Cross Road

First let me disappoint most of you who only saw the trailer without any prior knowledge. The trailer is the whole series, this was just a commercial campaign by "Z-Kai". Granted with huge names like a Makoto Shinkai and Masayoshi Tanaka it is a bit disappointing that we only get 119 seconds of amazement and joy.

I put the story 6/10 only because it's essentially a commercial and not a story at all, if this project were to be adapted to a full blown storyline I think it could have a lot of potential, but alas this is all we have.

Per Shinkai's other work (Garden of ... Words,Children with lost voices, etc...) the art work is simply amazing. It's almost worth the two minutes of your life just to be blown away by how amazing the art work is.

I won't comment on the sound too much because of how short this work is and because the art work demands most of your attention most probably won't notice the sound unless watched again.

The characters seem to have a lot of potential, of course we only get to see a glimpse into their lives, but they're so intriguing that I am legitimately sad that "Cross Road" isn't an actual full scale series. My enjoyment was 9.5/10 (only because it's so short *cries*) but I highly recommend everyone watch this. If only we had commercials like this is the States!

"This isn't a movie. It is a commercial. God damn it!" - anyone who saw it and hoped for a series AND then came to know about what it really is. I know that feel, bud. Trust me, I do.

Makoto Shinkai strikes again with another one of his visually stunning works - this time with a 2 minute commercial instead of a feature length film, however. And because it is *his* work, I'll actually skip commenting on the artwork in general. Because it is stunning, to say the least. And I don't know how else to describe it. I shall talk about character designs, though. ... They deserve a mention.

I sure wish he worked on this as a series or a movie, though. Why?

-Story-
Because this is a departure from his previous works in the sense that this is a very light hearted short story. No depressing shit here. Instead of going with the themes Shinkai regularly plays with, ie, 'distance', he went for a different direction. Which is refreshing to see considering the fact that almost every work of his deals with the same theme in a different manner. It is time he explores new grounds. Because as good as 5cms/s was, I don't think I would enjoy watching the same theme explored for like the tenth time and have the creator be known as a one-trick pony. I think he's better than that.

But I digress.

Oh, and yes, I called it a "story". And that's because even in two minutes of run-time it managed to drag me into its world and make me relate to the characters in a way "The Place Promised in Our Early Days" (one of his previous works) never could. The cast comprises of our main leads, a guy and a girl, preparing for a test that'd get them into a university of their dreams. This, being a commercial, uses the story of these two characters to showcase how the long-distance correspondence courses from "Z-Kai" help these two to get where they want. Ends on a happy-ish note, I guess?

This had a lot of potential - it could easily be adapted into a 13 episode Slice of Life series, in your humble reviewer's opinion. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen. But that's wishful thinking, bleh.

-Character Designs-
The character designs are neat. Both the guy and the girl look attractive. This is a step up from the previous Shinkai works I've seen, to be honest. The characters didn't look especially attractive in "The Place Promised...". This is a huge improvement when it comes to character designs when compared to it and a definite but subtle improvement from the character designs in his more recent works like "5cms/s" and "Garden of Words".

-Voice Acting-
Their voice actors did a good job and they efficiently managed to portray the emotions that were required from them by the characters they were playing. The girl's nervous "I'll be going now!" while leaving her home to go check out the results of her test sounded very, very natural. So yes, it'll suffice to say that they did well.

-Soundtrack-
The soundtrack used here is sung by Miss Nagi Yanagi and beautifully compliments the visuals. It makes up a large part of what made the whole experience so damn good apart from the stunning visuals.

All in all, I doubt you'd regret watching this short commercial. It is a wonderful sight to the eyes and very pleasant to the ears. Definitely worth 2 minutes of your life.

"Woaah, what an amazing preview! When will it air?"
"Dude, it won't... that was a 2min one-shot."

Probably the most common reaction after watching these commercial cuts, and certainly the utter sadness for Shinkai fans.
Those who are already familiar with his projects, might have notice that from times to times companies from all kind of services come and asks him for short movies that will be used as commercials. All these movies have a optimistic and uplift forward-thinking look to them, caring some kind of moral or sense of ethics.

