Mar 5, 2016
One again, Yasuhiro Yoshiura demonstrates his knack for capturing the more subtle features of interpersonal interaction. Like Time of Eve, Harmonie is an insightful analysis of the more complex and intriguing processes that occur just under the surface, and this layering is shown on a multitude of scales. A sweeping glance at a classroom full of students, freely interacting with each other, will pick up focus on smaller groups and their inner "worlds", if you will. The initial reactions between two characters, worlds apart from each other socially, belie the inner richness of personality they each hold. Yoshiura really shines when he takes animation and
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brings it down to earth like this, showing us very believable situations with just enough whimsicality to carry the viewer along by their own intrigue.
This is a much welcome return to form after the mildly disappointing Patema Inverted, which I felt was far too cliched and clashed strongly with Yoshiura's previous works. While watching Time of Eve felt like assuming the role of a dispassionate observer to a series of self-contained thought experiments -- appropriately Asimovian -- Harmonie has a distinctly free-flowing feel to its narrative that commands emotional investment. One notable scene, mentioned above, was watching the camera's focus wander around the classroom and zero in on a single group of students having a conversation, then move on to another group, and again, giving the illusion that it's all done in one continuous shot. It all felt remarkably seamless, especially the audio, which is especially impressive given that at least a dozen characters would be talking at any given time. These seamless transitions created quite an absorbing atmosphere, punctuated now and then with abruptness for emphasis. This was some of the best pacing I've seen in a 25-minute span and series directors could learn a thing or two from Harmonie.
Like in Pale Cocoon, Yoshiura uses a muted color palette and more realistic character designs to his advantage. A lot of attention was paid to getting expressions, posture, and gestures just right, with just the right level of minimal exaggeration. It's these details, these minutiae, that really draw the viewers gaze, offsetting the dullness of waking life, which is contrasted with the vividness of an enrapturing dream sequence. The juxtaposition is striking and thought-provoking, and again is part of a sort of narrative "layering". "Show, don't tell" is the approach taken here. Harmonie has a lot to show you, but what it tells you might not even be all that accurate.
Before I watched this, I said to myself, "I just wish Yoshiura would do another Time of Eve". I think my wish was granted, though I would hardly consider this to be simply more of the same. Harmonie definitely shines in its own right, with its more free-flowing structure, its emotional drive, deliberate pacing, and striking, sometimes abstract visuals, though ultimately grounded and relatable. Another gem from an all-too-competent director.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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