Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san

I was fortunate enough to watch a screening of this at the Anime NYC convention in November, months before the public release. It was part of a double billing along with Belle, the latest film by Mamoru Hosoda, whom you might know from Wolf Children. While Belle packed the auditorium and received far more hype in the form of its own booth and advertisements all throughout the convention, Pompo felt like the actual masterpiece.

From the very beginning of the movie, the cinematography stunned me. Compared to most other anime, the world of Nyallywood seemed very much alive, colorful, and dynamic. Every scene transition was ... fancy, sort of like how Akudama Drive was initially presented. But while the snazzy effects tapered off after episode 1, for Pompo, it remained for the entire movie. Perspectives and establishing shots were wide and varied, and any flapping mouth scenes were kept to a minimum amount of time. The character designs may be simple, but that allowed the characters to act more fluidly.

Pompo's creed when it comes to movie production could be considered controversial. It constantly drove home the point that a story shouldn't tell everything that happened. It should tell everything IMPORTANT that happened. The movie itself listens to its own advice, as its runtime is 1.5 hours. Some may disagree with Pompo's aggressive "scorched earth" method of film editing, that there is inherent value in savoring every bit of the story. There are many fans of long-running epics such as One Piece. Even live-action movies are trending towards ultra-long runtimes, such as Avengers Endgame at 3 hours. Fans who prefer grand world-building shows with a cornucopia of characters and side stories will hesitate to accept Pompo's film editing method as a proper and correct way to tell a story. However, as a fan who prefers all stories to wrap up in 2 cours (26 episodes) or less, Pompo's message resonated with me. Many directors who love to pad their stories could learn a thing or two from this. Despite Pompo's tight runtime, not once did it ever felt rushed, and every scene felt like it lasted for just the right amount of time. It certainly had more substantial content than Belle, which ran 32 minutes longer, and had sluggish scenes that I wished would end already. Could Pompo have been longer? Certainly. But even at 1.5 hours, it gives every character their moment in the limelight, and makes you care.

At the two-thirds point in the movie, the film editing for the movie being created is complete. Had the movie concluded like that, it would've still been a great watch. But there's a powerful final act, and this final act was what put Pompo over the top as an all-time great. It recognized the sweat, devotion, and sacrifices needed to be the very best, whether it's for a hobby or a profession. As a content creator, I understood this all too well. Sometimes "good enough" isn't what you really desire. You want to leave it all on the floor and have no regrets. Pompo had spent significant time developing the lead character's backstory, in which he had absorbed film knowledge and wrote his own ideas in his notebook since childhood. Even then, he wasn't a miracle worker; he had to put in a backbreaking amount of time and effort to create the final product, affecting his overall health. The supporting characters were also developed enough that you could believe they all got to where they are through hard work and effort. Even the stereotypical attractive actress introduced at the beginning of the movie, whom I thought was a throwaway character, showed another side of herself.

The final act of Pompo did what other "work creation" shows could not: convince me that the work being created was actually fantastic. With the critically acclaimed Shirobako, there was no illusion that the three anime the studio produced would be classics. The one-shot anime in Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, another well-regarded show, was an admirable attempt by amateurs, but ultimately wasn't all that special. Remake Our Life skipped showing whatever the main characters created, probably because the author couldn't write anything of that level. But the movie made in Pompo, called Meister, looked like a legitimate award-winning work, and I'd watch a full version of it.

Pompo is an absolute gem. With its rapid direction and loveable cast, this was the movie at Anime NYC that should've received all the attention. There's enough in its playful, colorful appearance to appeal to a wide audience. But it's the thought-provoking ideas, such as its "scorched earth" method of film editing, and unconventional cinematography, that will leave a long-lasting impression on viewers.

Pompo: The Cinéphile asks what the gap is between a fun, wacky B-movie and a serious, critical masterpiece. Gene Fini, aspiring director, must realize what a master leaves behind to leap over that gap.

