Kin no Kuni Mizu no Kuni

Absolutely beautiful. I watched this alone today in the cinemas but I was left crying by how beautiful this is.

Saara, the princess of country A, meets the prince of country B, Naranbayar. As they pretend to be a married couple to protect the peace between the countries, they find themselves gradually falling in love. PRETEND LOVERS TO LOVERS TROPE FR.

I can't write a long review about it but if you're looking for pure fluff and romance like Romeo and Juliet but instead of their countries keeping them apart, they are the ones giving the other distance, they are what keeps "them" apart.

If you're ... looking for an anime that has so many representations, like feminism, body issues, self issues, this might be the one for you cause it certainly was the one for me.

Not all might like it and say its boring, but for me, being in love and being loved for who you are, no matter the country, no matter the position, no matter the body size, to be truly loved despite all that, is for me, a wonderful thing to see.

It's funny how fate and destiny works in mysterious ways to make you find what you've always been looking for.

I hope you guys check it out! Both Sarah and Naranbayar are so cute.

I watched this movie on a plane and was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed it. While the romance aspect between the main characters felt a bit rushed initially, I grew to appreciate the uplifting development of Sarah and Naranbayar's relationship as the story unfolded, the two bringing out the best in each other without being overly reliant on the other. Towards the end, I found myself quite satisfied with how things played out for them and their respective kingdoms, given their role to help both.

The film also introduced some really compelling side characters, though I wished they had more time to fully ... develop. For instance, Piripappa, the king's massage therapist turned advisor, could have benefitted from more depth as an antagonist. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the sisters were given more depth than I initially expected in this movie. They didn't come across as mean for the sake of it, and I found their relationship with Sarah to be rooted more in her anxiety rather than any mere pettiness. Saladin, was also a standout character who defied my expectations in a pleasantly surprising way, as an actor turned advisor, who though a bit of a trophy husband actually went to the effort to make a difference without betraying his character. (Maybe I also liked him because he was voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya, and man does he do a great job in all his roles!)

However, unfortunately, the movie was not without its flaws. The excessive use of flashbacks unnecessarily padded the runtime, and the comedy, especially in the 'introduction' scene, was one of the weaker aspects of the story. Unfortunately, the final conflict also left me somewhat disappointed, and Sarah's jealousy towards the 'fake wife' Naranbayar had felt like an unnecessary layer of tension in their relationship that I don't think was needed, at least to the extent the movie pushes on you.

Either way, this was a solid movie, but not something I'm going to rush to rewatch.

I have been wanting to watch this since I saw the trailer but kept postponing it until yesterday. My initial excitement was there is a main character that is inspired from my culture but now I have a special memory with a friend because the main two characters kept reminding of each other. From the appearance to the personality. I also enjoyed there is no actual villain in the story. It's mostly conflict of interest, pride and misunderstandings. Even the depictions of both cultures felt not accurate or mix and match of other cultures. Some part of the stories felt grounded and realistic than many ... animes I have seen.

A great film.

It's simply outstanding—a charming romance with a hint of drama. The premise is straightforward, as is the world and its characters, yet this simplicity doesn't detract from its ability to deliver something truly remarkable and, in many ways, well-crafted. With a beginning, middle, and end, we're taken on a journey alongside a lovely couple who support each other in a relationship characterized by openness and mutual respect. Their bond is a joy to witness. This movie is sure to lift your spirits. And the final scene, in particular, is the icing on the cake, making it all the more worthwhile to experience the ... entire story for such a beautiful and fulfilling conclusion.