solve one case and open a f**king greater case, it's not like it left a bad taste in my mount or something)

Overall:
Sure a fascinating drive for me, for all the fantasy, thrill and fun adventure. However I like to know moreeee.
Let me assume some not-good thing: ending, ost, character.
So watch it if you haven't, watch it if you are into sci-fi genre, watch it if you have not been into sci-fi genre, just watch it like there's no tomorrow.
*but at some point, I do satisfy with the end of villain.
**Overall maybe a little high. But 8.6 should be 9, isn't it?

Holy shit! Yoshiura Yasuhiro’s new movie is finally out! Two years after those “previews that were actually the beginning of the entire movie” were released, the actual product has finally been subbed and made available to us filthy pirates. Does it live up to the hype? Was it as mind-blowing as we expected it to be?

Okay, let’s keep this frank, short, and (mostly) spoiler-free: Patema Inverted is painfully boring to me. I didn’t care one bit about what was happening in this movie and for a film that was 98 minutes long, it sure felt pretty fucking long. The whole movie has the same basic ... problem as everything else made by this guy: cool ideas, but it feels unfinished. In fact, as I was watching the movie, I realized that it was practically a remake of Castle in the Sky from the mysterious girl falling from the sky (or in this movie’s case, the ground) to the evil organization pursuing her complete with laughable main bad guy (who’s nowhere near as charismatic as the one voiced by Mark Hamill in the English dub) to the main dude having a dead dad to the land in the sky to…you see where I’m going with this? Now copying Castle in the Sky isn’t inherently a bad thing considering it’s a personal favorite of mine, but that only works if it’s as good. Or at least gets the basics right.

Unfortunately, it does not. I appreciate how the movie was trying to go for a somber, yet magical feel in regards to the inverted people and whatnot, but the atmosphere and directorial tricks got old quickly, and I was left with what felt like a beautifully made skeleton. I didn’t get why I was supposed to care about these characters because aside from the beginning used to flesh out the main girl, Patema, the film never really gave me a reason to care about them. There’s a lot of subtle hints and all to their backstory, but they felt kind of childish, and their personalities as a whole weren’t strong enough for me to get into.

As for the story itself? Poorly handled “bad guys want to find some mysterious people and profit from them whilst one man on their side wants to help said people” stuff. It never really goes beyond that premise aside from the fact that these mysterious people live on opposite gravitational fields to us, to the point that they might as well have been aliens from outer space. Lame.

The visuals are pretty damn great and the indie-like cinematography is cool, even if it gets too blurry-cam for me at times, so I’d recommend seeing this film at least once for that alone. There’s also a pretty funny joke where the film plays with its musical score. But yeah, all that buzz about how Patema Inverted was a massive step-down in scope compared to Time of Eve and whatnot? They’re true, and unfortunately, it’s not the kind of “simple” I enjoy.

PATEMA INVERTED... is okay. It's certainly not that good, but not downright bad either. It's basically a whole movie based on a gimmicky premise where a boy meets a girl, except that gravity works the wrong way for the girl, so she's under constant threat of /falling into the sky/. Stretch that sentence out for 90 minutes and you have this movie.

Let's break it down.

THE STORY is a very basic anime boy meets anime girl story. Gravity works the wrong way for the girl. Boy lives in dystopian police state where that's an evil, reviled thing. Bad dudes hunt girl, boy goes after girl, yadda ... yadda, you've seen it before. And on the subject of "you've seen it before", the first 30 minutes of the movie are actually just "Patema Inverted: Beginning of the Day", which came out months ago, with no new animation or anything. So if you've seen the specials you can start the movie at like the 25 minute mark, honestly.

Really basic and flat character story aside, the main draw of this movie is figuring out the secret behind why gravity is all wonky for some people, but not others. There are exactly two really predictable plot twists in the movie that reveal this. Hell, the story flows like it's a bulleted list. It moves right along at a not-so-fast pace, and then after half a second of head scratching at the end everything makes sense, but nothing is particularly exciting or interesting in retrospect.

There are a few slightly suspenseful bits, but those are all the scenes where there's someone who's about to /fall into the sky/, which as a concept is terrifying in general. I don't really count those as good writing on the creators' part, since those scenes write themselves.

Overall the story felt like something Miyazaki would've written if he were 14.