Pompo: The Cinéphile isn't a masterpiece. But it's charming, fast-paced, and in my eyes, a great film. It's aware that reasonable chunks of character development, several really beautiful cinematic shots, and good-looking characters, keep the audience at the edge of their seat without getting fatigued by the length of a masterpiece. Whenever Gene sees a fantastic scene, we as the audience can't help but agree.

If you want to watch ... a film about how old classic cinema and modern cinema still push film directors to make difficult decisions, this movie may be something very special. If not, this is still a film with great sound direction and voice casting. Kohara as Pompo and Ootsuka as Martin were really fun to hear with some great monologues. The sounds the characters make in different rooms and environments convey the changing sceneries.

A potential shortcoming of the movie, which at the same time also keeps it light-hearted, is that rather than strong antagonists, the story is more about fighting against the difficult situations a professional life throws at you.

Pompo shows off some wonderful shots of the film-inside-a-film, whether it involves a surfing beach babe or an overworked Gene summoning lightning from his keyboard. While it doesn't carry itself as a completely serious game-changer, you'll hopefully walk away with a smile and maybe a couple insightful thoughts about your own careers or future careers.

“Just like I was saved by movies, I want my movie to be seen and able to save someone.” - Gene Fini

Pompo: The Cinéphile is a 90-minute show about striving in the movie industry, filled with a great proportion balance between comedy and drama, as well as giving audiences a glimpse of how the movie industry and the filmmaking process works.

The story is mainly focused on Gene Fini, who has been entrusted by Pompo in directing a new movie project. Being his first time directing something, he must build up his confidence, overcome his anxiety, and face the upcoming challenges along his journey in order ... to bring the project to success. While it is not just Gene, each character also has their own story, background, and goals to achieve. Each of them will be affecting or influencing Gene in some way or another.

The art style and its color usage fit with the atmosphere of the show. The animation is something that really made the show much better, simply adding the dimension, which creates epicness in some scenes. Insert songs of this show are also something, I love how they are played, which really brings excitement to audiences.

I personally love the characterization of this show. The design of each character are being a bit different in style, which some kind of reflects their personality. One more thing you may notice is the fact that they use well-known or experienced voice actors on experienced characters and new voice actors on inexperienced characters. Despite all of that, they all did a great performance.

Lastly, despite not being an action genre show, I feel the excitement during the watch. The show does not dig too deep into every character’s background while being able to not leaving out a single necessary element or scene, making the perfect 90-minute length. This is probably the reason the show is able to keep the concentration of the audiences during the whole watch thanks to the smooth and continuous editing. The only downside is that I wish for somewhat more of Pompo’s screentime as the show title suggests.

Overall, Pompo: The Cinéphile gave me a great watching experience. The filmmaking in this show is what defines the greatness of this show. I truly recommend this show to anyone who wishes to experience something art-like or just wants to watch a show related to the movie industry.

At AnimeNYC, Pompo was billed with Belle (Hosoda's latest film) and boy did Pompo outshine the latest film from one of the best directors in the business. For Studio Clap's first work, this is incredible. I want to avoid spoilers, but they fully experimented with the animation style, music, and narrative. The variation in those aspects kept the viewing experience fresh throughout the film. I also love the efficiency in story telling. There are no meaningless characters because everyone has an important and justified role in the story. Despite not being a long movie, Pompo manages to pack a lot of content in. The tasteful ... use of comedy interspersed in a more serious narrative was done with what I can best describe as "good charm". It hits that hard to describe goldilocks zone. One where it isn't a meaningless joke or something overly dramatic. I love the irony that a movie in pursuit of making a masterpiece is itself a masterpiece.

In personal reflection, "Pompo: The Cinéphile" left a lasting impression. The characters' journeys, coupled with the film's visual and thematic brilliance, make it a must-watch for anyone passionate about storytelling and filmmaking. The movie strikes a balance between entertainment and thought-provoking storytelling, making it a memorable cinematic experience. In conclusion, "Pompo: The Cinéphile" stands as a testament to the power of storytelling within the realm of cinema. With its well-crafted narrative, compelling characters, and visual prowess, the film delivers a memorable and enjoyable experience for audiences of all kinds. It is a celebration of the art of filmmaking and a reminder of the magic that ... unfolds when passion meets the silver screen.

