Goodbye, Don Glees!

So I watched it without any expectations, ended up getting emotional at the climax. At first I thought it will just be just another youth summer adventure stories which turned out to be absolutely wrong.

Two long-time friends, separated after graduating middle school, reunites the next summer. Except that among them, now there is one wildcard third party, who speaks in riddles and most of the times talks about something that one would doubt is real, who ended up triggering and changing everything.

The film invested practically 80% of its runtime for something with zero payoff before actually revealing the twist ending. While I'm sure many will, ... but I wouldn't say that those 80% of runtime were wasted, if anything it's a great way to make the audience to learn about and get close to the characters. And it's worth the time, considering things got bleak real fast after that.

What happens is basically, things went full circle. It picks up on the legacy of the wildcard character and flipped my expectations about the entire film. And in the end it just left me in sombre disbelief, "did that just happen? Is THAT what happened? How did THAT happen?"

The film was marketed as "the new stuff from the creators of Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho," maybe expecting that would make the audience know what to expect since the trailers and promotional materials barely tells anything about what it really is, which is why the ending is a really pleasant surprise. Such a shame that it never left Japan nor that it ever marketed abroad, the promotional tagline alone should have attracted many Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho fans outside Japan.

But, do not compare this to that. It's not apple to apple. While it shares many similar themes, it's not Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho and it may not for all Yorimoi fans.

Personally, I regarded this film above Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho (a cardinal sin, btw) due to a) how it's presented, b) how the tiny details bites back later in the story (same as Yorimoi, but pandemonium instead of big sad), c) how relatable the bonding between the characters is, and d) how I enjoyed it more regardless of other factors, don't judge me.

Each person has his own treasure to find. This may be the main theme of the movie. The start was beautiful. I was tearing up because I could sense this story would be special, but at the end it didn't turn out like I imagined.

The setting revolves around the countryside, which really makes me appreciate the calmness of the place. The characters were very likeable and very fun to watch. Seeing the trio Roma, Toto, and Drop laughing and crying reminds me about true friendship. It just felt like going on an adventure with them.

The first part of the movie was pretty good, but the ... middle part got kind of boring. Nothing was happening. It was just the trio going around and talking. The main problem I have with this movie is that the characters keep talking and talking about deep and motivational things for the rest of the movie. After hearing so many "wise" phrases, I felt like everything they said was meaningless. What was the main message they were trying to portray? Saying meaningful quotes again and again when nothing is happening really removes its meaning or impact. It was like watching a lecture of wise quotes, or to be more exact, like seeing two friends talking to each other. Basically, nothing was happening. I as a viewer could not relate to what they were saying because there was no event or plot point that made me witness their struggles. It was just three friends "ranting" and saying sorry throughout a great portion of the movie.

Still, the way they transmitted the message is very good. The ending is beautiful and confusing at the same time. This movie could have been a great one if there were more things going on and less deep talking.

Also, please don't expect this anime will be at the level of Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho. Both stories are very different. Yorimoi does its writing perfectly (in my opinion), and it's truly a life-changing anime. Goodbye Donglees is pretty good, and I think you will definitely like it and get inspired.

To summarize, Goodbye Donglees is a very simple story. It made me laugh and tear and encouraged me to start doing the things I've always wanted (in other words, finding the treasure). The problem is that there is a lot, a lot of deep talking and drama when not so much is happening. Still, it's worth to watch it. I definitely recommend it, but don't expect that much.

7/10

In January of 2018, a little anime called A Place Further Than the Universe aired in Japan, winning the hearts of anime fans all over for its fresh, nuanced, down-to-earth take on the well-worn premise of young girls going on an adventure. I need to rewatch that series some time, and with the news that it's FINALLY getting an English dub and home video release, I'll actually have an excuse to do so! After the show's success, the team behind it decided to try their hand at another project, a movie called Goodbye Don Glees. The movie tries to go for the same initial premise ... and appeal as Yorimoi did: Dorky kids on a down-to-earth adventure to a real world location that has great personal significance to them, with even the marketing going into this. But what the marketing tried to sell the movie as and the movie itself are two very different beasts, and as much as I hate to say it, Goodbye Don Glees wasn't necessarily the home run that Place Further Than the Universe was.