THE CHARACTERS are entirely one-dimensional. There isn't a single interesting person in this movie. They're all cookie-cutter personalities with predictable lines and actions, and their only saving grace is that none of them are particularly irritating, I guess. There's idealistic high school boy with dead dad, and pushy girl Patema with dead dad, wise elder guy, hotblooded kid, crazy fanatical villain, flaky good cop/bad cop, and that's about it.

THE ART is generally... bad. The quality of art and animation in this movie is below what you'd see in a medium-budget, forgettable TV anime. There are a lot of things that irked me here.

Patema Inverted's character designs are remarkably lazy. The underground dwellers' outfits and the police dudes look kind of cool and distinct, but other than that you won't be finding much of visual interest here. The main boy doesn't have a single defining physical feature, he just looks like "generic anime schoolboy". The titular Patema is cute, but she's also not very interesting to look at. She had this distinct little hair braid thing early in the movie that was eventually removed. I suspect it was because they decided it was too hard to animate. Old crazy fanatic villain looks like an old, crazy fanatic. There's a general lack of detail on the characters, none of them have any interesting facial expressions, gestures, etc. It's all very hohum.

The background art killed me, it's really shitty at some points. I think I'm spoiled by Tekkonkinkreet. But yeah, a LOT of the background paintings are cubes and cylinders in 2-point perspective. It looked like a first-year art student was just practicing his homework. Anything more complex than really basic shapes and perspective was handled by equally rudimentary CGI. Apparently none of the artists working on this had the talent to draw circular desks from above. The climactic scene at the end of the movie where some wrecked up buildings were shown look like they were shat out in Photoshop in 15 minutes. This wouldn't be okay in a TV series, let alone a feature film.That said, a lot of the underground city architecture at the start of the movie was passable.

THE CINEMATOGRAPHY is pretty relevant here. Aside from 99% of shots in this movie being really basic perspective, really basic panning, really basic lighting, no visual symbolism, and other things that make this movie seem like a student film, there are a few interesting visual gimmicks. Well, not really. There are a few scenes in the movie where the camera rotates 180 degrees to switch to either the boy or the girl's perspective so that one is upside-down and the other isn't. It's kind of neat, but not implemented in many exciting ways. Sometimes it can be downright disorienting as your brain tries to figure out which way someone should be falling, and which way the ground is. The strongest scenes are the aforementioned ones where someone's about to fall into the sky, you really feel the "holy shit" during those.

Honestly, someone should totally take the video file for this movie and flip it. It would probably make the entire experience a bit more interesting. Or it might actually change nothing.

THE ANIMATION is... bad. There are no interesting-looking scenes or backgrounds in most of this movie, and the same goes for character animations. There's a good scene or two of some gravity-defining jumps through a field, and another comical one where a character's being rolled around on a ceiling, but yeah. It's just not a visually interesting movie. I guess one of the biggest hurdles here was to get the gravity of the characters looking correct when there are multiple gravities, which they did, but that's not really impressive. You won't find anything in the background moving unless prompted, you won't see the characters (or anything else) having life-like motions, you won't see any really artsy/trippy animation, or anything of the sort.

THE SOUND is... uhhh, what sound? I think there were like two or three musical pieces in this whole movie. If there are more than that, it shows how forgettable they were since I watched this 30 minutes prior to writing a review. The main theme reminded me of Castle in the Sky and similar music Ghibli works. It's okay, but you probably won't be loading this OST onto your playlist.

OVERALL, Patema Inverted is mediocre and forgettable, and very amateur-ish. It really did feel like a student film, and lacks all the whimsy and inspiration of similar Ghibli works. I've never seen the creator's other work, Time of Eve, but after watching this I'm not too eager. All you artists out there can turn this into a deadly drinking game though: every time you see a background that's made of cubes going a a single vanishing point in the center of the screen, take a shot.

Whether the medium is anime, books, food or clothes - originality has always been a difficult thing to achieve. As the years go by, more unique materials are used and it becomes even harder to find what's 'truly original'. What you'll get are constant situations of "... hey doesn't this remind you of THAT film?" Luckily, there's very few settings, if any, similar to 'Sakasama no Patema (Patema Inverted)' - it's a breath of fresh air and definitely something that's 'original'.