In this case, this could easily fit as a preview for a cute boy-meets-girl slice of life ... anime, character driven, one of those series that develop into a deeper drama/romance. Even though this is just speculation, it's awesome to see how a short commercial was able to incite all these thoughts, when it's main focus is to sell things not make you ...feel.
Well, that's Japan for you.
Not just thoughts though. As a classic Shinkai production, some might feel also emotional affected by these short movies. Mainly because it shows situations many of us can relate and sure have gone through something similar in the past.

Besides from Shinkai, for this one-shot we also have Masayoshi Tanaka (AnoHana, Kannagi, Mushishi, Toradora!) and Yuu Yamashita (Azumanga, Bleach, InuYasha, Usagi Drop) for the Key animation and character design, and Ayane Sakura (Love Lab, BokuwaTomodachi, Endymion -Index, Joshiraku) for Miho's voice.

While we wait for another cinematic production from Shinkai-san, watching these short stories is a great way to unwind and refresh your artistic masterpieces battery.

-As for the standard MAL rankings, there's no use in further digressing about them.
Story: 6/10 - Art: 8/10 - Sound: 8/10 - Character: 6/10 - Enjoyment: 9/10
Character and story gets an 6 due to the lack of development, obviously.
Artwork and sound 8 for the astonishment they always are.
And enjoyment sure is a 9, even though it only lasted 119 seconds.

Once upon a time, Shinkai Makoto made a name for himself overnight with a 25 minute independent short. Following his playful debut work "She and Her Cat, the poignantly existential "Voices of a Distant Star" cemented his place as a storyteller and opened the doors to the industry for the fresh young auteur.

Fast forward a decade or so, and now he has amusingly been hired to create a commercial for a cram school company. The result is surprisingly touching as a bite-size narrative, and reminds us why Shinkai Makoto is a master of the short form storytelling. The impact "Cross Road" achieves in two ... minutes is greater than what lesser anime reach in thirteen episodes.

Now don't get me wrong, Makoto's films, which have continually matured visually and thematically, continue to awe and inspire, but I can never shake the feeling that his longer, later works lack the fresh rhythm, and hard-hitting punch of his early masterpiece "Voices". His highly personal, contemplative themes emphasizing separation, chance and circumstance, alongside his lingering sentimentality over unresolved threads of life, are most effective in short bursts. When given the "freedom" of movie length run times, his pet themes can on occasion become overwrought and melodramatic. Hence, it is with this two minute commercial short that the defining elements of his unmistakable style shine through most powerfully.

When pushed to the limits with this constraining format, Makoto makes every single shot count down to millisecond duration, woven together with flawlessly timed editing over inspirational music. By condensing time and space to an extreme, Makoto is able to rapidly draw parallels that tightly entwine two characters who otherwise don't meet until the very end, as well as increase the weight of their every action. Such economy is epitomized by a brief moment in the story (that only lasts a second or two), perhaps to be considered the climax, where a shot of the school door opens, cuts to the female protagonist in thought, then cuts to a close-up twist of her pen, and to a wide shot of a classroom full of students, all to the high point in the accompanying vocals -- that culminates in the protagonists striving to fulfill their dream -- is absolutely uplifting and brilliant in a way that defines Makoto at his very best. The animation, the movement, the choice of shots, the timing from one shot to the next, the context leading up to and following this magical moment, it's all so indelibly appealing. More amazingly, every beat, every moment of these two minutes are nearly as breathlessly spirited.

Some seem to think this would be better as a movie or a series, but in my view, if it were prolonged any more than it was, it would lose so much of what makes it so potent as it exists: a refreshing two minute tale that eliminates the burden of a longer, mundane chronicle of life told so many times before and so many are familiar with. Our imagination fills in the gaps, the details, the happenings in between, and the ever after, and that makes it more than it could ever be in elaboration. Will they get into the U? Will they end up together? Does it really matter? Any extension would be the start of something else far beyond what this set out to be. "I sought to find something great, and while it may not have been what I expected, I found something... or rather, someone." As such this simple tale began and concluded. Like a classy, expensive dessert, "Cross Road" is a slice of life that comes in a small portion. And that's what this short really is -- a collection of perfect little images telling a perfect little story, which incidentally is a the perfect little commercial. Someone should remind this guy to make more short films.