10/10 from me. I'm not a reviewer but I'd say this movie is a must-watch and I'm surprised it's not talked about more.

The scene switches and cuts were instantly noticeable in a good way and really stands out from other anime movies. This movie is good if you want a touching story without it being too overwhelming. Animation is smooth, all characters are funny and you just want all of them to succeed; no bad guys in this film.
The last 10 to 20 minutes made my eyes watery, truly wonderful dialogue.

I'd even go as far as to say this is one of the best and ... underrated anime movies at the moment.

Edit: Funnily enough, the person voicing Nathalie, Otani Rinka, was a first-time voice actress herself!

I was lucky enough to be picked at animenyc to see a prescreening of Pompo: The Cinéphile, so here I am. Warning: spoilers ahead

Pompo: The Cinéphile is by no means a masterpiece, but it set out to be what it wanted to be and executed exactly what it wanted to do perfectly. It is about Gene, a random souless movie studio employee who got the change to direct a movie thanks to the help of the greatest director of all time, loli who for some reason only works on b movies despite her prowess as a director. throughout the movie, we watch him utilize ... his op directing skills that came out of nowhere in order to make a movie that is proclaimed to "be a critical success" the moment it hits theatres.

Yes. the summary so far seems like the most generic stuff ever, and having an op main character can never be a good sign, and the movie itself realizes it. it is one of the most self aware movies out there, as it draws many parallels between the movie itself, the characters, and the movie that is being produced within it, although hte former is a bit less direct. yes, very meta i know. just as a few examples, Gene is paralleled with the mc of the movie that he is producing, and many things in the movie such as the run time even match up perfectly with the run time of the actual movie itself. heck, even the movie centers around a b movie director!

as one may expect, having an op protagonist and whatnot other crazy stuff the movie uses at the beginning really weights down the story a lot. some of the weakest scenes in this movie are ones where it is trying to explain the backstory of the characters and how in the world they could possibly end up in the extremely unprobeable situations they are in, and this is especially prevalent in in the 15-25 min mark of the movie. luckily, the loli comes in to save the day(or at least salvage as much as she can).

you see, pompo is honestly one of the strongest assets this movie can have, even if she has no assets of her own. she is extremely cheerful, and her almost comical attitude towards things make her very fun to watch. and because she herself stretches the boundaries of what is acceptable, she is also under the burden of explaining all which is unacceptable. all of the improbabilities of this anime are all explained through her and written off as one of her antics, even is the consequences that they create are way too strong in order to even remotely thought of for someone in her position. as mentioned before, the director getting his role was completely due to the loli acting of a whim and saying stuff like "hmm yes lets let this souless lump of flesh of a human be the director of a giant movie even though he's basically done nothing before cuz i see potential in him". and get this, this doesn't happen just once, but twice! same thing happens with the country girl whose character design seems like it was ripped out of fire force of a main female lead!

as one final thing that I want to say about the failings of this movie, the ending sucks ass. deus ex machina all the way. sure, it tries to stop the power of ex machina a bit, but it still powers thru everything in the end because it wanted to have one final struggle for the main cast that was honestly way above their pay grade and ended up failing miserably. but hey at least the subplot about the blonde guy that led up to it was half decent, and made for a good parallel between the mc and what he could have been.

oh yea as some more detail about the ending, the deus ex machina involved was absolutely absurd, and destroyed everything that the movie had built up inside of both the directing part of it along with the actual movie part of it. and it gets even worse. the final conflict that Gene has was paralleled with his counterpart from inside of the movie, and although the final part of their arc isn't technically the climax of the movie (even though its pretty gosh darn close to it) i still want to say some stuff about it. like both the mc and his counterpart go full out edgelord and start emitting black fumes and have shining eyes even tho all they are doing are mundane things like playing the piano and editing a script. its honestly so bad that it even ends up coming off as a bit comical, and ruins all of the emotional impact of the movie.

yall might have given up on this anime by now due to how much I've been slamming down on it, but hear me out, it actually has some pretty good parts to it too. first of all, this movie is actually pretty funny. it has a really good running gag and has funny character reactions to things, but its nothing earth shattering. just pretty darn above average is all.

second of all, this movie has a lot of great transition shots, and the ones used have to be some of the most unique that I've seen in a while. they can come in the form of the good old cut through a character covering a part of the screen and merging two unique but similar backgrounds together while they move through it to cutting the screen into many separate parts and going from there. its honestly really interesting, and fun to watch.

