Umibe no Étranger

I have to be honest, I like watching/reading BL stories and with this one I'm in love, with the characters and the story. But if we compare it with the manga, there are scenes or moments where they make more sense in the manga, despite that, I consider that the adaptation they did is very good. I love the chemistry between the characters, from the moment they meet until they decide to be together. Besides, I like how Shun talks about how it affects people's rejection when you are rejected just for loving someone. I'm absolutely fascinated with Mio's personality and her love and loyalty, ... definitely my favorite character.

Stranger by the Shore's anime adaptation is too short and incoherent. It simply doesn't work as a film, requiring previous knowledge of the material to be actually enjoyed and, to a certain extent, understood. To a viewer unfamiliar with the manga, it becomes a guessing game and ultimately fails to bear any emotional impact, as the plot moves along too quickly to let the dust settle and to allow feelings of empathy with any of the characters to bloom.

The animation is beautiful, though, and there are some truly touching moments. It's just unfortunate that everything's so condensed and fast-moving. This could easily have been turned ... into a terrific miniseries. As it stands, it leaves much to be desired.

Why 7, then? Well, even if the characters and their relationships are underdeveloped and/or left unexplained, there are just enough glimpses of near excellence to merit a good rating (and to give a taste of what the manga may be like). Moreover, there are cute cats and same-gender relationships, which, in this reviewer's mind, is always a plus.

In short, although this film will be best appreciated by those who have read the manga, those who haven't can still enjoy watching it. It is, all things considered, a solid BL and a fine slice of life, however concise it may be.

In an attempt to make BL less problematic, Umibe no Etranger came up with a relatively wholesome romance plot that is also bad and directed in a manner that is incoherent.

I don't read/watch BL but I am very open to works in other mediums handling LBGT issues, especially as they tackle social issues in increasingly creative approaches. Whether Umibe intended to go down the more modern and grounded take of gay romance or to make a BL that was more palatable than the modern problematic BL... I couldn't really tell.

It gives off the cute, wholesome vibes of say, Josee or Ride Your Wave, but ... for a short run time (one hour), it somehow decides to tackle abrupt time skips, flashbacks, and a relatively explicit sex scene. This wouldn't be terrible if done artistically, but the direction is horrid - none of these scenes appear with warning and this movie simply does not have transitions. Shots are quick, don't match movements, and you may find yourself in a different spatial or temporal setting within seconds with no idea of how the characters got there - either physically or emotionally.

Talking about emotion, there's very little characterization of the characters beyond a few boohoo points, and there is little chemistry between the leads. Hell, the female childhood friend fiancee who asks for a kiss probably had more chemistry with the lead.

The art is nice, and the animation isn't bad. But ultimately, I would prefer Doukyuusei with its slightly problematic writing but significantly better direction and art, than this movie: yeah the plot is progressive and non-problematic, but who cares???