Sora no Aosa wo Shiru Hito yo

Just writing my review right after watching this movie.

THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW, BE WARNED!!! (Almost Spoiler-free)

Story: 4/10
The story is really confusing at the start until that red-haired character showed up later in the movie. Just imagine the same person meeting each other but they are in different timelines. (This is some time travelling stuff) The main point of the story is falling in love with the same person who you had relationship with before. Personally, I don't really like the story so that's the main reason why I gave it a 4.

Art: 9/10
Art is exceptionally good in this movie. On par with Your Name ... and Weathering with You. People who likes anime with good art should try to watch this movie.

Sound: 7/10
Sound is somewhat good to me and gets a decent score from me easily.
I won't get into this because I don't critique music well.

Character: 6/10
Character development is pretty okay. All the characters are pretty interesting to watch, especially the red haired guy. I won't get into this because I only know the character for only 1 hour+ and may have to rewatch this sometime.

Enjoyment: 4/10
If I don't enjoy the story, I also won't get to enjoy the movie. Trust me, some decent Korean dramas have way better plot than this.

Overall: 5/10
I will cut it short.
- If you like good art anime, this movie you should give it a try.
- If you like good plot anime, avoid this movie.
- If both, I recommend avoid.

From the trailer, Her Blue Sky looked decent enough. A well-produced and animated coming of age story with aspiring musicians that was helmed by key members behind Anohana, a solid, rather melodramatic, tearjerker. Instead of rising to the level of the aforementioned series, Her Blue Sky instead imitates the mediocrity of the team's other work, Anthem of the Heart.

One thing all three productions have in common is a fantasy element. While I didn't have an issue with this in the other two titles, it felt unneeded here, exploring feelings of the past that would have been better relegated to subtext. In fact, Japanese films and ... anime have a rather tiresome penchant for injecting rote fantasy elements into an otherwise ordinary story as of late. It often amounts to adding boatloads of spice to a bland dish.

The film is a typical slice of life about following your dreams (or not) and growing up. The two paths are represented by Shinno, the ghost with the same youthful ambition as the main character, and Shinnosuke, who isn't following his dreams.
The latter is a gruff, unfulfilled musician, playing in a crappy enka band that no one in the show seems to enjoy, and I doubt many of the people watching this movie would either.

Not only do we get to see Shinnosuke panty-chase after the main character's sister, but the main also had a crush on the old version of Shinno, and is like "Oh, senpai, I always loved you and wanted to tell you uwu, but now you're a creepy old guy about to marry my sister... NO!" when talking to the ghost. An unnecessary child character also tags along just to confirm to the audience that the main is not crazy. There's added "comedy" and animu shenanigans as she prevents her sister from walking into find ghost Shinno. The fantasy element was unnecessary and all of it could have been embedded in the subtext. As it is, it's no more than a distraction.

The characters spend all their time rehearsing their music, but the buildup never went anywhere, leaving an empty feeling. The problem is that the enka music was presented as lame in the film and seemingly wouldn't have been satisfying as a conclusion or a pivotal scene, since it seemed to be a part of Shinnosuke having given up on his dreams (and the vocalist is awful). With the ridiculous flying sequence at the end and all the Shinno nonsense, there wasn't enough time for the characters to make any kind of alternative music. It really feels like if they cut out all the fantasy fat, then maybe Aoi and Shinnosuke, after finally settling their differences, could have gotten a band together alongside the enka music practice, having the film conclude with one of their very own songs they put all of their passion into.

Not to say this isn't a cliche ending, for I've seen this in other movies and series, but this is just typical payoff for a movie about a band. Even if they decided this didn't work and wanted to go in a different direction, as they did, it's surprising that a movie so focused on music actually has very little GOOD music. I've never seen a film about a band that was so musically boring.

Some of the character interaction is decent or quite good, but much of it felt rushed and underdeveloped. The main spends so much time talking to the old Shinno, resulting in her never really getting to know the real Shinnosuke. While the main's female friend was probably a good and needed inclusion, she never really has much to do in the short running length of the film, and I question if she also should have been excised or given a few extra scenes.

In conclusion, this is an okay slice of life drama with an unneeded fantasy element. It's watchable, but Anohana or Ghibli films like Only Yesterday would probably be a better choice.

I would've thought this is gonna be good anime like K-ON stuff

but after watching this, i was like "what is the point of this anime?" the story is too messy and cannot be understood easily.

but luckily the art/graphic in this anime is nice to watch though and the song is pleasant to hear.

but what is unfortunate is the plot of the story is unclear and confused, i don't know if this can be a recommended anime because its to confusing

well I don't know if I caught the wrong thought when watching this anime but this far way from my expectations

Sora no Aosa wo Shiru Hito yo

I was lucky enough to catch the movie in theatres as soon as it was released, I can safely say I enjoyed the movie but it’s definitely not rewatch worthy. Certainly not as good as the other movies released this year like Tenki no Ko or Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel.

There wasn’t anything particularly notable during the movie apart from the unusual setting and considerably weird plot... That... and my friend sleeping in the cinema.

