So in my view, the film is overall too sad and melancholy. It's less that it is overdramatic, but more that it is prolonged. It feels sad and hopeless for nearly the whole runtime... and we know it is hopeless because the ending is spoiled in the introduction. It does try to balance out sadness with sprinkles of playful, and while there are some nice moments, it doesn't succeed well enough. Also, since it is sad very immediately, we don't get to see the characters experiencing their normalcy, and doesn't give us much to anchor to. To more effectively feel how the circumstances have effected the characters happiness and well-being, it would have made more sense to see their happiness and well-being first hand, though I’m not sure the movie would have been any better for it. It's easy to compare to Miyazaki's work and say that maybe this could have been more enjoyable if the characters and plot were less realistic. But at the same time, this movie is shooting for something completely different... I'll have to see if Takahata can fully deliver on something like this later down the line.
While this film isn't as 'enjoyable' as I would like, I do think it's a pretty compelling anti-war film. And I guess it's chosen level of realism lends to that. It shows how terrible people can be when resources are scarce, and uniquely manages to do it without going over the top. Many of the background characters care for the main duo, but self-preservation is simply more important and, as far as they can reason, they simply can't afford to help. I think the aunt is legitimately my #1 anime villain of all time, she's a stone cold bitch.
Story: 5
Character: 5
Art: 7
Music: 7
Enjoyment/Overall: 6
Anti-war film: 8