Can you imagine the emotions that can be conveyed in just two short minutes of animated advertising? Allow me to tell you about a masterpiece that exceeded all my expectations, captivated me, and left a long-lasting aftertaste of admiration in my mind.

"Cross Road." Yes, that's the title of this animated work that overturned my perception of what quality advertising is. Despite its miniature size of timeline, it left an imprint on my soul comparable to the impact of classical masterpieces.

Animation. This precious gallery of visual impressions was crafted with such mastery that it seemed as if each frame was a work of art. From meticulously ... detailed backgrounds to the dynamic movements of characters, the entire timeline breathed life and energy.

I cannot fail to mention the musical accompaniment, which envelops each frame like a mantle of magic. The music in this short marvel film seems to be infused into the bloodstream, creating an incredible harmony with the visual experience.

Now, let's consider criticism, although it seems almost inappropriate in discussing this work of art. But for formality, let's express some thoughts. Moments where the animation could have become slightly more exciting and tantalizing - were cut short. However, I sincerely believe that the creators aimed to focus on the brevity and power of each minute in this way.

Thus, "Cross Road" is the embodiment of art in animated form. In just two short minutes, it left its mark on my perception and gifted excitement comparable to multi-episode epics. Rating? Clearly, a perfect ten out of ten.

Part 1 English
Part 2 Bahasa Indonesia

--------------------------------------

Alright, strap in and prepare for a wild ride, folks, because we're about to review Anime Cross Road! ( or tv commercial). This show is like a cross between Fast and Furious and a fever dream, and let me tell you, it's a trip.

the music? Oh man, the music. It's like a mix of J-pop and Eurobeat, and it's so catchy that I caught myself humming it for days after watching.

Overall, watching Anime Cross Road was a wild and wacky experience. It's not a show that takes itself too seriously, and that's part of its charm. So if you're looking ... for some mindless entertainment with a healthy dose of ridiculousness, this ad is definitely worth a watch.

And with a score of 8.375/10, it's safe to say that ads, i mean Anime Cross Road revs up the engines and delivers a high-octane adventure that's well worth your time.

--------------------------------------

Baiklah, siap-siaplah dan bersiap-siaplah untuk petualangan liar, karena kita akan mengulas Anime Cross Road! (atau iklan tv). Acara ini seperti perpaduan antara Fast and Furious dan mimpi yang memabukkan, dan biarkan saya bilang, ini adalah perjalanan.

Musiknya? Oh Tuhan, musiknya. Seperti campuran J-pop dan Eurobeat, dan sangat mudah diingat sehingga saya menemukan diri saya menghumming-nya selama beberapa hari setelah menonton.

Secara keseluruhan, menonton Anime Cross Road adalah pengalaman yang liar dan konyol. Ini bukan acara yang terlalu serius, dan itu bagian dari daya tariknya. Jadi jika Anda mencari hiburan yang tidak berpikir terlalu serius dengan dosis konyol yang sehat, iklan ini pasti layak ditonton.

Dan dengan skor 8.375/10, dapat dikatakan bahwa Anime Cross Road mempercepat mesin dan memberikan petualangan beroktan tinggi yang layak untuk waktu Anda.

Okay so, this being just a teaser/promo for Z-Kai, I'll keep this short as well.

It's Makoto Shinkai. You can't go wrong. In just 2 minutes I'm attached to these characters. I've watched this little short probably 10 times now and every time I get this thrill in my chest (it probably doesn't help that I have a soft spot for college/uni settings, seeing as I'm there in my life as well).

All in all an enjoyable little short, and totally worth 2 minutes of your time. I can only hope that Shinkai actually has something more up his sleeve for Cross Road and that I can ... gladly get my heart ripped out through my sternum again.