The story centers on three young boys—Roma, Toto, and Drop—who are a tight knit group of friends, naming their little group Don Glees and spending time together in the countryside. But they don't exactly have the best reputation and are often picked on. One day, Roma spends all his money on a cheap drone with intent to use it to take a video of fireworks the next town over, or if not that, the fireworks Don Glees set off for the night. But that night turns out to be a fateful one as they're hit with one misfortune after another: Their fireworks don't go off, the drone goes missing, and later, a forest fire occurs. Worst of all, the townspeople believe that Don Glees are responsible for it. But the kids think the missing drone might have proof of their innocence, so they decide to go on an impulsive journey into the mountains to find it and clear their names.

From what I've heard, the original Japanese marketing made a big deal about the characters going to Iceland, which only happens in the last third of the movie. 85% of the movie is focused on the trio of boys and their quest to find their missing drone in the countryside. Now, these parts of the movie are legitimately great, with the animation really going all out in conveying the natural beauty of the woods and the countryside. Of course, the animation quality isn't limited to just the backgrounds. Similarly to Place Further Than the Universe, a lot of attention is paid to how the characters move and how they express themselves through body language, like the way Drop sits or the way Toto hunches over when he feels insecure. Speaking of the characters, the main trio are a delight to watch. They actually feel like real dorky kids from the way they move, talk, and get into scrapes, and their designs change believably near the end of the movie. It helps that a lot of their banter and interpersonal conflicts are pretty naturalistic without bordering on cheese. I honestly wouldn't have minded if the whole movie had just been about their adventure through the woods. Low-key, slice-of-life movies have their place! I mean, the Laid-Back Camp movie exists, y'know!

But as much as I want to love Don Glees as a movie, if the rating didn't clue you in, it has quite a bit of issues holding it back, with the main one being the really rushed, shoehorned in third act that feels like it's only there because the staff felt like they absolutely had to escalate the movie's plot by the end. The third act never felt like it was properly built up, and when the characters are made to go to Iceland, it just zooms through the process of exploration in favor of throwing in a very heavy-handed emotional climax at the end, with the shift into said third act being so intense and dramatic that it feels like you got hit with a case of whiplash, eschewing the rest of the movie's down-to-earth charm. It also results in a certain twist coming across as a lot more predictable, even though it was foreshadowed well in advance. Say what you will about Place Further Than the Universe doing the same thing, but there, the writers actually had the time and wiggle room to properly show the process, build up to its own emotional climax, and used every tool at its disposal to have it make an impact. Furthermore, the drone and forest fire subplot doesn't get much in the way of resolution at the end, because it just gets dropped in favor of the Iceland trip. Also, the character of Chibori is woefully underutilized. From what I've heard, the Japanese marketing also made a big deal out of this character, but she really only gets one scene in the whole movie and is just there to be a prop for Roma's development. Yeah, she's mostly just a waste of animation and has no character beyond supporting Roma.

So basically, bad marketing made the movie tank, and I'm not exaggerating. Apparently in Japan it did pretty badly at the box office, which sucks because other than the flaws I mentioned above, Goodbye Don Glees is a fairly cute movie that really showcases director Atsuko Ishizuka's talent, alongside that of the rest of her team. Plus, it's getting an English dub and a home release in the US this month, so you'll be able to watch it legally fairly soon. So while I do admittedly like Place Further Than the Universe better, if you're looking for a fun, wholesome movie to watch, I'd still recommend you watch Goodbye Don Glees, even if its third act feels very heavy-handed and out of place in what's supposed to be a fun slice-of-life adventure.

My first impression and summary.
"The story trick was impressed. But, It was difficult to understand because the story progressed with little explanation of the situation. And, How many people in Japan are experiencing the scenery of old shops in the countryside?"
AND
I was very disappointed with the promotion method using "yorimoi"(A Place Further Than The Universe[Sora yori mo Tooi Basho]).