Finally, the parts where this anime shines the most are the parts where one can forget how improbable the situation of the mcs are in and just enjoy the movie making process with them. the beautiful art and sound perfectly compliment the ups and downs of the movie making process, and watching the characters grow throughout the movie is honestly really exciting. the calm parts of both the movie and the meta movie are all very soothing, and one can really get invested into seeing everything to the end. this part of the movie encompasses most of the movie, as it is basically everything except for the aforementioned 15-25 min min mark and the ending. if this movie had fixed its ending along with fleshing out better backstories for the characters, it could have no doubt easily gotten into the 8 range on mal.

Final thoughts:
the bad parts of this movie were pretty bad, but it also had quite a lot of good scenes, and honestly got pretty emotionally invested. low 8 cuz of the pretty bad stuff and if you rly care about having a rly good plot then this movie isn't the movie for you. I kinda tried to ignore the bad parts of the movie, and that ended up helping me appreciate the movie for what it is. honestly just your run of the mill b movie but would watch cuz of its good parts.

and finally heres a collection of random tidbits that i jotted down while taking notes for this review that didn't exactly fit into anything:
i think that i might have seen this wrong because of how absurd it sounds but apparently at one point in the movie Nathalie started doing a fortnite dance???
small detail but Gene doesn't use a mousepad
loli's poncho has a ridiculous hood that covers her bangs and goes to maid cafes
the movie isn't actually 1:30:00 long if you include the credits and stuff

She accidentally pressed the emote key and did a FORNITE emote.

One of the most uniquely creative stylised films. Really hit home for me being that films are something I love so much. Made me fall in love and remind me of just why I love films so much and how much they've impacted my life.

It was nice to not have the worst complication to a story imaginable and that it was just a hurdle to overcome. It was nice to actually have lovable and enjoyable characters instead of your normal anime protaganists.

The ending shot "that it's only 90 minutes long" and the film ... only being 90 minutes long both in the film and the film itself is so well done.

With the horrific mess of an adaptation that was "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes" coming from the same studio, I was quite sceptical about watching this movie. But that was before I learned that Hirao Takayuki was the director. I don't know him for much, but his direction in the 5th Kara no Kyoukai movie in particular was amazing for me, and his work has stayed as some of my favourites ever since.

"Pompo: The Cinéphile" is a hidden gem, covering a topic rarely seen in anime: directing. For a movie about directing, I was expecting the direction to be good, and ... good it was! Camera angles were really unique and well done and even transitions to different scenes were just so cool and impressive. It isn't really something I can put into words, it's something you have to experience.

[Story] 9/10 - This isn't the next I Want to Eat Your Pancreas or A Silent Voice. This (most likely) won't make you cry, it just isn't that kind of movie. But will this make you jump and celebrate with the characters? Hell yeah! It's a mash of funny characters, interesting moments and surprisingly a lot of stressful scenes, especially towards the end. The last 10 minutes or so felt just a little rushed but it was more of an afterthought of mine than anything. If there's one thing to take away, I think I was honestly surprised at how I actually felt as if the movie that Gene was directing was actually award-worthy, since you don't see too much of it. The way scenes are slowly brought in along with the actual show's story is excellent and almost tells another side to the characters, especially Gene.

[Animation] 8/10 - Really fluid animation, especially at the climax. Again, another note to the director because they are SO many creative cuts in this movie that have incredible animation! Really only brought down a couple points due to the background art. It's good but nothing to be amazing at like The Tunnel to Summer, but I prefer it this way because this was actually an enjoyable watch and not a mess like that movie.