Well, that statement stands for itself. The movie’s concept is unique. It’s unusual setting which involves a form of time travel with an added twist. And ... a weirdly cliched plot with weird relationships.

-SPOILER-

Second-year high school student Aoi Aioi is an aspiring musician Aoi Aioi. Her older sister Akane's ex-boyfriend Shinnosuke Kanomura is a struggling guitarist. Aoi and Akane's parents passed away in an accident 13 years ago, and Akane gave up her ambition of going to Tokyo with Shinnosuke to take care of Aoi. Since then, Aoi has felt indebted to her older sister.

Years later, Akane's ex-boyfriend, Shinnosuke, returns to town to perform at a music festival. At the same time as the re-encounter between the two former lovers, Aoi meets Shinnosuke's teenage self, who has traveled from the past to the present-and Aoi falls in love for the first time.

-SPOILER END-

There were... I must say, countless flaws in the anime.
Firstly, was the fact that this anime barely had any originality in the entire setting of it. It was quite boring but I thoroughly enjoyed the concept and art which was mainly what kept me watching. That and the voice actors did a good job.
Next, Aoi. The ending was what kept me thinking. The anime ended with the characters agreeing that Aoi is young and dumb but the thing about her is that she’s straightforward. My foot... Aoi has been a selfish kid throughout the entire anime. From a little girl to a teenager, she’s been selfish to a fault. She felt guilty because of that, of course she would... She doesn’t mean it. But instead of being straightforward and apologising or expressing her guilt by telling Akane she feels guilty for her selfishness and wishes to redeem herself. Aoi literally expressed her guilt with rebellion and resentment... Excuse me?

In what world is that straightforward.

Last but not least, why the hell was Young Shinno bounded in the room? That made absolutely zero sense! The worst part was that he was bounded by a freaking guitar. When the guitar broke, he was free. But the guitar was barely featured and the aspect of significance wasn’t given. Why was the guitar the catalyst? All that was said was the guitar was a gift of sorts from Akane. That made absolutely zero correlation to why it was the catalyst for his confinement.

That’s not the end of it, there’s more.

So why is it that I’m still giving the anime a 6/10? Because in its own right, the anime was okay. I could understand where all the characters were coming from, how they felt and how I can relate to them. I also thoroughly enjoyed the OST and the interesting correspondence between Aoi and Akane.

-Spoiler-

If you look at it closely, Akane’s boyfriend is Shinnosuke. She likes Shinnosuke and Michinko likes Akane!
On the other hand, Aoi likes Young Shinno while Tsugu (Michinko’s son) likes Aoi!

-Spoiler End-

I loved all the characters and the musical cohesion that was supposed to be the main attraction. So it was pretty disappointing compared to anime like Your Lie in April where the musical romance was ways stronger.

After thinking about it, Aoi was actually pretty useless. The anime made it seem like she was the only one that could change what’s about to happen but she didn’t do shit... She couldn’t decide between her sister and her sister’s boyfriend from the past. She didn’t help with getting Shinnosuke and her sister together. She didn’t do anything.

Everything just sort of fell in place for her. From Michinko gradually accepting rejection and stopped wooing Akane... To the lack of crew members that led to Aoi joining Shinnosuke’s band... Even when Akane was in trouble and Aoi ran to Young Shinno for help only to find out that Young Shinno had met the current Shinno and afterwards talked the current Shinno into changing to a better person... Come on, that was your job Aoi... You’re supposed to be the Main Character not Young Shinno...

What a mess really...

Aoi was actually just the narrator. And a catalyst for fan hatred.

Well... at least we can end off and call this an experiment for a newer approach similar to Anohana.

This was an anime worth watching if you have nothing better to do. I rest my case.









Take note that this review may be outdated. Always check my profile for my latest rating, I may have changed my rating due to various reasons.








Take note that this review may be outdated. Always check my profile for my latest rating, I may have changed my rating due to various reasons.

Sora no Aosa wo Shiru Hito yo, or Her Blue Sky for short.


Spoiler warning, but to sum up the show, it's not that good anyway.


With that, I'll be brief and clear on the review. Her Blue Sky is a movie that really just uses the same anime formula but tries to incorporate its own plot to the structure. The show honestly starts off with no hesitation, from the get-go we are literally just thrown into the movie. Promising start I presume, plus what came after that was honestly fine. Mediocre and somewhat cliche of the 'anime-vibe', scenes of Japanese school life/scenery/people blah blah blah... The ... usual in an anime movie that takes place in Japan. For those who have watched or haven't watched, I must admit the 'scenarios' they used to fill in the anime formula is kind of weak. But it's acceptable, nothing too bizarre or out of this world, it's just kinda boring. But what came after the backstory, introduction and the development of our characters, Aoi and her sister Akane, struck me interested. We get to see the person Shinnosuke, that was close to both the sisters before, in his youth days. Now I'm not very clear on saying what's happening so, this Shinnosuke was close to the sisters when Aoi was a young child, 13 years later Shinnosuke became an older man. But what Aoi saw was the young Shinnosuke or Shinno. Honestly, until this point, I was engaged, I was interested. Nothing mind-blowing or super eye-catching but it was fine for what it was. So straight to the problem, the ending quarter of the show just threw everything it had before. The story felt as if the writer or director just gave up and rushed towards the end as quickly as possible. Like when I saw it my initial reaction was 'Oh no'. Like I knew at that point the show just went downhill from there.

