The most important part: the BL element was introduced in even a more subtle way than Ladiva from Granblue Fantasy. Worse than an NPC, the content in question is a snake in a field, only visible when it clamps its jaws down on the audience at the last minute. By no means was it the center of the story, which feels a bit like misrepresentation. If it was based off the BL alone, I'd give it a 2.
The next most important part: I'm not sure if it's been mentioned previously, but PG-13 is NOT the correct rating for this movie, as there are scenes featuring nudity and implied sexual content. It's plausible that that was the standard of that time. But as we all know, standards change, and I certainly couldn't call myself watching that in public.
I will admit that this is a passable drama that portrays the messy relationships of teenagers in love. Disregarding its execution, it faintly reminds me of A Midnight Summer's Dream--everyone is connected to everyone, no matter how small--and what affects one affects all. As a drama, it has the potential to pass the test of time, but as a romance and a BL, it fails horribly. Certain scenes were stagnant: frames lasted anywhere from 15-45 seconds, and a sketchbook of pictures that are supposed to portray a relationship falls flat due to its lack of substance. It feels desperate at least, and irrational at most. It's a shame that Studio Deen couldn't have covered this. They might have performed just as poorly, but they seem to have a good enough grasp on insinuating feelings between characters to at least make it juicy.
As for the animation and sound, it's indicative of its time period. You wouldn't go to the Philharmonics or the Colonne for dubstep; similarly, the look and feel represent the artistic appeal and focus of that time. The beautiful are beautiful, regardless of gender. The plain are plain, and the ugly are ugly, and all will be accentuated. (For more examples of this, see Tokimeki Tonight and the original manga/anime of Glass Mask.) Likewise, the sound is mainly orchestral. Especially as this is a drama, this shouldn't be too much of a surprise, neither should the movie be condemned for using it.
Conclusion: I'd like to come out saying, "Wow, that was a great movie! I'd sure love to watch that again!" To gain an understanding of how far the anime industry (and the BL genre) has come, the movie is worth at least one watch. Yet while I do respect this anime's age, there's just too many rotten tomatoes in the basket to feel like I've received nothing short of a rip-off.