[Sound] 8/10 - Soundtrack was great, I especially love the piece that plays about two thirds in (but I can't spoil hehe)

[Characters] 9/10 - Loved all the main characters, the balance between comedy and realism was perfect.

[Enjoyment] 10/10 - A really fun watch that I think anyone could enjoy. Just watch it already!!!

Something bad might've happened,
You abandoned your hope and dreams,
You sat, waiting for your inevitable end.


This is where this show hits you the most,
When you felt like you've given up and you've nowhere to go. It tells you to keep going, you are doing just fine, you can do it. You are reminded that you're not alone in this world. It lits the fire within you, your burning passion. So make not just a small step in life but a huge one!

What I find a bit meh is that the ending lacks the excitement of having a miraculous moment or some sort of good note.

thanks for ... reading this bad review of mine,
have a happy new year

Advantages: the direction, the characters, the atmosphere, the drawing
Weaknesses: the simplicity of the concept
Read more: The movie is very fast-paced, tense, I would even say, and that's a good thing, because that's what the story is about - a little kid trying to do something that's not very superficial. I'm not saying it's a thriller, but it's really cool. I really liked how colorful and sunny and childlike everything is. I can think of TV adaptations of "Pokemon," the Doraemon movies and "Your Name," for that matter. That's what keeps me from giving it a 10 right now, and that's where ... the simplicity of the whole movie comes in. Don't forget that this is a review, and I'm not objectively reviewing anything here, I'm just explaining my feelings about the film. Well, I'm not much of a fan of simple feature films, they do impress me, but not as much as other genres and other approaches to anime. The script is really well written, considering that the whole movie is, I repeat, tense, but the last act does feel like a climax, albeit very bombastic and naive. Result: The movie is very good, if you want purely inspirational stuff ala spokon - you'll give it at least a 7, that I guarantee you.

Yo, fellow weebs and movie lovers! I just gotta shout out POMPO THE CINEPHILE, cuz damn, this flick hit me right in the feels. It's like a rollercoaster ride through the world of filmmaking, packed with enough laughs, drama, and eye candy to fill a whole film festival.

First off, the animation is fire. Seriously, those scenes where Gene battles giant film strips in the editing room? Mind-blown. And Pompo herself, with her big eyes and crazy energy, she's like a kawaii hurricane that takes the whole story with her. The rest of the characters, from the shy Gene to the stuck-up Narcis, they're all so ... colorful and real, you wanna hang out with them (except maybe Narcis, dude's kinda intense).

The story itself might not be the deepest Oscar contender, but who needs that when you got passion, humor, and a killer chase sequence on a giant fish?! It's about chasing your dreams, facing your fears, and learning that even the biggest screw-ups can turn into golden moments. Plus, it throws in some cool movie references that made me geek out like a total dork.

Sure, there might be some clichés here and there, and maybe the ending isn't as mind-bending as Inception (trust me, I tried inception-ing while watching, didn't work). But honestly, who cares? POMPO is pure fun, a celebration of cinema that made me wanna grab my camera and yell "Action!" louder than Pompo herself.

So, if you're looking for a movie that's beautiful, hilarious, and leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling (and maybe a sudden urge to edit a masterpiece), check out POMPO THE CINEPHILE. It's like a giant bag of popcorn, bursting with flavor and guaranteed to leave you satisfied. Just trust this weeb, your next watchlist just got one film brighter.

Pompo: The Cinéphile is an enjoyable, but ultimately surface-level delve into the world of filmmaking. The movie boasts stellar visuals, with vibrant colors, smooth animation, and creative, Edgar Wright-esque editing. However, its conflicts are hurriedly resolved in ways that feel overly feel-good and simplistic, to the point of bordering on sappy. Moreover, while the film has a message, it appears reluctant to explore it in any meaningful manner. That's not to say "Pompo" is bad, though—it's a fun, albeit shallow, ninety-minute romp.

This review needs more information!