- A journey to find treasure
First, I would like to write a Good point.
It was a good movie that recalls past experiences. The countryside scenery of my hometown, the memories of traveling in the past, and my precious memories. I'm a creator, I'm a creator, so I ... thought about creating something that wouldn't forget my past memories. I appreciate the movie.

- A story in which emotions are difficult to move
Three teenage boys walk on a mountain road. They complain about the journey. They talk about friendship. They speak their wishes. It was a long, long, long time.
After a long time, I get to the emotional scene in the last 10 minutes. Finally stories get together and finished. With a nice background picture.

I felt that there was little explanation of the story and the background of the character. Whether it's a picture or a word. I think it's the choice the director has made. By not giving focus to the character, I think I tried to show the story with other elements. But it was hard for me to understand. Of course, there were some points that I could understand and sympathize with. Youthfulness. But when they walk down the mountain road, there is no reality. So I got lost between reality and non-reality. (Three boys were lost way too)

- Expression of the countryside in Japan
There are many expressions of the countryside in Japanese animated films. Especially this time, the expression of the countryside was unique. Even though it's summer, it's showing decadence with its colors. This time a small country shop is drawn.
There was a shop like this in my countryside, which reminded me of my experience. When I was a kid, I bought ice cream and bread. It's already closed. Of course, the store doesn't sell the latest toys.
However, how many people have met such a store in Japan today. Population outflow from the countryside does not stop.
I could sympathize with it, but what about the others? I am wondering how Japanese directors will express the countryside of Japan in the future.

- Disappointing movie promotion method
The latest work by director Ishizuka, "yorimoi", is highly evaluated. A TV series that I really love. As someone said, "You can get the impression of the final episode in every episode."
This time, "yorimoi" was heavily used for advertising. As a collaboration project, four "yorimoi" characters made a commercial that they wanted to see a movie. Make a character clear file.
Above all, I was disappointed. I got a free "DonGlees!" booklet when I visited the movie. It also features "yorimoi" two pages of the booklet. It's the same production team, but it's an unnecessary page. I also want many people to see "yorimoi". However, "yorimoi" and this work are different. What I want to tell everyone: I want you to appreciate this movie without comparing it to "yorimoi".

- Doraemon?
In the past, I went to a talk show by director Ishizuka. So I heard that she likes Doraemon. I also love Doraemon's movies. My thoughts. If this was Nobita's adventure.. Easy to imagine a movie.

Finally, to summarize my impressions, "Director Ishizuka's Doraemon lover came out straight, and I was satisfied!" It's not ironic.

I am really looking forward to the next work!

Here is my review of this anime in 2023!

Story (8)
The story is about a three-person that is going together to search for the treasure after they are blamed as the ones who burned the forest. Actually, they just want to take a fireworks photo, then their objective changed, and seeking more incredible journeys which lead them to a great place.

Art (8)
The art of this anime is very good. I really love the animation when they are bicycling and the golden waterfall. Not only that, but I also love the shadow and glow that they were use on this anime.

Sound (8)
All the sounds they used are ... very good and adjusted to the animation.

Character (7)
The main character is memorable along with the supporter.

Enjoyment (8)
It's enjoyable to watch this movie in 2023.

Overall (8)
Recommended for those who love slice-of-life, adventure, and scenery.

I'm usually a big fan of these kind of movies but I have to say I was severely disappointed by Don Glees.

First of all, the positives - I have to state that this is a beautiful film well acted by a talented cast. Some of the shots are breathtaking on a big screen.

Sadly beyond the visual craft of the film it really begins to struggle. Coming of age stories between a group of friends centred around a supernatural theme of death is one of the biggest tropes in anime, so at this point if thats going to be the premise of your movie you have ... to do it well. Anohana is one of the best examples of this trope I can think of, with even the directors own series A Place Further than the Universe treading very similar themes.