Two whole minutes of pure motivation of character development. Its is as if you start off at the climax of an anime, and end at the climax. The story focuses two people who strangers (teenage boy and a girl), that strive towards a similar goal and eventually crossing paths. Every moment of this short animation had me rooting for the characters. But it was the worst feeling at the end knowing that this is not going to become a full feature film since it is just a commercial... Nonetheless I still encourage everyone to watch this, even if it means procrastinating for two minutes. ...

This short animation is for those who don't have the time, but still need that burst of inspiration to study, work, or reach your goals.
The song used also fit well, but did anyone notice the melody sounded exactly like sped up remix of Danny Boy? Really interesting.

PS. The song is called Crossroad by Yanagi Nagi, PM for details on how to find it.

7/3/17 reviewed by CriticBoy

Okay, to be honest I really dont know how to start... LOL. I do my best to write this review... well here goes nothing. ;D
MY APOLOGIES FOR THIS LATE REVIEW

Story - 10/10
Not bad, good and simple 2 min video.

I should start by the Summary of this video -
What i understood from this video is that two students Miho and Shouta, are literally, like literally working DAMN hard to get into college. When they worked damn hard, they passed their Mid School exams. But they still need to work hard and they also need to do their college entry exams ... or test... whatever its called. They left their own homes and finding their own college by themselves.... When they found their college again, they successfully passed their College Entry exams. around the last part like the last few seconds they bumped into each other and credits rolls...

Well, still i give it a 10/10

Art - 10/10

PFTTT!! OBVIOUSLY! Tanaka, Masayoshi, THE MAN, THE LEGEND! ANIMATION DIRECTOR OF "KIMI NO NA WA", "GARDENS OF WORDS".... i dont know if i missed some... LOL!!

YEAH! I mean.... Excellent work on the animation!

Sound - 10/10
Good work on the music! PERFECTLY match with the video

OVERALL - 8/10
People... i'm not gonna lie... this is a hard one... WELL! YES! I do like this video! Its really entertaining!

BUT!!!

There's one small thing that i DONT like about this video... which is.....

Its too short (2 min) *Sorry but that's what i can think of...

i thought this is gonna be a MOVIE.... IT FEELS LIKE IT'S NOT ENOUGH

And I was thinking that... do you know the last part when they bumped into each other, i thought its going to be a ROMANCE movie.... THAT'S THE PART I'VE BEEN THINKING! To be honest, i REALLY 100% NOT SURE whether Makoto Shinkai's planning to do a sequel for this in the future... If he's planning it, (I dont know when or maybe NOT). If he's really planning it, then im on board.

I CAN GUARANTEE THAT IF this SEQUEL has these genres added to this SEQUEL
-ROMANCE
-SCHOOL
That would be COOL AND ENTERTAINING....

But.... they've uploaded the video on 2014. (READ THE VERY TOP)
Well.... Overall it's very good.... The final verdict for CROSSEDROADS is an 8/10!!!

I WOULD BE HAPPY IF THEY MADE A SEQUEL (MOVIE) *maybe THEY'RE NOT DEFINITELY...
THAT WILL MAKE ME RATE IT A 10/10!! If they make a Movie

I assumed upon stumbling over it on Tumblr that I would be having another break from real world but was a bit disappointed that this was just a commercial. Why? I mean why can you do that to US! It would be a very epic anime (or a manga) but still I will give it a fair rating of 10/10 because why not?
It has lot of potentials. Okay, very GREAT potentials. I mean the sound, character, enjoyment, art & story. If ever they changed their minds and make this a full blown anime please guys don't forget to contact me. I'll keep my inbox ... open and my mind open for any possibilities.

*And this is my first review ever on myanimelist for almost four year (??) of being an active user because this mini-clip/commercial is just to amazing not be commented to. *

What is this anime about? Makoto Shinkai made it so it must be good right?

Actually, sorry to disappoint you but this short little advertisement is for an education company called Z-Kai. However, Makoto Shinkai does not disappoint us even through advertisement!

Story is simply about two students with different lifestyles applying to enter the infamous Tokyo university. The university is highly competitive and requires students to do well in the entrance exam, cram school is usually a popular thing to do as it will increase their chances.

