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An inept take on the historical significance of a woman's role in a royal court, but beyond that, it almost feels incomplete. The premature nature of the ending isn't entirely to blame, not so much as the film's slapdash composure. It's quite tough to pin the blame on a specific element as they share the responsibility of keeping a story's mingling themes afloat, and Kumo no You ni Kaze no You ni seems to lose sight of which of its messages are more relevant. However, if I had to indicate the overarching structural blunder, it'd be the heavily condensed timeline, such that nearly every major event is severely underdramatized. The plot follows Ginga, a commoner competing for a place beside the emperor as his wife, and her rowdy personality strikes most people the wrong way. Her climb up the ranks would've made a fine multi-faceted conflict, simultaneously targeting feminism and beauty standards that it ever so slightly brushes upon. It can hardly be called a romance, even less so a comedy, especially considering the kid-friendly humor is on the drab end.
The political chaos makes a fierce entry into the state of affairs, and the compulsive attraction of rebellion is convincing, at least in reasoning. Aiming to overthrow the current emperor, lesser nobles and village folk raid the palace. The film roams through jarring tonal shifts, or rather lack thereof, given the comical presentation of outwardly serious subject matter. Tackling numerous subplots isn't necessarily an uphill battle, but there needs to be a conclusive goal where various narrative points reach stable closure. Speeding across twists and turns diminishes shock value, while the byproduct is underwritten characters caught in the crossfire of heavy-handed and often emotionally flat climaxes. It's really a shame since studio Pierrot's production values are noteworthy, specifically the Ghibli-esque designs (from a frequent Ghibli character designer) and the gentle background art, which incorporates a bit of foreshadowing in the opening act. Thin like the clouds, temperamental like the wind.