With this kind of film its vitally important for any of the emotional beats to land that the audience is invested in the main characters friendships. Don Glees misses this by throwing us in the middle of the story so we never see any development between the characters, we're just told they're good friends before the main plot of the film begins. For the next hour of the film they get up to hijinks and occasionally spurt out pseudo-intellectual musings on the meaning of life. For any of these things to mean anything it would have helped if we even saw how the three characters first met and formed their bond.

It's a repeated mistake of this film that the audience is repeatedly told things instead of shown, meaning we have to take it on word that there is a dynamic between these three worth investing in rather than seeing it grow organically - making this film and its themes feel shallow while it strives for death. There's also an overabundance of musical montages, no doubt to try and prise an emotional reaction from the audience that the film never earns from its story alone.

As stated, if you're into stories about friends facing hardships and growing up then you'd be much better seeking out Anohana. I'd argue Goodbye Don Glees isn't even the best example of this story released in 2022, as Sumer Ghost explores similar themes in a much better way.

Goodbye, Don Glees! is a movie by Atsuko Ishizuka, a director who is well known for directing the anime series: "A Place Further Than The Universe".
Since the production was done by one of the giants in anime production; Studio Madhouse, the clear superiority in artistic value can undeniably be seen with a unique color grading which serves a purpose to the story.

The story is about adventure, and that's something the director is pretty good at portraying, the whole feel of adventuring, it's process and it's end is pretty satisfying and wholesome to watch, although I believe there were moments that were rushed and this ... product would have served as a great story if it were to be adapted into a series instead of a movie.

(No spoiler review) Let me start off by saying this is the first review I'm writing on any anime. So you'd assume that I have strong feelings towards this movie. But I kinda don't lol. Yes, I gave it a 10/10 but that's because I personally could relate to it a lot with the story and the characters. And it's just so heartfelt, entertaining, and looks amazing especially in certain scenes. But I know that it's definitely not for everyone and a lot of people won't enjoy it to the degree I did. I'm mainly writing this because of how little the amount of ... people who have watched this there are. It's downright criminal. It's a very good movie on par with a lot of other anime movies I've seen with more than triple the amount of people who have watched it.

So I'm assuming if you're reading this you kinda already know at least a little of what the movie's about. But basically , Goodbye Don Glees is about a group of 3 friends who's group is called The Don Glees who go on an adventure to find their missing drone. Then while on their journey, they discover something about one of their friends that changes the whole course of where you thought the movie was originally gonna go. That's all I can say without spoiling anything.

Now, all that being said, there is one thing they could've done better... and that would be the character development. The characters were all unique in their own way and had good and diverse personalities but the thing that they really should've expanded on is how they all got to meet each other and SHOW how they interacted in the past rather than just SAY "yeah we've been friends for a while." That alone would've made the movie so much more emotional because you would feel the strong connection and dependency they have to one another and that would have had a real impact when approaching the climax of the story.

They could've spent some 10 or 15 minutes extra on developing this. The movie runtime is relatively short being only 1 hour and 34 minutes. So adding 15 minutes for the purpose of developing their friendship would not have made the movie feel as if it's dragged on whatsoever.

That's honestly the only problem I have, and it kind of makes me mad because if they would have done that, it would be a perfect movie.

Definitely give it a watch, you'll at the very least be entertained by this heartwarming adventure.

BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL!! That's all I can describe in this movie! It's insane how I didn't know the existence of this movie nor do I hear people hype it out! The story about a group of 3 friends that called themselves as 'The Don Glees' are going together for adventure to search for a drone as their proof of their innocence after being blamed for burning their hometown's forest. But along the way, they are seeking a more incredible journey to a great place and treasure.

