The tripartite anthology "Shikioriori", is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture and recent Chinese history, in particular that of China's rapid economic development during the 1990s, so it pains me to read so many reviews that seem to exhibit no awareness and no understanding of the cultural context and demographic to which this film targets.
1) Sunny Breakfast
For non-Chinese people, or those who have not grown up in Chinese-influenced societies like much of South East Asia, you may not know that food is widely recognised as the most important part of Chinese culture. That Chinese people often greet each other with "Have you eaten" and that Chinese
...
parents will express their love for their children not with "I love you" but "Have you eaten/there is food" is merely one of the many culturally ingrained aspects of Chinese culture where food is often the basis for family bonding and socialising.
In "Sunny Breakfast", Xiaomin contemplates the ephemerality of people and things in life, with his most cherished experiences relating back to his favourite noodles. The whole vignette takes the form of Xiaomin's inner thoughts and soliloquising as we follow his life's journeys as we observe snippets of the memories he looks back to, as he feels his life is nothing more than a tasteless existence, that no longer has the "flavour of his youth" about which he reminisces and from which he begins to learn.
The extended metaphor and the experiences he goes through are very much those that most ordinary Chinese people that live in cities post the late 1980s when Deng Xiaoping begun the process of transformation Shanghai to the megacity it is today. For a short story, "Sunny Breakfast" does well in encapsulating the experiences many young Chinese adults will have gone through and the thought processes they felt. In the whirlwind of time, it is easy to forget the impermanence of that which one grows up with and just that alone is sufficient material for a short story like the first of Shikioriori's to explore.
2) A Little Fashion Show
This is the most straightforward and least attached to Chinese culture of the three and may be more accessible emotionally and storywise to MAL's Western base. It is a short story about cherishing those close to you and how family, as well as recognising the bilateral nature of such relationships. Perhaps the weakest of the three, its simplicity nonetheless means that its narrative is clear even if the experience of viewing it feels a bit rushed as the plot proceeds from one to the next, with little time for the nuanced introspection and characterisation we had of Xiaomin in the previous film.
I consider this to have been the weakest entry as its appeal to pathos is not particularly convincing and could have benefitted from more introspection of the sisters rather creating an antagonist, whose purpose had little value beyond advancing the plot whose message could have been achieved without so I felt it to be more shallow than the others. Luckily, being in the middle saves "Shikioriori" from giving a bad first impression or a disappointing finale.
3) Shanghai Love
Even though it's a homage to Byousoku 5 Centimeter, I think it's more of an indictment of MAL's demographic that this film is being likened to all of Shinkai's other works when really it shares very little with any of his works. That a mere story of 2 adolescents in love that faces struggle is enough for people to liken "Shanghai Love" with Byousoku 5 Centimeter is more of a testament to the lack of repertoire MAL's demographic has surrouding romance as a genre where people view romance as dating and "who ends up with whom" rather than romance as being a medium via which to explore human relationships, emotions, and growth etc. Regardless, that doesn't change the fact that it does not come close to reaching the sheer emotional profundity and character authenticity and complexity Byousoku 5 Centimeter achieved, nor the surgical precision with which Shinkai's film explored its themes.
"Shanghai Love" is more about Shanghai and Chinese culture than it is really about love. The story surrounds 3 friends who through various circumstances end up on different life paths that lead to our protagonist to ponder on his present and future, sparked by a reminder of the past. What I found impressive in this story was the way Chinese familial structure, relationships, and familial expectations are all accurately woven in the context of 1990s Shanghai which faced rapid modernisation, gentrification as well as technological development - themes that were all deftly used as metaphors in this romantic tale.
It is the longest of the three but aptly works as a conclusion to this anthology. Whereas the first focused heavily on one's past, the second on the present, this final film goes one step further using its additonal time to encompass the future and the film's ending culminates into an emotionally rewarding experience that feels like chicken soup for the soul.
--Final Thoughts--
Shikioriori is a Chinese production made for Chinese, or at the very least, Eastern audiences. Its audiovisuals are strong owing to its production committee and brevity but nothing exceptional. But crucially, it takes advantage of the time it has to provide a reflective and heartfelt piece about the transience of life, youth and on grasping the future, in a context that is often very ingrained within modern Chinese society. However, these themes are universal and I think audiences from all over the world can relate to the problems and feelings our protagonists hold, in a succinct package that can be digested separately in 3 parts, if you feel you don't want to commit to something long.
I think for a lot of mainland Chinese millenials in their twenties, there is something even greater to pontificate upon and extract from Shikioriori, a film that I personally thoroughly enjoyed, and captured me in its reminiscent and phantasmagorical atmosphere.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: 肆式青春, Si Shi Qing Chun
Japanese: 詩季織々(しきおりおり)
More titlesInformation
Type:
Movie
Episodes:
3
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Aug 4, 2018
Producers:
The Answer Studio, Sound Team Don Juan, Tokyo Theatres, Haoliners Animation League, bilibili
Licensors:
None found, add some
Studios:
CoMix Wave Films
Source:
Original
Duration:
26 min. per ep.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Ranked:
#38292
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#1312
Members:
181,903
Favorites:
422
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 39 / 65
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Your Feelings Categories Aug 4, 2018
The tripartite anthology "Shikioriori", is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture and recent Chinese history, in particular that of China's rapid economic development during the 1990s, so it pains me to read so many reviews that seem to exhibit no awareness and no understanding of the cultural context and demographic to which this film targets.