This is where Z-Kai comes in as it allows the two students to send their work via ... mail to the same place to be corrected.

Characters are unknown, we just know they are applying for Tokyo University with the assistance of the company Z-Kai throughout the minute journey.

Conclusion, I never thought that I would enjoy an advertisement this much before. After witnessing beautiful story, art and sounds from Kimi No Na Wa and Byousoku 5 Centimeter. I just could not get enough with Makoto Shinkai work and have to find something to fulfill my needs.

This short minute ad is just what I need and is definitely worthwhile to watch!

So, anybody watching this in 2017 will immediately think one thing after watching this short: "So *this* was the beginning of Kimi no Na wa, huh?"

City boy and country girl, kept apart by distance, yet with their lives strangely interwoven, searching for something that had been missing until now in their lives. It's the exact same shots from the later movie as well, only this time it's for a 2 minute commercial for the Japanese Online Cram School Z-Kai.

Art and sound are pretty good, but, on account of it being that very 2 minute commercial, obviously there's not much to be said about "story" or ... characters. Overall, it's a very decent commercial, but if given the chance to watch either this or Kimi no Na wa, I'm gonna pick Kimi no Na wa 10 out of 10 times.

Like, don't let this review keep you from watching the commercial (have I already said it's only 2 minutes long?), but ... it's a commercial. 6/10 ought to be a generous score for Z-Kai.

A lot of the other reviews have already spoken about the story, art, and so on. I feel that the other reviews have already said that there needs be said. However I would like to give my opinion as a student.

As a student who will be taking the Korean version of the SATs in 4 days this anime resonated deeply with me. Over the past 19 years, my fellow peers and I have been studying for the one day, the day that one could say is the last stop in the adolescence of a Korean student. During my final year as a student I've sometimes ... have studied to the best of my ability, dove into the anime scene, and also learned more about myself.

The biggest point I took away from this short anime was this quote: "Some place beyond, there should be the place where I want to be.".

I want to emphasize the usage of the word 'should'. We don't know if our dream university will fit us or whether we will even be accepted to that school. I feel that our nervousness of the unknown and the fact that we have no idea what will happen can hinder us in our search of our goal. In order to reach our objective we need to jump out into the unknown, to take that leap of faith that at the end of our searching we will be at the place where we want to be.

The road won't be easy, neither will it be fun; Both characters in the story are seen giving up what they need to in order to succeed. But as students, we should have the belief that if we work hard enough we will be able to find our place in this world. Nothing that will ensure our happily ever after or nothing definite, but the chance we can feel vindicated for our hard work.

For me, my time is up. In a couple of days I will be freed from all of the subjects that I studied, all of the questions that I have answered. I hope that any future student who is unsure in what they can do sees this short flick faster than I did, I'm sure it would have helped me study harder a few months ago. I hope that you can see that you can do it, and find a place where you belong.

First of all, it's not a movie or special, it's just a commercial or promotional video for Z-Kai, a company in Japan.

The art is epic, the music is amazing. Everything is awesome until you realize what it really is, a commercial. One thing to make clear, don't think of it as the boring advertisements you see on TV. This really is an anime video and the link it has to the company isn't so pronounced during the airing so don't worry about that stuff.

Anyway, these are 119 seconds of your life you will be glad to have spent watching this because sometimes you just got ... to enjoy the little things.

Though this could've been an epic movie if it were made to be.

So, that's it. Do give it a shot. It's pretty nice.

It seems really inexplicable to give a two-minute advert a 9/10 but here I am!
This is just a two-minute ad, but it manages to pack an impressive amount of expression and personality into it, which is why I gave it such a high score. It really shows the importance of expressions and body language in characters; and highlights how much can be conveyed in short periods of time by a talented team.
It speaks volumes to Shinkai’s skill when he could make me care about and ship two characters within two minutes, using their environments and expressions to very clearly express who they are. I found ... myself really wanting a full film about them!
And of course, the art is gorgeous—it’s by Makoto Shinkai.