In a world where gravity has changed, the lives of a young girl named Patema and a young boy called Age (Eiji) are explored - ... whatever falls in Patema's world goes up in Age's and of course whatever falls in Age's world goes up in Patema's. Together they have to traverse a multitude of obstacles as they discover hidden secrets and avoid near-death moments.

While the setting is very refreshing, the same cannot be entirely said for the plot. In its rawest form, the film tackles a lot of the same thematic problems in society that have been portrayed in many other films - differences in religion, racism and beliefs. On top of that the use of 'forbidden love' isn't something we haven't seen before either. However, using the writers own unique world of physics, one cannot argue that this is still an effective way to show the ideas without having the same settings shoved down our throats.

The best parts of the film was definitely the beginning to the middle portion, 'setting up' the unique world. With a simple 'flip' of the camera, a new perspective of the story takes place and your attention will be constantly glued to the screen when this happens. But, as it reached towards the end - it felt rushed and clichés started to become more obvious. What you get is a plot that tries to flow consistently with missing parts in between - something along the lines of: episode 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 15, 20, 26 etc. Not saying you'll lose your interest, just that it becomes... somewhat... incomplete. This is probably due to the short run time - maybe an extra 30 minutes would've supplemented the gaps - it isn't a huge problem, but some of the missing parts may come down to self interpretation in order for you to accept the events that unfold.

However, that's about the biggest gripe I had with the film. Perhaps the deeper themes and plots may not be the strongest points, but what makes the film great is 'how' it explores these two vastly different worlds and I can assure you that it doesn't disappoint.

We start off by following the simple lives of these two youngsters and what they feel upon discovering each others inverted world. There's a real down to earth sense and it's portrayed very naturally. There's chemistry between Patema and Age, their relationship goes through a believable development and their motivations and reasons for doing things feel realistic and instinctive - it's where this anime has substance. Granted they won't necessarily be characters you'll love but you'll enjoy the actions and interactions they have to go through.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the supporting casts - relying more on stereotypes in which we've seen countless times. The word clichéd sums it up nicely. The bad guys are bad and the good guys are good, you never truly come to terms as to what their motivations are or why they're doing it. They aren't the main focus of this premise so don't think too much, the film will be more enjoyable if you just focus your attention solely on Patema and Age.

Now we reach the presentation part, the character designs don't stand out too much. Sticking more to the 'down to earth' and simplistic drawings but it works and probably succeeds a lot better had it been completely detailed instead. However, does Sakasama no Patema do a good job in painting this fictional world? Hell yes!

The budget was obviously not really an issue since the detail in a lot of the places definitely shine - I'm talking about the scenery. The film separates the two worlds of Patema and Age very well - one being a worn-down, dark, isolated underground and the other being a bright, vivid and fresh outer world. The colour palette used to differentiate these two worlds help focus on the exploration aspect. Also, I think this contrast plays a pivotal role within the film - while one world may seem cramped and tight spaced; this world is the one with more freedom amongst the people while the supposed independent society of the people on the surface are suppressed. The animation has definitely complimented the overall atmosphere and mood of these opposite worlds and without the quality of the animation it just wouldn't feel... right.

I have to make one quick mention about the detail of the sky as well - the feeling of fear definitely shows on each and individual characters. Never has the idea of falling into the sky been so terrifying - the psychological implications can be quite daunting if you're scared of heights. The combination of 'flipping' the camera and drawings of the sky harmonise well together to create this feeling. I don't believe there's any other anime which make use of it so well so treasure these moments well.

Subtle, is how I would describe the overall music. Unless you really pay attention, the music doesn't stand out too much, kinda like listening to the pouring rain outside of your window. However it's suitable within the context of the film, not really too much to complain. The voice actors/actresses have nicely brought the characters to life; especially the two main casts. They genuinely sound like their age and how they would react to this unexplored setting.

I feel like I've said the film is about exploration too many times. But seriously, the film is most definitely worth watching for only that purpose and if my interpretation in this review hasn't shown that then I don't know what will :P

It's a really good story, it doesn't waste its potential which I'm glad. Granted it could've been better had it received a longer run-time. I'm not gonna say "if you like shows such as this or this you'll like Sakasama no Patema". I'm gonna just tell you to go watch it. While it isn't perfect, it's one of the rare shows that you could show to any audience (even your parents who don't watch anime) and they'll still find something to like about it. It's comparable to 'Inception', 'The Matrix', or 'A Clockwork Orange' - the initial concept is simply too interesting to pass up, it'll be a shame if you skip on it without stepping into the world of 'Sakasama no Patema'.

