Modern Love Tokyo: Kare ga Kanaderu Futari no Shirabe

This is one of those "Niche and heavily underrated anime film for 2022".

I have watched this anime movie last year when it was still not yet available via MAL. It premiered via Amazon Prime.
This anime is the inspired adaptation/based off a Japanese Drama with the same name and have launched in the same year. Certainly this had caught me off guard on how good the story and the presentation. The good thing about the film? it has that happy ending.

The anime is about a woman (Tamami) who is struggling in her adult life. While drinking in a bar she then hears a rock song ... that she used to listen in her youth. During her younger years, she met Rin (an aloft guy that plays piano alone in the school gym). The film is the retelling of their past and what happens after they met in the present day.

The animation is unique but you can never really say "its one of its own". However, it has done a great job on that department.

The only downside I felt worth mentioning is the "length" of the movie. For 30 minutes, I felt like this should have been 1 hour to fully flesh out the story. Rather it felt rushed and some plot holes left unexplained. Nonetheless there is nothing that made me feel like confused.

If you really wanted a good romance anime film - this is certainly a good recommendation.

This was a really nice watch overall, the somewhat melancholic story is good with nice to look at - if fairly generic - animation. Naoko Yamada is back to a very familiar 'modern / high school with socially awkward characters' with a relatively straightforward story and a minimal set of characters - which is where I believe her strengths as a director lie, as results have been a lot more mixed

Very conventional and takes no risks, although as I believe it's based on an existing story, scope to do so is probably limited in this regard. Avoids trying to juggle complex narratives, and an over-reliance ... on melodrama, tonal shifts and cliches which has been present in her work at times - notably The Heike Story.

In short: a simple story, that although plays to Yamada's strengths as a director, results in a very good - if amazingly under-watched - piece of work.

I'm really glad I took the time to watch this anime. It’s a charming and cozy experience, packed with heartwarming moments and delightful music, making it one of the most enjoyable 30 minutes I’ve had all year.

The art style is impressive for a short film, featuring a unique yet wonderfully appealing design that stands out. The music, simply put, is a perfect 10/10 and complements the story flawlessly. Speaking of the story, it’s a feel-good narrative that’s sure to bring a smile to your face.

All in all, this is a wonderfully crafted short that’s well worth your time. I highly recommend giving it a watch!