My friend had introduced it to me and it was a great anime movie.
Hotaru, (main heroine and protagonist) was lost in a forest as a young child where she met a boy named Gin who covered his face in a mask. Hotaru could only go visit Gin in the summer, so the movie mostly focused on Hotaru's summers, except for one glimpse at her winter months.
The story was great. It showed Hotaru grow up each time she went to visit Gin, and you could see her develop from a clumsy, young child to a mature, healthy young woman. Meanwhile, the movie fills you with a sense of sadness because Gin never changes making you think that Hotaru would leave Gin behind. It had Romance and the heart-warming moments. But I was so frustrated. I wanted them to fall in love and hug! (but Gin can't be touched by a human or else he'll disappear) It was frustrating to watch, but the story and ending was excellent. However in all of the anime movies I've seen, it always leaves a cliffhanger. It always feels like there's one last bit missing before the movie can actually conclude. It will fill you with a HUGE feeling of sadness as the 45 min "episode" ends.
The art was mediocre in my opinion, but for a movie, I think it was pretty good. Nothing looked out of proportion in the faces, and I was so excited to see Gin's face because most of the time, he has the mask to cover his face. Hotaru's character design from a young girl to a teenager was very smooth in terms of design.
The sound track wasn't amazing in my opinion. However, the opening had a slightly quirky feel to it. The sound track was good at setting the mood, but it doesn't leave any emphasis towards any scene.
The character design and development is excellent. If you took the characters out of the anime and put them together, they really are a very good match. Hotaru's development was excellent, one of the best I have seen before. You see her go from a young girl who got lost in the forest, to an older girl who would enjoy Gin's company, to a teenager who realized her feelings. Gin's development wasn't as evident, but you see him accepting Hotaru's kindness more, and eventually, developing feelings for her.
I really enjoyed watching this movie. It really knows how to develop a good, heart-warming, and tear-jerking story and develop great characters. The creators really knew where to hit you in the feels. I would really recommend it to people who enjoy a nice, sweet, romance with a girl's first love.