ABRIDGED RATING:

Story 8 - Great concept, doesn't waste its potential but could explore the deeper themes if the film was given more time.

Characters 7 - The main characters Age and Patema are nicely introduced and developed, supporting cast are clichéd

Animation 8 - Excellent work with the camera angles. Character designs are down to earth and simple. Different environments portrayed nicely - especially the sky

Sound 6 - Music is suitable in the context of this film. Doesn't particularly stand out unless you pay attention. Subtle is the best word to describe it. Voice actors/actresses portray realistic characters.

Enjoyment 8 - Pleasantly surprised at the original concept, main characters are likable. I can feel the chemistry between them.

Overall 7.4 - Good film, definitely worth checking out.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)
The Cat Returns (Neko no Ongaeshi)

NOTE: You don't have to watch the prequel for this movie coz the exact prequel is included in this movie.

I shall be writing an outline SPOILER-FREE review again. But don't let yourself get "inverted" except for the fact that this movie is quite good no matter how you invert it upside down.

PLOT:
1. Promising sci-fi genre but also quite simple and can easily be understood which is also fitting for an-hour-and-30-minute-movie.
2. Plot pacing is good too. Not slow and not fast. It genuinely covered all that should be covered.
3. Because of the setting of the story, which is in the 2 inverted worlds, it gave a ... good opportunity for good plot twists.

MUSIC:
1. Not so much songs but they are fitting, even the background music.

CHARACTERS:
1. Simple, but still anime-style and not Americanized.
2. Character development is present too.
3. Can’t say much about the seiyuu but they did their job well.

GRAPHICS:
1. Modern graphics.
2. They really stand for the word “inverted” which is a unique plot and their graphics made you drawn to the inverted world.

ENJOYMENT:
1. Definitely entertaining and interesting until the end.
2. Originally, I was just intending to have a sneak peek earlier this morning but I ended up finishing it til 2 a.m. which means it got me hook.
3. Even though I somewhat guessed some foreshadowing, it still got me off guard which made me more eager to finish it.

In my own list, I scored this 10.. But for the purpose of General standard, I'll make it 9.

Lastly, just make sure not to put high expectation while watching it.. well, any anime.. coz some good anime are ruined by too much expectation.. JUST ENJOY WATCHING IT LIKE NORMAL, then get ready to be surprised
^.~b

I have only one question - it's not even a complaint, mind you: What in the world is the point of making this movie? No, seriously - the movie barely seems to know its own focus, and so decides on being whatever the moment calls for. Sci-fi? Go, sci-fi!! Allegory? Go, allegory!! Gravity? No gravity. Whatsoever. Good thing is, there's nothing much to complain about, either - there never was much of a chance to have any.

Ok, so this story is supposed to work on two levels. On one hand you have a sci-fi tale of people on whom gravity works in the opposite direction, ... so they are liable to fall into the sky. Pretty scary, if you actually think about it. Problem is, the regular people think that's because they are "sinners", if that makes any sense to you. Ok, let's go along, so they have been brainwashed to think so. The world of these Inverts is underground, where they lead a claustrophobic existence in slum-punk cities where vast stretches (relatively speaking, you understand) are sealed off to the general public, so they don't fall into the dark abyss...you know what I mean. Just as in the world of regular, decent, God-fearing down-fallers, vast stretches are sealed off to the general public and fenced away, because...well, good citizens don't ask questions.

One day, an adventurous little girl from the underground called Patema ventures out into the unknown, trouble follows her, and the next thing you know, she finds herself hanging on to dear life, quite literally. Lucky for her, a fence-sitting non-invert boy called Age (pronounced Eiji), is startled to see her hanging off his favourite off-limits fence out there in the open world. And the godless fence-sitter that he is, he does what any decent human would do (but no god-fearing Invert-hater could apparently even think of), which is save her from falling into the deep blue abyss above. The rest of the story follows their exploits as they evade the Thought- I mean, Gravity Police, learn about each others' worlds, and of course, end up liking each other a lot (with a very acceptable and inoffensively platonic affection, of course). Who am I kidding? It's not acceptable at all - a godforsaken Invert?!

