This a precious story that moves through love, fame, life, death, cliches, annoying characters pedophilia.
Starting this review is difficult because nobody is prepared to hear the truth. When I first saw Searching For The Full Moon's common 10\10 reviews, I was so prepared to watch it. As of course, it has all the tools to make a "heartwarming" story-- an orphaned kid with cancer who has ambitions who, did I forget to mention she's orphaned and had cancer? Wow. Heartwarming and sad.
The main character's motivation is clear--which isn't so disappointing--to reunite with her orphanage love before her time runs up. The shinigami who help her sure did push the plot forward, but aren't that interesting characters at all. Their designs were quirky, silly, and didn't match the original myth at all. Usually I won't complain, but of them is annoying and unreasonably clingy to the other, who is chill and literally the best character in the show.
At some point at the beginning, it shows a flashback of her orphanage love, 16, confessing his love to her, at 10. I found this dispicable because according to psychology, 16 is the youngest age to be a pedophile. I believed that the character was so cooped up in that orphanage that he went crazy and couldn't help going for a child.
Throughout the show, the main character is a star as she was able to turn into a 16 year old from her 12 year old body. I found the songs quite boring if I'll have to be honest. Sure, few were catchy but none of them were about anything but love.
There were some scenarios I personally cringed at, such as when the clingy character kept trying to kiss the other one, who she is clear of, doesn't like her. This makes the character development and because she acts like she doesn't know anything. She does.
There was a scene where a teacher of kids in early elementary describes two children As "more than like brother and sister". To note, I found this messed up and cringy. Kids around that age don't have a huge idea of what relationship and romance really is. If a teacher said that in real life, she would be in a lot of trouble.
As I kept watching while wanting to know what happened, something came up that made what happened IN ALL THE EPISODES BEFORE pointless. She doesn't get together with the pedophile, thank goodness. But, spoiler alert, ends up with.... The shinigami? Seems like they were just running out of ideas here.
I found the development of the grandma towards the end quite useless. I mean, she's gone through trauma. It made her look like she was a Disney villain returning to good and finally.... Listens to music and enjoys modern pop? Wow, a miracle.
After all, I can understand why this would intrigue someone. But after all, this whole thing is a decent animated piece of garbage. I absolutely hate it's portrayals of love. The way it showed suicide was clever, then turning into shinigami after and such, but the reasoning was dull. He realises he can't sing anymore, rides off bridge, seppuku.
And then later hooks up with a 13 year old girl.
