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Makoto Shinkai is back! His prior work, 5 Centimetres per Second, was superb. It was moving, it had a moral story. I could relate to it. I absolutely loved it.

And this new work is going to have the same effect on me!
...or so I thought.

It certainly looked like Makoto Shinkai. It sounded like a Makoto Shinkai work. But it wasn't Makoto Shinkai. Let me explain.


Art [10/10]: It can definitely be recognised from the art that it is a Makoto Shinkai film. The detailed depictions of the town and surroundings gave way to stunning vistas that reach far into the distance as I entered another world. ... The quality of the drawings was sustained throughout the film, and the art helped immerse me into the environment. If you like eye candy, you don't need to read any further in this review. Watch it now.


Sound [10/10]: Tenmon's musical score once again complemented the art beautifully, blending in inconspicuously to further emphasize the mood of the world and the events that occur. The calm music gently moves to sharps and flats as intriguing and suspenseful aspects of the story were told. Silence was well used in appropriate places, and sound effects were used in varying degrees depending on the scene, to induce a sense of normality in the world as well as to raise suspense when it is needed.


To enjoy the sound and art is enough reason to watch Hoshi wo Ou Kodomo. However, the character development and storyline would definitely leave you thinking "so... what now?" by the end of the film, detracting from the superb imagery that has become typical of Shinkai works.



Story [3/10]: When watching the film, one can clearly distinguish the different direction that Shinkai took when creating the storyline; simply by recognising that the theme of 'distance' is missing. Instead of a story about separation, time, distance, this focuses on memory and 'saying goodbye'. And this deviation is one of the points where the problem stems from. Shinkai's expanding the genre of his anime by mixing other elements into it, and it's not working well.

-Comparison with Ghibli
A girl gets in touch with another world, one different from the one she knows.
She has a cat.
There's monsters that serve to preserve the nature of the world.
Sounds like a blend of Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke.

Hey look! Even the theme of human pollution of the environment is there!
Sounds like Ghibli.

OK. Ghibli storylines are good, so that's not the problem. But this film tries to mix all these different aspects and themes into two hours, and this dilutes the message. I can't say that this film is about environmental conservation, even though messages about that are in there. I can't say that this film is about farewells either, even though messages about that are in there. There's a lack of focus or central theme.

This is coupled with the lack of immersive features to convey suspense, grief, or other emotions that can be found in many Ghibli films. Sound was well executed, but anime techniques like vectors, shadows, camera angles and shots proved to be reinforcing Shinkai's trademark visuals rather than reinforce the story.

Therefore, we can deduce this doesn't qualify as a 'Ghibli film'.

- Comparison with Shinkai
So let us revert to the elements that made 5 Centimetres per Second so great. 5 Centimetres per Second focused on the lives of two people. We see their relationship develop then wither as the couple unsuccessfully tries to cling on emotionally to each other. Everything in the world was real and believable. The plot can actually occur in the real world, and this reality was essential in it becoming a "tear-jerker" film. We got to know the characters, and we got to see both sides of how they separate.

Now apply this to Hoshi wo Ou Kodomo. Four central characters: Shun, Shin, Asuna, the Sensei. Asuna has met Shun for one day. There's no way they could be attached emotionally to one another. 10 minutes into the film we see a supernatural monster.

This makes it not a 'Shinkai film'. The seemingly random mix of Ghibli and Shinkai elements is the film's demise. There's a lack of a complication in the film, which in return leads to no resolution. By the end of the film, I thought "so... what now?". And I don't think Shinkai or Asuna know either. Ask Asuna herself (quote from film):

Asuna: "I'm also going!"
Morisaka sensei: "Why?..."
Asuna: "Well... I don't know"

Well, if she doesn't know what she's doing in the film, then nor do I.

The lack of direction in the plot shines through in the scenes: the story does not cover both sides of the attempts to speak to 'the dead' - we never see what Asuna says. And that's probably because, well, there's nothing to say. What is there to say to someone who you talked to for a day and will never meet again? However, Asuna's story is supposed to be the one we're following - since she is the first character introduced to us. The conclusion seems to be carelessly tacked on in order to finish the film.

The plot of the film really doesn't allow the film to reach its full potential.



Character [3/10]: The film is set up to be a classic Ghibli shoujo story - a young girl goes on an adventure, possibly to a different world, and gathers courage and friendship, changing along the way to reach a grand goal. So let us talk about Asuna (the shoujo) first.

Asuna - Clearly, the Shinkai shoujo is supposed to be different from a Ghibli shoujo. In a Ghibli film, Shun's disappearance and Asuna's knowledge that she may see him again would be a catalyst for Asuna's determination, leading her on a grand adventure that helps her grow and realise her qualities - like a bildungsroman. However, Asuna clearly has no idea what she is doing - even after reaching another world. She even says so. Instead of holding leadership qualities, she follows her teacher until the end. She never grows. She never changes. She's dull and boring. Her reliance on others doesn't allow us to learn anything about her, and hence we're not attached to her in any way.

Shun - He's heroic because he saves Asuna. And that's probably all we know about him, since he only appears for a few minutes at the start of the film, and for an even shorter timeframe at the end of the film. This is despite his status as one of the main characters in the plot.

Shin - So he blindly follows orders from his village, he misses his brother, and he may be a bit attached to Asuna. But what are his qualities? We don't know. The film doesn't show us. It seems like he's just a plot device to get Asuna out of undesirable situations.

Morisaki the teacher - conversely, we know about him the most. We have flashbacks of his backstory, we know where his motivation stems from, and we understand why he wants to achieve his goal no matter what the means. However, he's a minor character. He makes his introduction later in the film, when we have affixed the protagonist status onto Asuna and Shun. The storyboard design also followed Asuna instead of Morisaki in situations where they are separated.

It seems like the film was originally centred on Morisaka, then bits were placed at the beginning and end, and editing done, in order to make the film fit into the stereotypical Ghibli 'shoujo' film.



Conclusion:
The film tries to blend elements of Ghibli, a successful animation studio, into the established Shinkai story. This in itself is not bad, but poor planning and execution leaves us with a seemingly half-hearted story without emotional impact, moral lessons or substantial themes.

The art, however, is on par with if not exceeding Shinkai's other major works. The sound lets the world come alive.

In short, it is still an enjoyable film, despite the lackluster plot and character development. Watch it for the art and the sound, but do not expect an engaging story.