First of all, This is not a Movie, This is more like a commercial. (The Trailer pretty much cover up the entire short)

Where do I begin, Makoto Shinkai, You beautiful bastard. You came back with another stunning short/commercial that left me in awe. As you can see. Makoto Shinkai has placed his "signature" or "style" of story telling. Showing the characters crossing paths. Also, theres a train. Makoto Shinkai must love trains.

Overall, I enjoyed this 2 minutes of beautifulness, Wished it was longer but this will do

*cough* I am expecting this to unexpectedly appear out of nowhere as a real film, Yea, Dreams are ... nice.

I never have rated an anime a full 10 before, especially for a 1:59 anime. I wish this was a full anime but this is all we got and its freakin amazing.

All I have to say is, well done Makoto Shinkai, well done.

I highly suggest you to watch this. PLEEEAAAASSSEEEE watch it for the love of god.

The animation is so good. One of the best animation pieces I have seen to date, and its not even an actual series.

The music is, just awesome!

The characters, I don't know but I feel that I can relate to them, studying hard to get into a good school. It ... adds a good sense of realism which I really like. No matter how much I like giant robots fighting each other or magical girls in skimpy clothing get dominated by fan service, this anime, even if it is only 2 mins long, is the best 2 minutes I have ever witnessed.

Firstly, to appreciate this masterpiece it is necessary to watch it after 1:30 am, as your last remaining neurons are struggling to keep you awake.

With this basic point in mind, we find here not only an excellent animation, but a metacritical analysis to the generic isekais and the Japanese educational system, demonstrating all the mental, physical and socioeconomic abuse that students suffer to simply obtain a higher education diploma.

Unfortunately, the show loses points due to its open ending and the characters, which are relatively generic, including one of the protagonists as an aboriginal triplet woman would be more inclusive and current.

In short, watch WAKFU.

9/10

I don’t normally watch shorts because I’m someone who likes detail and depth. A short film like this (< 2 minutes long) is something I generally avoid. I only checked this out because it was done by the same guy who directed Your Name and I wondered why on earth he’d make a film that’s too short to tell any sort of story. And after all, even if it was a complete waste of my time it was only two minutes gone.

This film tells the maximum amount of story that it’s possible to tell in two minutes. We see the two leads working at school, ... we get a small sense of their life and goals, and we get an idea of their connection, and we watch them move on to college. And that’s it. I couldn’t tell you much about their personalities or home life, but it’s not really about that. It’s about the emotion it captures. It’s about the feeling of discovering your place in the world. The sensation of moving out on your own for the first time. The urge to form a connection with others. And it does all of that in two minutes with minimal dialogue.

The animation is beautiful. Some of the best I’ve ever seen. It helps to convey an atmosphere all on its own. This could be a silent film and we’d still get the idea. It’s hard to say exactly why, but this film manages to convey more in a couple of minutes than many series do in twenty episodes. Recommended as a short waste of your time.

Was so disappointed to find out this 'trailer' was nothing more than one-shot special. It would have made an amazing movie!!

Story: 5/10
There isn't much of a story, due to it being only 2 minutes long. Though it was very cute for what it was. Two high schoolers trying their best to get into college, destined to meet. I would have loved to see this be turned into a full movie. It's kinda similar to Kimi no na wa, and possibly the movie was inspired by this.

Art: 10/10
As always, Shinkai's productions have top quality art and animation. It was beautiful to look at, the colours and ... the fluid animation were breathtaking.

Sound: 10/10
The song that played in the background was beautiful!! Definitely catchy and I would love to hear it again.

Character: 5/10
This has a low rating solely due to the fact that it is a 2 minute short, meaning there is not a lot you're able to learn about them in this short time. However, if this had been expanded into a movie/series, then I think they could have blossomed and become really memorable characters. Their designs, especially Miho's, were very pretty and unique!

Enjoyment: 7/10
Despite this being so short, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it, I replayed it a couple times in fact. If you can spare just 2 minutes of your day, then this is something you should highly consider.

Overall: 7/10
Very pretty animation, very cute characters, cute story. Highly recommend!! It is so short that anyone can take time out of their day to watch.