-SCORES-

Character- 6/10: To be frank, Aoi was actually a decent character. Another thing about this show was that it had details in movement and actions from the characters. What is the issue was that there were too many characters. So many and so many that felt shallow and weak. What the supporting characters were introduced or made felt as if the movie was meant as a series. Apart from that, there's also the cliche character saying 'I don't like this' or 'I don't think you should do that' kind of thing that makes for a very cheap drama.

Art- 8/10: Amazing I must say, honestly the star of the show. The production was great but sadly the writing couldn't be as good as the visuals.

Writing- 4/10: It was honestly just following the anime formula until the director gave up and the writing went to hell at the ending. Like the ending was somewhat close, but more like a door that's not fully close, it's just incomplete I feel.

Sound- 7/10: Fine for the most part, but I was losing my shit when they pulled a flying scene (where two people start flying in the air) and the music just suddenly increases so much louder, just like Spirited Away or Weathering With You.

Overall, I'm not super disappointed cause the show wasn't amazing, to begin with. The plot was somewhat amusing but the execution of scenes and writing just seriously need help. Plus, once again, the ending is trash.


Strong 5 to a Light 6

Her Blue Sky, a movie that exists.

Story 5/10
Honestly, as I sat through this movie I only grew more and more bewildered by the plot of this movie, which has nothing really to do with either time travel or the weather. The plot is nonsensical at times leaving you to scream questions at the screen, and by the end of leaves several plot threads left hanging.

Art 6/10
I may have been spoilt by Makoto Shinkai's weathering with you and expected this film to have the same fidelity as that one. The expectation was not met sadly with most of ... the scenes only being slightly better than most TV anime.

Sound 7/10
It's pretty decent, and is by far the best part of this movie though not really all that praiseworthy either.

Characters 6/10
The characters were a mixed bag, I disliked some I liked others. The MC comes off as overly angsty and edgier than a razor, not entirely unlikeable but I much prefer if she has toned down these traits by at least a little. To loop back to the plot for a second, some of the characters shown in this movie have next to no purpose which makes me wonder if the plot has left them behind.

Enjoyment + Overall 6/10
Overall I can safely say that the film is mediocre and while enjoyable enough to not feel like a waste of time I wouldn't recommend it unless you're really itching for a dose of mediocrity.

TLDR; Movie's plot is meh, characters are a mixed bag, art is ok, sound ain't terrible and is pretty mediocre overall.

The biggest down fall of this movie is unfortunately the story. Even at almost 2 hours ling i can't help but feel it is rushed in places and goes from middle to end very quickly. Some great ideas in this movie and i could connect with both of Shinnosuke versions. I think there was great potential in a story of a teenager meeting one's older self who isn't happy or satisfied in life but i don't think that is explored enough and the movie missed the mark on who the main character should be. Aoi isn't a bad main but i couldn't really get ... invested in her as i honestly thought she was a bit bland and one dimensional while Shinnosuke and her older sister Akane had much more potential especially Akane who is relegated much more to a supporting role which is a real shame. The animation is fantastic throughout the movie and this is its best feature. Throughout watching i couldn't help but notice how amazing the background looks and the scene in the park with grown up Shinnosuke and Akane having a catch up it down right fantastic as is the very random and never explained flying scene late on.

While not a classic or overly deserving of a re watch in future it is certainly worth a go for the amazing animation alone it makes up for the disappointing story and characters

*SPOILER FREE REVIEW*

Overall: 6/10

This is an Anime movie that pushes the boundaries of successful formulas and doesn't execute it well, this has a lot of wasted potential because of it's mediocre plot and relatable but unbelievable characters.

Story: 6/10

It's not time travel, instead there's a living spirit of Shinnosuke from a previous time line that exists in the current one. The themes and ideas for me weren't very clear and apparent, there are a lot of parts that lack explanation and felt rushed. Given that they had 1 hour and 30 minutes to work with, they had more than enough time but still somehow managed to ... flop.

Art: 8/10

It's just beautiful, don't expect anything like Your Name. or Weathering With you levels of art.

Sound: 8/10

Fantastic OST.

Characters: 6/10

A lot of the characters in the current timeline are supposed to be in their early 30's yet they look like in they're in the late 40's. A difference in clothing and hair colour would've been more than enough to signal a time or age difference.

You will find someone to relate to, but because of how the story is set up, they're not entirely believable either.

Enjoyment: 5/10

To be honest, if 2 certain people ended up together this could've been way more enjoyable. There are a lot of parts that are unexplained and rushed through for the sake of time which leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

The ending is just one big fat WTF that you won't understand unless you paid some attention.