This is one of the tamest Ghibli movies that is more slice-of-life than anything. This movie has an interesting concept, but not a very unique one, as forbidden love between two main characters has been done many times before. The ending feels incomplete as well, leaving us with the desire to see what happened next, but in a bad way.
[ART: 8/10]
While this movie does have beautiful Ghibli animation, it feels like they held back a bit. Nothing is visually mind-blowing like in other titles. This may be in part because of its slice-of-life nature, but even so, it doesn't quite meet the expectations of a movie produced by this company.
[SOUND: 9/10]
The voice actors were great and sound effects as well, not much to complain about regarding this section. For a dub, it was done rather well, like most other Ghibli films.
[CHARACTER: 4/10]
Character development in this title is good when it occurs, but compared to other Ghibli films, it lacks any unforgettable character roles, and in turn hurts the film immensely.
[ENJOYMENT/OVERALL: 6/10]
Though it's lackluster for a Ghibli movie, as a stand-alone film, it is pretty well done and won't be a completely negative experience for you. Though if you are to watch only one or a few movies from the Ghibli library, don't include this one.