Is the story unique? If it was predictable, did you enjoy it anyway because you like this genre/set-up?
Do you think ... the art style is fitting for the story?
Do you think others will enjoy/dislike this series, even if you didn't ...

If there have been movies that have changed your life, do yourself a favor and watch this movie.

I don't usually do reviews but I felt the need to do it for this movie because it has been a 10/10 for me.
From minute 1 it is a master class on how stories are created and for whom they are created, and all thanks to a protagonist with whom it is easy to feel identified, since quite a few people use cinema as a comfort zone.

And not only that, the animation is incredible with all the details it has, all the characters are charismatic and interesting, a ... very interesting ost and a direction that many other movies wish they had. And all of that can be seen from the very beginning with the scene where Nathalie jumps into the puddle exchanging Gene's eye for a camera lens and seeing the different ways to get that shot.

Obviously it falls into a lot of typical anime clichés and has some things that I didn't like like like that I would have liked to see more of certain characters that seemed more important, but it really is such an enjoyable movie that it can be overlooked.

I really don't want to talk much more about the movie because, I think the less you know about it, the more you will enjoy it. But what I will say is that Pompo does what it sets out to do very well, having very memorable moments accompanied by such well directed animation, and will have you remembering the film for a while.
A highly recommended movie for everyone even if you don't like anime, as these are themes that happen everyday and anyone can relate to as I said before.

A pity I could not go to the cinema to see it, as I would have loved to enjoy it on the big screen, but unfortunately it will not be released here in Spain :c

Although really the best thing is that it only lasts 90 minutes.

This movie is what I needed in my life. I want to be an animator but I've been getting a bit discouraged but then I saw this movie. It is the one movie that I resonate with on a different level man.

It was like the movie was about me the main character gene is like me, How he just became a director and started to edit the movie, and the way he edits the movie it's just like how I edit my videos. The way he also thinks is just like me. I relate to the charters in this movie so much. Nathalie an ... actor who tried and tried to get into movies but kept failing, Until Pompo saw her and hired her. I related to Nathalie cause I have had so many projects where I never fished them but I kept going. Pompo is flipping funny man, The way she just beats up on gene was really funny too.

I laughed and smiled at this movie so much this movie just reminded me of myself so much. I love this movie so flipping much I may even love it more than A Silent Voice and Toy Story combined and if you know me that's an insane statement. It connected with me in a way that no other movie has ever done...So I must say if you haven't seen this movie yet please do yourself a favor and watch it please. In the end, it was like the movie was saying Jud follow your dream, you can be an animator you just got to do it. For that...Thank you Pompo the Cinéphile for being one of the greatest pieces of media that I have ever seen.

This movie was just straight up dopamine. The pacing makes every scene go by at just the right speed, the soundtrack makes the moments emotional and exciting, the transitions are some of the most creative cuts I have ever seen, and the side characters steal the show everytime they are on screen. This movie is just 90 minutes long, and is the perfect film to watch on a rainy day where it seems like time slows to a standstill. It's a movie about making movies, and it did not disappoint!

Made by the same studio who brought summer tunnel: the exit of goodbyes.

Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san aka "A movie on how to make a movie!". It's a love letter to all the classic filmmakers.

At the very end of the year, I got my "Anime Movie of the Year". Its visuals are so beautiful that you just want to stare at them. In this ninety-minute movie, so much energy, so many ideas, so much food for thought, and emotions have been packed in that I was honestly surprised. The characters are as vivid as they are realistic. There are also some great dialogues.

The story is about the journey of making a life dream come true. The message of the ... story is simple, but it touches the heart. The direction is also worth talking about - there are many surprises in the scene sequencing and camera angles. Overall, I had a great time. It's definitely something to watch time and again.

According to Hamlet, brevity is the soul of wit. But the adaptation of Hamlet was four hours long, and the original text was the longest work ever conceived by its author, which raises some questions about just how true that maxim really is. Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san has some remarkable brevity, as well as an impressive level of efficiency, but with its short length comes the added consequence of it being unable to explore as many avenues as the story it’s trying to tell seems intent on, and so in some aspects its brevity ends up damaging the overall experience.

