I've always wanted to see this anime. I don't know why I didn't until now. Something about it held me back. I don’t know what it was. I started watching it a few years ago and quit before it started. Maybe I wasn’t ready for this movie back then.
Lets start off with the story. It goes very quickly. I know that this is an OVA and they have to manage their time. It has an interesting beginning. However I don't think a girl In ancient china would be that spunky in the first place. Even in the dumps, girls were taught manners and roles. Women were thought to be useless. Anyway, the movie starts off as a comedy, which is one of the reasons I was so shocked at the ending. The story slows down about mid point. You think that the high point of the plot line is when Ginga makes top wife, but then a huge plot twist is thrown in. The story gets dramatic and exciting, and then plummets. Imagine watching a movie’s climax and it’s REALLY good, then suddenly a narrator jumps in and says "then every one died. The end." There are also many unsolved plot points in this movie. It’s almost like the bandits turned to each other and said “Hey, I know how we could mess up this movie!”
Much of the story was lead by "The difference between boys and girls." At first Ginga thinks that Kouyuu is a woman. This leads to an amusing moment after she is given the title "first wife." I know that they were trying to keep the rating down, but I feel as if they needed to “explore” a bit more, have Ginga figure out things slowly. Especially since they put so much focus on it. The stable scene was so vague. You kinda got the idea, but still didn’t feel satisfied. I wanted some real rolling in the hay! Nah, I’m kidding, but I wanted Kouryuu to at least take off his shirt and show her that he’s not a woman. Ah, I’ve said too much. Okay, I think a rolling in the hay scene would have made the movie. I wouldn’t have cared about the ending!
So for story I would have to give it a 6. It’s not a bad story; it just needs some one to go over it with a red pen and a good writing circle.
The animation was a lot smoother than I expected it to be. Some moments were so fluid that it hit uncanny valley. It was a joy to see. Even though the animation is mimicking gibli style, it had a different feeling. The backgrounds were colorful and nice to look at. They generally spent their time making it look good. There were some character designs that made me down right giddy. The girl from the north, (I think? ) with the cool hat and all. I loved her character design. A lot of the times though I was confused on who was who. There were three characters that looked a like. At first I thought the sister was the PE teacher and that they were all the emperor in disguise... I was seriously trying to solve it in the beginning. They needed a few more differences, unless they were aiming for that confusion.
I give art an 8! Way to go movie.
The sound wasn’t very memorable at all. In fact, if I did remember some of the music, it was because it was extremely out of place. The end song needed to be something mellow to bring you down. Instead, you get a spunky song. It’s almost like a slap in the face. Actually, the song made me angry after listening to it. I thought “How can you be so happy with an ending like THAT!?”
Sound gets a 4.
The characters were very nice and varied. I love when all the girls first meet in their rooms. I thought all of them were going to be stuck up and mean. I was delightfully surprised. Ginga grows from a child to a woman. It’s steady and believable. It’s not a sudden jump like “I’m a woman now, lets roll in the hay.” She really is a woman by the end of the movie. In the end, I guess that’s what the movie was really about; her growth from a child to a beautiful young woman. I generally cared for the characters. (Which is another reason why I want more to the ending, I wanted to SEE what happened to them all.)
Character gets an 8
I know I keep ragging on the story, but I really do love this movie. I enjoyed it; I just think it needed something more. I’ve noticed thought with most anime that it leaves off quickly like that. It’s just how it’s done there. I’m so use to American movies where the end HAS to be satisfying. Instant gratification. Once you think about it though, the quick endings leave you so unsatisfied that want to go out and do something about it. They keep you thinking about that movie which eventually brings you back to it. They make you think about how to change them which in the end involves the viewers more. The movie or show then belongs to everybody.
Enjoyment gets a 7.
Over all, I think that this movie is one that needs to be seen. Put it on your list, get it over with or enjoy it thoroughly… until the end, then boo and throw stuff at your screen. I liked this movie. I give it a 7. It just feels right. It has its charms and its flaws, but that’s what makes it interesting.
Now where’s that haystack?
