Hey. Want bitesized chunks of each category. Well, I'm good at rambling about things in a short amount of time, So I'll give it a shot.
So, A1 Pictures came out with a Teen Drama again, huh? Finally, I've had enough Harems from that studio, jeez. If I were to compare this Movie to a series it would definitely be ToraDora and AnoHana. If you liked those two shows, this movie is worth a shot, with similar structure, themes and characters, I would like to make a few comparisons, on to the:
Story-8/10
In itself this movie didn't have anything special going for it. It wasn't anything unique, High School Drama involving teens, and had a predictable sad ending. And that's not a bad thing at all. The story was able to convey a linear proper experience, not every Drama needs to be filled to the brim with symbolism or scooting around in different directions on a complicated story-line. Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda is a Drama. Period. It will make you cry (or just sad if you have a manly heart like me), it will make you care for the characters, and you will love it. A story being predictable is in it's own right bad, but being able to still tug at the audience's heartstrings and make you feel emotion despite knowing fully well what's gonna happen, is something very few shows/movies are able to do well;that is exactly the reason why films like KokoSakebi (made up my own conjunction) and shows like ToraDora, AnoHana and Your Lie in April are regarded as Dramas of their year. All of them are able to pull of a miraculous ending, in an otherwise risky story structure. It had simple themes, simple plot line, that all worked together to make a simple harmonious beautiful story.
Art-9/10
Nagai Tatsuyuki, nuff said.
Sound-7/10
The Soundtrack was good in itself. However it clearly drew a lot of inspiration from the AnoHana soundtrack, thus not making it necessarily it's own. I think the fact that I make comparisons to aforementioned drama constantly just shows how this movie was unable to make a name for itself, the soundtrack is just one of the things that had to suffer from this comparison.
Characters-9/10
The thing I love about the works that this crew makes are that they tend to lose focus on having an interesting plot, and go for a set of characters that seem plain at first, but are actually extremely complicated. I love the shows that they make, because I love the characters. The characters tend to mirror real people, how they may be plain and easy to read, but really you never know what's going on in their heads. (Which is also a big theme of this movie.) Also, that twist (that may have just been me who wasn't able to predict) with the love interests around the middle. Now THAT was a reflection of real life. As much as I loved the Main Four, they could've been fleshed out more, making way for more attachments with the audience. But, if you care about them enough that you start screaming at them, laughing with them or crying for them(like me), then the characters did their job well.
Enjoyment-9/10
I have spit out what I enjoyed and didn't enjoy about this movie. I was attached to the characters, I was emotionally moved, and the movie in itself was just a blast to watch. Grab your friend, boyfriend, girlfriend or Dakimakura, and watch this movie with them. It's a drama, that anyone can enjoy.
Final Verdict:
I am never eating eggs again. 8/10