When I refer to Pompo-san’s efficiency, it ... comes almost entirely from the editing process. In particular, the transition between scenes manages to be not only seamless, but visually distinctive just about each and every time. Pompo-san appears to adhere to the editing philosophy of standard continuity editing within the confines of one scene, and to denote that it is over and to move to a new location, they will use a fanciful transition, which can come in any form, a match cut, a three-way cutaway that manages to quickly establish a new setting, or sometimes they’ll merge a transition with a jump cut that already sets the next scene in motion. If there is one reason to watch Pompo-san, it is its editing, which is a cut above the competition, pun intended. It is incredibly efficient, there is montage, but it is quick, purposeful, and efficient, everything that appears is necessary, and this approach makes it simply look better than the competition. At least, all of this is only true for the first hour of the film, after which point it reverts to standard continuity editing, which is certainly disappointing. Even still, the significance and professionalism found within the editing, especially within the opening 10-15 minutes, are enough to make it a major selling point, and the one facet that elevates Pompo-san above being just another character drama.

But it is a character drama, and in that regard, it is still effective and engaging. The story mainly focuses on Gene and his struggles with the creative process as he directs his first film, and on one level, Gene’s personal and internal struggles are certainly conducted well. His internal struggles are contrasted with his struggles as they relate to Pompo, and while the two characters certainly have a good deal of chemistry between them, Pompo’s characterisation and motivations do come across as half-baked in some aspects. To start off with, Pompo, the author of the script that Gene is adapting, has at this point only directed B-movies, and despite being prolific in that genre, there’s not any given reason as to why she chose to branch out. One of the particular films that Pompo has directed happens to be Buckaroo Banzai, which is an unexpectedly fitting point of comparison. Buckaroo Banzai is infamous (at least, among the 12 people who know what it is) for a scene in which the main character sees a watermelon placed inside some scientific apparatus, and asks “why is there a watermelon there?”, and is informed that it’ll all be explained to him properly later, but it never is. It is poor writing to create foreshadowing that lacks any further relevance or payoff, and it’s not much better to see characters engaging in actions based upon emotional convictions and developments that feel as though they have nothing behind them, which is what Pompo-san ends up doing in a few sections. Specifically, it is Gene, whose relationship with Pompo goes through changes that do not always feel congruent. In particular, how he weighs up his desire to create something that she would like with his personal ideas of what a film should or should not include is an aspect of his character that does not really feel like it goes through any changes that follow cause and effect. As they relate to Pompo, his most significant changes as a character do not occur as a result of her influence or persuasion, but rather him just deciding to do it – for a character who is persistently shown to be deeply conflicted about deciding which scenes to remove, to have him sometimes do things 'just because' ends up feeling very arbitrary and like an attempt by the writers to suggest a greater connection between him and Pompo than the actual dialogue and screentime between them allowed for. Conversely, the main character in the film that Gene is directing has some parallels to him, which is a point that they pushed too hard, it would have been far more effective to allow the viewers to come to that conclusion on their own, because it is plainly obvious given the fact that ‘struggling with creativity’ makes up the majority of the scenes of Gene's film. Moreover, if they didn’t need to spell it out for the viewer once, then they definitely didn’t need to do it twice, but they did it at least a good few times more than that, and being this forceful with the messaging just diminishes its effectiveness.

Even accounting for some moments that don’t hold up to scrutiny, Gene is nonetheless a well-written character, who despite being a somewhat typical otaku, is not a caricature. He might not have the distinction of being the titular character, but he is undoubtedly the real focus of the story. Gene, and his struggles with the creative process, are presented in a way that is captivating, both in regards to the action-like visualisation of the filmmaking process, and how it relates back to him as a character. His domestic life isn’t explored, but it doesn’t need to be, as even within the limited framework that the story provides, Gene manages to be a capable protagonist for the story, and one who both witnesses and instigates plenty of change. Pompo is an equally interesting character, although the rest of the cast is far less notable, the lead actress has a short arc detailing her backstory, after which point she doesn’t ever really say or do anything, save the one or two times wherein she had to interact with Gene because, for all intents and purposes, he only knows two people.