1) Sunny Breakfast For non-Chinese people, or those who have not grown up in Chinese-influenced societies like much of South East Asia, you may not know that food is widely recognised as the most important part of Chinese culture. That Chinese people often greet each other with "Have you eaten" and that Chinese ... Aug 4, 2018
This is going to be my first review! (LIGHT SPOILERS)
Story: 7 This movie is an anthology that is composed of 3 stories. I'll briefly comment about it one by one. "A Sunny Breakfast" 6/10 it comes off as an introduction story of an adult lingering the remnants of youth. The story doesn't really progress instead it comes off poetic and nostalgic. But that's just it. "A Little fashion show". 8/10 A story about two sisters with different careers that separates them from living a kind of lifestyle yet they share the same roof. It's pretty decent to look at it as a whole but somehow it lacked ... May 18, 2019
There are two things you should know about "Flavors of Youth":
1. It's a great anime. 2. You probably won't think it's a great anime. "Flavors of Youth" strikes me as an inaccessible anime - particularly to western audiences - and not just because of its meandering, introspective nature that would put a lot of people to sleep. I would describe it as a cultural piece that, to fully appreciate, you not only need to know about Chinese culture, you must have been submerged in it at some point in your life. On top of that, the anime homes in on a very specific Chinese generation: the generation who ... Aug 4, 2018
• SLIGHT SPOILER REVIEW •
Shikioriori, English name: Flavors of Youth, is divided into 3 Chapters: First (Sunny Breakfast), Second (Small Fashion Show), Third (Shanghai Love). Similar on what Shinkai did on 5 Centimeters per Second. The movie is placed in China and even the main character’s name is all in Chinese. But the studio and voice actors are Japanese. Here’s my quick review of the film: Story: As the film begins, you're greeted with an aesthetically beautiful art and animation followed by a few words and the first chapter’s title. The MC of the first chapter then is introduced. As the first chapter ends, the second chapter ... Aug 25, 2018
The 3 parts covered in Shikioriori are the about the 3 basic needs of human life.
It's my first review. Excuse me if it's not structured properly. Spoilers Ahead! 1. Food "Hidamari no Choushoku" (Sunny Breakfast) It took us through the need for food. The magical taste of San Xian noodles. How the loss/change of the taste would make us feel, the people with whom we eat and the atmosphere of where we eat. ... Jul 19, 2020
--- > *Minor spoilers* <---
First story was just about a guy smacking on some bomb noodles and that was pretty cool. The animation when they were whipping it up in the kitchen was kinda heat ngl. I personally found this pretty average. The animation was nice and all but the story wasn't that interesting, it's just about a guy that likes grubbing on some noodles. 6/10 The second story was about 2 sisters, one of them worked as a model and the other worked as a designer for her model sister. This story was like eh bruh like I lowkey could've just skipped it and ... Aug 4, 2018
To begin, this anime was premiered at AnimeExpo 2018 if this is in fact what I think it is, so despite the fact that I haven’t been able to add it to my watched list, this is a review for a show that was shown long before MAL said it first aired (and I’m still slightly upset that MAL wouldn’t let me say I completed it, but that’s not your problem)
While I normally review in the same boring style based on the categories of story, art, sound, character, enjoyment, and overall as per MAL recommendation, Shikioriori/flavors of youth (FoY; sorry but I will be abbreviating ... Oct 26, 2023
Shikioriori 8/10 but uniquely enough for me to write a review for the kind you to give it a try
This movie's theme is: REGRET I know we humans are bitterly imperfect, but please give your best. I plead with you to do it every time. This movie's storytelling is different from the usual. 3 individuals with their own monogatari (story). Each has made a mistake by not trying their best in their own respective way. 1/ Not trying to confront his own feelings and always choosing to watch from sideways 2/ Misplacing her priority between work and family. A major setback e is part of life, stay strong. 3/ Acting based ... Sep 2, 2023
Flavors of youth.