This is where the second, Allegorical side of the story comes in: Remember that lesson - the only lesson you are ever taught every single day in school? The one that needs to be repeated over and over because it never quite made sense to begin with? About falling upwards being an unforgivable sin? (Hell, you couldn't "forgive" something like that if you TRIED) Yeah, disregard that one. Now you're good to go. Oh, and the Inverts aren't taught any of that, because they don't KNOW they are "Inverts". They are taught a lot more practical things, like Don't Fall Off That Bottomless Pit. So yeah, the Inverts are already good to go as it is - they don't HAVE anything to hate...except falling to death, maybe.

Ok, so let me fast-forward a little here, because this kinda gets to the core of what I'm trying to point out is really lacking in this show...so, things happen, Patema and her new best friend Age get chased by the Grand Inquisitor and his police troops - and desperate, pushed into a corner - they head into the unknown. It's actually a decisive plot twist that I don't want to spoil, because I usually don't do that (or at least don't LIKE to do that) in my reviews. But, thing is, I'm really not sure I should care, because frankly, no one in this story does. I'm not kidding. These guys just discovered A WHOLE NEW WORLD OUT THERE. And what do they do? Explore it? Even bother finding out what the hell is IN there? Nope, the whole thing was put there, plot-wise, just so that our loveable leads could have a touching and poignant moment and resolve their feelings about their respective deceased caretakers. Once they get that out of the way, they head straight back to confront the Grand Inquisitor, leaving an entire WORLD behind them, that was moreover HARD TO EVEN GET TO in the first place!! Now you see where I'm coming from with the incessant sarcasm - nobody seems to care about the world they live in - not the characters, and certainly not the writers - except for when the plot calls for it...and even that's only when it's going for an emotional impact. Well, as an impact, it feels like being touched very gently with a feather...yes, that feels quite pleasant, now doesn't it?

Even at the very end, nothing about their world is actually ever resolved. If anything, the picture is now even more baffling, if you have been paying any attention. And if you have, then - silly rabbit - you missed the whole point of the show! It doesn't matter which side is up - all that matters...is love!! Love thy neighbour, don't push him off the edge. There is this adorable scene at the very end where Patema and Age are, as usual, holding on to each other - just to move each other about, of course. And Porta, a lifelong Invert friend of hers, someone who cared for her and looked out for her all her life, looks at that joyous "embrace" and despairs. He needn't have worried - their love for each other is perfectly innocent and platonic, and there's enough to go around for everyone. And even if he wanted something like that - having been so close to her all her life and having actually gone to so much trouble for her sake, all he had to do...is ask.

Ok, now once again I'll switch the sarcasm off for a bit and ask a real question - on its own level, does this movie do justice to that theme? Well...no one in this movie really seems to hate the other side to begin with, except for a lunatic of a fanatic who wants all Inverts to perish. Even the Police are just passively playing along. If loving each other were this easy (and every other person in my life looked and acted so cutesy and Moe-like), you'd never once have to so much as TRY to teach me something so...adowwable. I guess you should just tag along for the pleasant and inoffensive ride that it is. If you like that sort of thing - hey, I'm no judge - I mean, I know I for one didn't mind it in the least...

Have you ever heard of (or perhaps actually been in) Walt Disney's historically famous "It's a Small World" boat-ride? A century or so ago, it was a thing of wonder. You have pleasingly colourful moving cut-outs, themed after different people and places in the world, on either banks of the stream, dancing along to the jingly "It's a Small World" lullaby song that keeps repeating itself over and over. The whole thing lasts for about a few minutes, and the stream slowly circles around back to where you started, where it drops you off. You get off the boat, stretch your back and arms, and head home. That's what this movie feels like, in a nutshell.

Well, what can I say? It's awesome! But, not the best. Even so, I enjoyed this. The first time I found it, I dropped it with "Tss, so boring", but, I changed and my genres changed too! I really don't know, what to say. Everyone already write it.. :-(
Oh and, by the way, did you realise that this is like a movie "Upside down"? I just did! :D

A wonderful 98 minute experience this is, Sakasama no Patema is great piece of work if not a masterpiece.