When accounting for its short length, Pompo-san is impressively fluent with its ability to create a story with this many layers, and its ability to cover a lot of ground, which is accentuated by a unique and stylised approach to editing. It may not be an original story, and it does follow the standard rises and falls that one can expect, but even so, it manages to convey itself as interesting and uncharted territory, as the specific genre of films about making films is one that’s been mostly unexplored. It is a story that the writers were entirely aware the audience would have seen before, and yet, they managed to create one with just enough elements to prevent Pompo-san from feeling familiar or derivative.

Set within "Nyallywood", Pompo the Cinephile focuses on the titular producer who is the granddaughter of a famous producer yet finds herself enjoying the development of creating trashy B-movies. Wanting to develop an ambitious drama for her next film, Pompo develops a screenplay for it and has her young assistant, Gene Fini, become the director of it. Being an diehard movie buff determined to make a masterpiece out of the film, Gene commits himself to working on the film, coming to learn of the creative and financial challenges involved in it as the film's development presses on.

Pompo the Cinephile largely does a solid job exploring ... the development of Gene's work to attempt making a successful film out of Pompo's screenplay. Within its 90-plus minute runtime, the film has a reasonable amount of time to flesh out Gene and a few other characters either making their debuts for working in film or being established talent within the realm. Pompo dabbles into some of the processes and challenges that go into the development of film that include directing, editing, meeting timelines, and securing funding for development. Gene is depicted is someone with a lot of creativity and enthusiasm to go into his work for the film, but finds himself creatively challenged by trying to edit together a work that he would be satisfied with albeit within the time constraints of the movie format. An effective narrative element with showing off this challenge is having the events play out at the same time as scenes from his film, Meister, play out onscreen as the creative struggles of the orchestra conductor in the film mirror that of what Gene is experiencing.

All this said though, Pompo the Cinephile presents a more idealistic slant of film development and doesn't realistically depict it. This is shown through Pompo's rather young-looking appearance in spite of her fame, Gene not getting into any interpersonal conflicts over problems plaguing film development, and the rather convenient developments that come along to push things with the development of Gene's movie. Those looking for a more believable story to tell with exploring film development may be disappointed with this sort of take on the film industry. But anyone going into this not minding this spin will likely enjoy the energy and enthusiasm of the characters as they help work on Pompo or Gene's films, the former getting rather entertaining at the start of the film with Pompo's filming a campy monster movie with camera shots focusing on the boobs and butt of an actress in a bikini while she gets attacked by said monster.

In short, Pompo the Cinephile may not be everyone's cup of tea for its idealist spin on film development with exploring Gene's creative developments of Pompo's latest screenplay. Still, it does have fun showing off the joys and challenges of creatively developing a film project shown through Gene's experiences filming and editing it. If you're just looking to be entertained, Pompo should make for a solid time killer with what it has to offer.

I have watched this movie on a recommendation.

I enjoyed this film.

The plot is kinda cliché in terms of basing it from Hollywood films, but making it into an anime is a fresh take. It is a good anime to watch with the family or show a friend who isn't that much into anime but are into films. It is a good transition

However, I would like to let you know though that I'm not really a plot guy though, so my perspective may differ to many people.
I focus on the characters for example. I see the plot mainly as a tool to focus what ... the film maker do with it with the interesting and unique characters.

I also focus enjoyed the philosophy the film maker is trying to convey, that in order to pursue anything you must cut and sacrifice. It is important to do this in order to focus on what matters the most to you, if you try to please everybody and do everything all at ones you will out-stretch yourself and be directionless. It is better to feel out-stretched and tired on the things that matters to you the most, because at the end of the day you'd feel better knowing you did something that has meaning to you to the fullest. A similar kinda feeling of relief a workout would feel at the day. Or the feeling of a nice warm bath at the end of a long 12 hour shift.

If you are the kind of person like me, I highly recommend to watch it.