Damnit why does Anime have to portray food that looks like that? Even though I cannot eat beef, I want some San Xian Noodles so bad... the way they animated it.... holy It was advertised as the same people who made Your Name, but no Makoto Shinkai this time. What you get is the beautiful animation. ... Aug 4, 2018
Flavor of Youth, A box full of happiness wrapped in 1 hour with 3 different segments
This Spoiler Contains No spoilers, Shikishiori/si shi qi chun / Flavor of Youth is like a bowl of "chicken soup" contains a lot of spices which makes it spicy and full of surprises. Shikishiori is a movie with 3 short stories in it, we do hope the short stories connect each other but sadly comix had a different plan for this one. In order to explain it in details, i've breaked down the story into 3 paragraphs. The first story tells us about a story of a young man with all his ... Aug 7, 2018
SPOILER FREE REVIEW
This movie is awesome. Everyone will love it. I felt goosebumps after a long time. Last time I felt like that while I was watching Kimi no na wa (Your name). The best is art in this movie. You can feel the sound. This movie consists 3 stories together. All are very cute and heart warming story. 3 stories have 3 different flavours, flavours of youth. My personal most favourite is the 1st one but others are great too. This movie gives you satisfaction. And happiness. In every story the protagonist presents their life stories in childhood and now with some nostalgia and ... Aug 6, 2018
I wrote a review for this movie, but it seems like it didn't get saved, cause now it's gone (maybe I accidentally deleted it). So here's a VERY summed up review of the anthology movie mostly so I can go back here if I ever forget why I liked the movie
Short 1: Had good animation but looked very weird sometimes. The story was very plain and so was the main character who didn't get any development either. The music was okay Short 2: Had much better animation, characters, and story, but the music was still just okay Short 3: Had a great story, good animation, and okay ... Aug 14, 2018
This is a difficult one for me. To give some background, I’m a 17 year old who lived in ShangHai for 11 years of my life, and trust me, I have a few things to say about this film.
Setting: I did not know the stories were located in China before I started watching it, since it was suggested by a friend, but I did enjoy the fact that it is something new and different. Without losing the forces on the story the film is trying to tell, it does a great job of setting the right location with the right context. Everything felt right, but not ... Aug 6, 2018
I just finished This movie about 5 min ago and I think it was very poetic and heart warming, I think the first story was confusing at first. I couldn't figure out what it was about until a quarter way through the story, but i honestly think it was very moving by the end, it was short and sweet. Now the second one I didn't so much, I think the story was rushed as well as the character development but I thought it was cute in the end and I enjoyed it a little. The third one was very moving (probably cause I'm a sucker
...
Jul 10, 2019
[Spoiler Free Review]
I am someone who was born and raised in the country of Iceland so I've never really properly experienced urban life for long period of times, yet even though these stories take place in china, the reminisced quite well with me and my old cold heart. The Movie Follows the sweet young love stories of three characters from different areas and in different cities of china. I've always been a big fan of china and its rich juicy history, and have even considered moving there if it was not for its urban pollution problems and messed politics. Its obviously directed towards the Chinese ... Oct 20, 2018
Really amazing work!
The stories are about the little things in life and why we should cherish them. They are easy to relate to and did bring back quite a lot of memories from my youth (I'm not even 25, what am I saying, haha). It's one of those anime that, while nostalgic, evokes a sort of inner piece and brightens your day. I enjoyed it throughout! Story: 9/10 Art: 10/10 - The art really is outstanding! Very colorful and well made Animation: 9/10 - While not having many fast-paced scenes, simple ones like making noodles were taken to the next level. ... Aug 7, 2018
I will admit, I'm a Shinkai fanboy, though its probably obvious if you look at my scores and see my high scores for all of his movies. Something about his stories really strike a chord in me, even if he seemingly retells the same story over and over again. He could tell it probably a dozen more times and I'd still love them all. This is probably the biggest reason why I didn't dislike Flavors of Youth, despite it being a little bit lacking in the emotional investment department.
Half of every great anime, but especially anime movies, comes from the visuals and soundtrack. It's an ... Nov 17, 2018
Each story has a beautiful ring to it.
The first story, depicts the story of the love towards food and shadowing the relationship between a grandmother and grandson behind it. It inspires us on how important it is to appreciate the moment while it lasts. The second story, reflects on the relationship between two sisters, how their life influence each other and the beautiful they share, supporting each other despite the fights that they had. The third story, has just shown how we all make mistakes and yet the time cannot be rewinded, what is done in the past has already gone. You could only continue your life, ... Dec 13, 2020
Flavours of Youth is a story not dedicated to literal food. Rather, a collection of three stories from a time of the early tastes of life. The taste of nostalgia if you like.
I can't say I relate to this movie, my life isn't very exciting or eventful compared to others. What I will say however is that it is a good representation of the many different stories people carry along with them and continue to write days, months, years into the future, until the halting of one's life comes. Picture yourself in a busy metropolitan area, with every person that passes you, a story, eventful, ... Dec 3, 2020
Although Flavors of Youth might not have the same western appeal as the studios' other works, it is still a film worth experiencing with fantastic visuals, effective music and stories that are short yet sweet. Some might find this movie to be 'boring' as the concepts on paper are quite simple and not particularly interesting, however the artistic way that these stories are told makes them surprisingly engaging and really shows the talent of the studio behind this movie.
It might not be for everyone, however I can safely say I really enjoyed my time with this film and recommend people to give it a chance. |