*CONTAINS PLOT SPOILERS*

This movie takes place in a world where gravity acts in two opposite ways. The place where gravity acts in one direction is given the name Aiga. Aiga is a seemingly normal world by our standards and has a dictatorship government. There are strict laws and everyone has to abide by them. This is where our protagonist is from who is known by his name Eiji.

On the other hand, the place where gravity works in the opposite way is Patema's world. This place is ... a sort of free land where people are not strictly bound by laws.

Long ago a gravity related experiment was carried out. The experiment was a total failure which angered mother earth. Gravity went haywire and the place where the experiment was carried out and the people who lived there started to experience a repulsive force from the earth towards the sky. Many people lost their lives and few survived.

Sakasama no Patema revolves around the interactions between Eiji and Patema. Two young people from different worlds.

Sakasama no Patema has a wonderfully told out story. The whole inverse gravity concept is interesting as it is and along with perfect execution it becomes even more splendid. Throughout the movie many clues are given which, by the end, all add up to give a great ending. Both Eiji and Patema's worlds are well explained till the end and their personalities also develop because of their respective environments.

Patema is a cute and curious young girl who almost experiences the phrase "curiosity killed the cat" firsthand when she "falls" towards the sky after wandering around too much. She is an adventure loving girl and when it comes to exploring new places none can stop her. When she falls down, Patema enters Eiji's world and he just happens to be close by at the time.

Eiji is a high school student who has his fair share of grievances from the government. A young boy he is, Eiji does what he feels is right and mostly remains undeterred. He even goes as far as to go against the law whether it is simply staring into the sky or saving Patema from evil hands.

When it comes to the antagonists, they are your typical "want to take over the world" type. The main bad guy is the ruler of Aiga. He is a cold hearted man and believes he is always right. This twisted guy's decisions bring our protagonists closer to each other. He, along with his predecessing governments, have brainwashed the citizens into believing that the people of Aiga are the supreme beings and those inverted are sinners.

This messed up thought leads him to send his henchmen to capture Patema. Our MC does everything he can think of to save Patema and when he can no longer do it alone, he still doesn't give up. When offered assistance by Patema's kinsmen, he readily accepts their offer.

Sakasama no Patema manages to capture the viewers attention through their unique story and great execution.

A great storyline is mostly a waste without good visuals. Sakasama no Patema does not dissappoint us in the artwork department. With stunning visuals, this movie manages to bring out the beauty of it's unique plot. The different camera angles provided throughout are a beauty. The way they focus on surrounding items, show their importance. It also brings the whole inverse gravity concept to life. They manage to show us how both characters view the two different gravity lands which makes us get to know their different experiences much better.

Along with their good story executed to perfection, Sakasama no Patema also manages to add some humor to make things more enjoyable and to keep the viewers interest. At no point does this added humor feel out of place or unwanted. These lighthearted comedy scenes are quite well done and successfully manage to incite laughter.

From start to end this movie remains interesting and enjoyable. Sakasama no Patema may not be the best of the best, but in all sincerity it is truly one worth watching.

Coming from Time of Eve, I looked forward to this movie considerably.

I think that perhaps my higher expectations for the show ruined my enjoyment of it ultimately. Don't get me wrong, the movie was very good. The art, atmosphere, and everything is on par with the classics.

What left me hanging was in the character development field, where things were just too predictable. I was hoping for a less simplistic character development than what the online preview presented. However, the overall direction followed what was expected, with very few surprises. The developing bond between the two main characters also seemed to occur less natural than in ... a Miyazaki movie. Perhaps some slight tweaking of pacing would have made this better.

Aside from this one weak point, the rest of the movie was quite enjoyable. The scenes, the way the world was set up, was all very thought provoking. The twist at the end of the movie was foreshadowed a bit too early for me, so it wasn't as surprising.

For now, I would rate it an 8 overall, but I have a feeling it will be a 9 in the future if I were to come back to the movie in a year or so, with tempered expectations.

Sakasama no Patema is the closest I've seen to a modern film capturing Hayao Miyazaki's earlier work from a narrative perspective. The film felt very reminiscent of Castle in the Sky. Miyazaki films tend to sometimes have deep plot in concept, but not in execution, and so the magic in his films -- are the characters, the world, and the themes that are often deep and mature. Miyazaki's films burst with charm, and their simplistic scripts always have an underlying themes that tap into certain elements of life. Miyazakis ability to create complex and interesting worlds/story concepts, and yet keep the actual plot itself simple, ... is one of the reason his films work so well. Anyone can watch his movies, and yet there is something deeper there if you really want to look into it.