Their original plan was to take a beautiful picture of the firework through the drone, but misfortune happens. I LOVE how ... this movie takes time to get us familiar with the characters, we get introduced with their secret places for the group, their plan for the summer festival and to their deepened friendship. Getting into this movie blindly with no expectation is probably the reason why it affected me so much. I have my doubts about the twist at the end, but it's far more beautiful than I expected. How the final part were executed is so well done, it makes me emotional 😭

This movie is not meant for a 'exciting' or being too 'adventurous' its more about character-driven type of story. Hence, you will find a lot of the characters interaction, them having deep conversation about their dream, and struggle. It does contain, bullying and academic pressure but just briefly. I personally love all the beautiful words here. Kinda reminds me of the old anime movie vibe!

The animation is so beautiful, such a visually pleasing, 10/10!! However, I wish the movie could be a bit longer, and they could include how their friendship started, how they interact in the past. It would have made a much bigger impact at the end. Nevertheless, I still love it so much. Highly recommended if you want a heartfelt, great friendship, and entertaining movie to watch! 9.5/10 🌟

This is a great movie. I did not expect myself to cry. It had a good story. The pacing could throw you off, but its message was incredible. Finding each other's treasures among themselves was a nice touch. I was hoping that Drop was fleshed out more as a character. You pick up things along the way which are apparent. This could've done much better if it had been in an episodal format. In terms of visuals, it's great. The way it captured the setting around them was beautiful.

The ending sequence was a great callback for the characters. I watched this ... with nothing in mind and thought it was a film about friends and their chemistry. It shows their development throughout their journey, and the characters' lives and struggles feel grounded and relatable. I like the lines that Drop says to both Roma and Toto. I could say that it struck me differently that I felt more emotional by the end.

Review imported from Letterboxd

From an outside perspective, Atsuko Ishizuka's "Goodbye, Don Glee's!" Seems like a far more atmospheric version of Rob Reiner's 1986 "Stand by Me"

My perspective, comes from a man who spends 15$ on a ticket to an hour and a half film, classified as a "Special Event" past...special event my ass.
Even as an avid Japanese cartoon enjoyer I find myself rarely getting to experience the luxury of the big screen, with minimal thought I purchased myself a ticket, I truly thought "Don Glee's" was going to be something special, let me tell you why.
Atsuko Ishizuka is a director that touches the connection between ... humans and nature, the atmosphere and our soul, friends together amongst an overwhelming world. She touched I and many others with her exceptional 2018 "A Place Further Than The Universe" excellent in every regard, all condensed in it's short but beautiful 13 episode runtime. From a synopsis I assumed I would get the same experience as I did with "A Place Further Than The Universe" in "Don Glee's" in which I received in a hell for leather degree.

The first hour of this film feels like a rehashed coming of age kids movie, nothing exemplary, as mentioned before I think it'd be fair to compare it to "Stand by Me" watered down to garnish a PG rating. It's characters are tropey to the bone, making everyone's dynamics dry, making it damn near impossible to relate to the cast of such a humanistic story. It deviates the impact and meaning of the film, in which comes to light in the last 10-20 minutes of the film...

The ending of "Don Glee's" is excellent, but completely unrecognizable compared to the previous hour + wasted in order to get to such a magnificent ending. Very little dialogue is held, there's a deep sense of understanding, every moment is spent carefully, like a really good short film. I wish "Don Glee's" was just that, A short film covering this ending segment, it's not though... And so after all the excellence there was a lack of glee within me when I had wasted 15$ and an hour and a half of my time.

As for objective points, The animation is fluid very picturesque with it's scenery a style obviously intended. There's noticable cut corners though Still backgrounds, CGI vehicles, and some repulsive renders of characters found in such scenery. The soundtrack is obnoxious, painful even, tracks often being over dramatic or not even fitting to the scene. English vocals that struggle to convey what it's true intentions are, and most devilish of them all TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE FUCKING STAR, I SWEAR TO GOT I WILL COMMIT MASS GENOCIDE IF I EVER HAVE TO LISTEN TO THESE BROKEN ENGLISH MOTHER FUCKERS SING TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR EVER AGAIN I SWEAR IT, I PROMISE IT I WILL DO IT-

I pray that season two of "A Place Further Than The Universe" doesn't resemble this disappointment of a film