I saw the 2003 film out of impatience, and while both share pretty much the same premise, this film decides to change direction halfway through it, with a bit too much melodrama and cliches for my taste. And while one of the things that I prefered from the original one was the realism of the story, this one makes up it's lack of it with a beautiful scene about facing your doubts and moving on. One element that I have to give credit for to this film is the fact that the relationship between the main duo developes in a well paced and organic way, which is something that a lot of films and anime can't accomplish.
While is no Makoto Shinkai, the art is gorgeous, and the use of watercolors gives us beautiful panels and a unique style.
The voice acting was fine, the actors conveyed the feelings of the characters nicely. Nothing much to say here.
The characters are pretty much the ones you expect to find in anime. The supporting characters are fine (though I did find the rival of Josee a little bit annoying at times). Josee is your typical water downed tsundere, and thankfully as the movie progresses she becomes more likeable. I liked seeing Tsuneo complaining with a drink in hand at the beginning of the film; moments like this make the character more interesting, real, and enjoyable. But even though he's still your typical good guy, he's a nice addition to the Kageyama-verse. I liked the fact that they characters have (or at least try to) have a life outside of the relationship.
Although I didn't cry nor laughed out loud at the film, I did find myself enjoying it (however, I did roll my eyes at the melodrama). Of course I have to mention Eve because OF COURSE. I discovered his music last year through Jujutsu Kaisen and the trailer for this film, so I already knew the songs by heart before watching. I also have to mention the song at the beginning which I quite liked.
If you're looking for a nice romantic comedy, I definitely recommend it. It is the better "Me Before You" in my opinion.
Having said all of this, onto my next obsession: the Belle film from Mamoru Hosoda.
