Story: Set in near future where robots and other technology are part of everyday life, we center around a robot named Hal, who's assigned to perform "Robot Therapy" on a girl named Kurumi, who recently lost her boyfriend in a fatal plane accident. Taking the form of her old lover, Hal does whatever it takes to open up to Kurumi by learning about her and her deceased boyfriend so that she can find the will to move on.
One very noticeable thing about the film is it's length. One hour is relatively short for movie standards, so I was worried that it might interfere with the pacing and character development. But I was happy to find that it wasn't the case.....for the most part. Not one scene felt to fast or to slow and it really took advantage of it's short time. Putting a lot of emphasis on the characters and how they were going to change throughout the film. You learn about Hal and Kurumi enough to get what they're gong through and feeling that you do want them to end up okay at the end. And not to give away any spoilers, but there's a plot twist at the end of the film that really caught me off guard and changed how I viewed the film prior, which what makes a twist work in the first place. Though while I do credit the film for using it's short time wisely, I still believe it could've used an extra half hour to it's running time. You know, if it really wanted to be on the same level as Miyazaki and Hosoda and be even better.
Art: I must say this is pretty impressive for their first film. I really liked all the attention to detail to the character design, the backgrounds, and a lot of the many symbols to the films like the Giraffes and Water. The water looks like it's really their to me. I also really like a lot of the many ideas about all the technology and how they work and function. Wilt Studios is off to a pretty solid start, but it's kinda expected when it's founded by people from Production I.G.
Sound: The soundtrack really knows how to make the audience feel even more invested in the plot by making tracks that are gripping, soothing, and just overall fits the themes of grief and finding the will to live again. It also helps the characters feel even more alive when something happy or sad happens to them.
Characters: Much like the plot, the characters really are well executed during their short amount of time together. Haru plays as a good robotic lead who tries to learn about Kurumi and even his deceased counterpart. Kurumi's is a character that you'll really sympathize with, and even more towards the end of the film. They both share very sweet chemistry and I credit the film for having each one have a different side to the story. Prior to the events of the film, you learn that the old Haru did something that at first, would make him seem like a selfish jerk, but you'll understand quickly once you learn more about his past. That's another thing I like about the film, there really is no villain. Each character has a backstory and motive that really sounds justified and believable to get across. The other characters are just their to play off of our main stars, but they're still likable enough to really leave an impact to the plot.
Overall: While it's major shortcoming (No pun intended) does hold it back to being on par with Studio Ghibli or Mamaru Hosoda, HAL still does it's job well with it's heartbreaking story, deep themes and morals, and a very believable bond. If you can look past it's one flaw, you'll be left with a short, but sweet love story.
