The story was simple. It was nothing more than its synopsis. Personally, I do not believe in the point of the story, hence my disappointment. I give it a 6.
What I commend about it, though, is its overall execution. First of all, the art. The backdrops were breathtaking, with perfectly combined tones and shades all for the purpose of drawing you in. The sceneries were full of life and I could say that my eyes were pleased. However, I did not quite enjoy the parts where the galaxies and space were all so clear in the atmosphere. For me, it seemed hyper-realistic. At those points, I felt that the art went overboard and was trying to overachieve something. I know for sure that it's possible to see the Milky Way clearly in real life, but not the Saturn or anything else. I guess it just felt a little awkward for me. So the art's a 9.
For the characters, they were pretty good. They were consistent and relatable. They were flat, which for me, gave the movie its downfall. Plus, they lacked conviction. Just a 6 for me.
Now as for the sound, I must say it was outstanding. The experimental touch of Shinkai shocked me at first, but I exceedingly appreciated it afterward. There were several lines in which the dialogue was on mute but the ambient sound was there. It worked perfectly as it tried to lure the audience to focus more on the main characters. The sound effects were incredible and exquisitely balanced and mixed. The overall ambient sound was what drew me towards the film. It's a marvelous 10.
The music (which is considered the same with sound but actually not) was fine. Most of them were piano soundtracks and they managed to pull off the proper mood suited for each scene. The notes were serene as if pulling you right in their world. There was one song, however, that didn't quite fit with the scene which failed the visuals. Nonetheless, all in all, it was fine. I give it a 9.
For the enjoyment, it was good. I stayed for the art, though. I kind of knew what was coming so I did not expect that much. But I admit that I did enjoy the growth of the characters. 7.
With all of these combined, I couldn't agree more to how Ronnie Scheib, a critic, described this film: "an exquisite, light-drenched tone poem." Indeed, it was poetry flashed right behind your eyes. Emotional, indulgent and colorful. It wasn't a story, but rather, verses stretched with sentiments.