So unlike Miyazaki scripts, Sakasama no Patema get a bit more heavy on the actual plot itself. The plot set up is complex and mysterious from the very beginning, and unlike Castle in The Sky (that doesn't dive too deep into the actual complex plotline in the back half), Sakasama no Patema embraces it head on. But this also becomes the films downfall. In the end, the plot gets a bit too tangled up in its own details. The pacing/and execution with the information given to the audience feels clunky. This ultimately leaves the audience disconnected from the plot on an emotional level, while they try to figure out all the details of what actually happened.

There is nothing wrong with complex plots. But there is an art form in how you weave information and plot movements into a coherent whole -- in a way that audiences can digest and connect to. In fact, I wouldn't even say Sakasama no Patema has a terribly complex plot that couldn't be understood. But the method with which they decided to tell this story, makes it more complex than it needs to be. The biggest problem being that, they wait until the last twenty minutes to explain the "twist" of the movie, and never give the audience a second to catch their breath. It becomes a wave of information, and plot immediately rushes to the end. Then the come down (the resolution), is so brief, the audience never gets to catch their breath, and you are left trying to process everything you've just been told. The plot on paper is actually very easy to understand. But the way it's told in this film, you will be wracking your brain trying to understand the exact details. This becomes problematic, because it ends up distracting you from any emotional connection you should have to the plot/characters.

The second biggest flaw of Sakasama no Patema is the characters. They are likable. But they are missing charm. The film sets up each character on their own, and we get an idea of how each character works, as well as how they represent the problems of each "side" of their world. The issue is when they finally come together. The film doesn't really give us enough time to connect emotionally to their relationship. The film does a better job with this with "older characters" done in flashbacks then they do with the actual main characters in the plot. I wish the film would have taken a bit more time to flesh out their relationship, and show how their problems are connected.

Sakasama no Patema is a good film. The animation is stunning, the music is great. The actual story concept itself, is interesting and unique (or at least, a unique take on common story concepts). But the film always keeps the audience at a distance. The characters lack warmth, and it's hard to entirely connect emotionally to their story. And the story trips over itself in the back half, as it tries to explain everything in the final push towards the end. I just wish I wasn't distracted by all of these elements, as I would have liked to have cared more about our characters and their worlds.

Patema Inverted focuses around a teenage girl named Patema who lives her underground home to discover that gravity is distorted for the humans living on the surface as she encounters a boy named Age living on the surface. The movie focuses on the two bonding through their rather unique situation with gravity while putting up with the dictatorship government that Age lives under trying to capture Patema and learn of the whereabouts of her people to wipe them all out. In terms of the bond with Age and Patema, it is genuinely convincing with the two learning through one another of the differing problems they ... each face with the gravity situation effecting them and coming to later learn of some tragic developments both have in common triggered from the mentioned dictatorship's influence. Beyond the dynamics of Age and Patema's bond though, the movie is otherwise rather standard for an adventure title as having a dictatorship-style government and a crazed dictator (the baddie in this particular case reminding me almost of Now and Then Here and There's Hamdo in terms of nuttiness) running it are nothing new in anime.

The gravity gimmick for Patema Inverted also lends itself nicely to the film's animation as it is incorporated for action scenes and "flying" moments as Age and Patema use one another to slowly ascend or descend their fall depending on however gravity affects them. Scenery shots are clean and smooth with details and sport subdued color tones with character designs sporting similar treatment in terms of color shading and detail. Animation is mostly emphasized via the gravity premise of the movie, though character are shown onscreen to move about fluidly and I didn't take notice of any shortcuts or loss of detail during moments of heavy movement occurring onscreen.

Overall, Patema Inverted offers up a rather unique premise with its gravity gimmick affecting the lives of Age and Patema in differing ways and how said element comes to make their bond develop throughout the movie's run, essentially being the sole strength of a movie that is otherwise rather standard fate for an adventure title. It's worth a look if you are looking for a unique premise for an anime film.

Sakasama no Patema is a film that took my breath away. From the moment I became immersed in the world its absolutely stunning art created, my attention was held and my expectations completely surpassed. To me, this is a film about the divide the fear of the unknown creates between us, a metaphor for the way we are separated by the way we, as a collective, cope with that fear, and compassion, friendship and empathy.

Story: 9/10 (Great)

The story of Patema Inverted follows a unique take on the theme of "Us and Them" - it takes place in a future in which a botched experiment causes ... a good deal of the population and "invert" and "fall into the sky", as if for only some people and things the law of gravity has changed. The story is set a while after this, when those who are inverted have set up a colony underground, and those who live above ground are forbidden to look at the sky and have it drilled into them their whole lives that it is divine will that the evil people in the world should fall into the sky. The story centers around the events that happen when Patema, the princess of the underground colony, meets someone from above ground, and the events that follow.

Despite the fact that a lot goes unexplained in the film, and the rather 'out-there' premise, the plot is nonetheless very uniquely portrayed, realistic and well written. The only reason it wasn't a 10/10 for me was the fact that I would have liked to have known more about the background of the world - however, I can see why there wasn't time to explain this convincingly in the movie without making a bunch of characters have infodump conversations that add nothing to the plot and exist purely to inform the viewer, since the story takes place over only the course of a couple of days. For what was shown, it was a really interesting idea that was pulled together by stellar writing and directing.

Art: 10/10 (outstanding)
Even if you don't watch this film for the story or the characters, I feel like even just watching it to simply admire the beautiful artwork that is typical of Yoshiura Yasuhiro's works is worthwhile. The setting/backgrounds were breathtaking and the animation was beautifully fluid and realistic; in a film with this kind of premise in which movement is central to the plot, there was a lot of room for the art to shine (which it undeniably did).

Sound: 7/10 (good)
The OST for this film was nothing really spectacular that stood out to me - it was about what you might expect for an average drama film. Some might think of the OST more favorably than me, but I feel that had it had a more atmospheric soundtrack the movie would have been a more evocative work than it already is. That being said, the OST did not detract from the impact and quality of the film whatsoever - it was just nothing memorable.

Character: 8/10 (very good)
For the short amount of time that occurs in "real time" in the film, there was a good amount of realistic character development. I definitely felt myself rooting for the protagonists on the edge of my seat. They might not have been the most unique characters in the world, but they were certainly endearing and engaging and related to eachother in a realistic and evocative way.

Enjoyment: 10/10 (outstanding)
This movie left me completely satisfied. The premise caught my attention, the art was something to behold all the way through, the characters were lovable, and despite the serious nature of what occurred in the plot, there were moments of humour that added a lovely touch to the overall experience.

Overall: 9/10 (great)
I truly had to think long and hard about whether I was going to rate Sakasama no Patema a 10/10, because it ticked just about every box for me. While there are some parts of it that are obviously incomplete, Patema Inverted is a masterpiece in the way it is a sensory experience in my opinion. Though I usually prefer anime with much darker atmosphere, this film was a breath of fresh air, and I would enthusiastically recommend it to just about anyone.

This will be a really quick review because I gotta prepare for a presentation in my Japanese class tomorrow. I had some extra time so I watched this pretty awesome movie and now I'm trying to get back to doing homework, but I felt like writing this review first ^_^

The story was very intriguing and kept me interested the whole time.
Story 8/10

For an anime movie made in 2013 the art could have looked a little bit better at times. However, during the many scenes that were designed to be visually stunning they not only succeeded but blew away my expectations. It was breathtaking to watch ... the characters' interactions with the sky and the rotating camera effects trying to capture it all. The locations were all cool and interesting, and there were some very exciting scenes where the characters had to risk their lives and the art was so immersive that you could feel the danger.
Art 9/10

I listened to the english dub and it was good most of the time, but sometimes the characters' voices sounded too young or scratchy and it would be a little annoying. The music and sound effects were pretty good though.
Sound 6/10

The characters were a little below average overall. The main girl and guy were pretty good and likeable, but no one else had much screen time (or the moments they did have were meh). Also the main antagonist could've been so much better.
Character 4/10

This was very unique and memorable, the concepts were great but the execution could have been a bit better (especially with the characters)
Enjoyment 8/10

Overall 8/10