Recollections of our past always come bundled with feelings of nostalgia and regret. Look back at your past actions--be it opportunities you should have taken, mistakes you could have avoided, or decisions you should have made; history is often riddled with painful memories that we cannot erase. Now, when given the opportunity to right these wrongs, what would you do? Would you cast away your present self to relive a life without these mistakes, even if this alternate life is not real? Decisions like these make up the core theme of Uchiage Hanabi; it is a story about retrospection and the hypothetical scenarios that result
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from a boy's decision to correct his past. Yet amidst the density of the theme, the subtlety of important plot points make it incredibly confusing for many--people are either left clueless at the seemingly nonsensical ending, or made to rewatch the show, paying attention to the symbols strewn throughout the story in hopes of constructing a viable conclusion to the story. It is as such, reactions are extremely polarized. Those who could not make sense of the story end up feeling very dissatisfied, and the others who made an effort to understand the premise of the show are stuck with interpretations that are open for debate. I belong to the latter category, and my review for Uchiage Hanabi is centered around my interpretation of the story. For this reason, please take my review with a grain of salt--your experience watching this movie will likely be different from mine (or any other reviewer as a matter of fact). All in all, if you ever decide to give this show a shot, I recommend that you pay attention to every single detail in this show and derive your own conclusion; the spectrum of interpretation is very wide (from school truancy to double suicide), all of them very viable.
Plot: 7/10
There are two primary plot-drivers in this story. The first is a small crystal ball that female protagonist Oikawa Nazuna finds on her way to school. It is the device that allows male protagonist Shimada Norimichi to traverse alternate universes where he could correct his actions. The second is more abstract; it is a question raised by Norimichi's classmates: whether fireworks are round or flat when seen from the side. Take some time to ponder over this question. The dialogue between characters in the story does a good job at making us question our answers. This is elucidated by the show's obsession over wind turbines. One would notice the frequency of their appearance in the various scenes straight away. The differing angles at which they are shot at suggests a subtle message being conveyed--something that appears to spin in a circular manner might very well appear flat when viewed from the bottom or side. The same can also be argued for the cylindrical layout of the school--round when viewed from the top and flat-ish from the side. The fact that the roundness/flatness of the fireworks becomes Norimichi's litmus test for reality leads some to question if the very first timeline we start at was even real at all. The problem with having such open-ended conclusions is that people will eventually pay attention to every detail in search for answers. And while doing so, flaws and inconsistencies inevitably surface. For example, you might find fatherly characters who appear to care for children, punching boys in the face in agitation. Or perhaps you'll notice spheres twice the size of marbles being rendered to be as big as a baseball in certain scenes. For these reasons, I concluded with giving the plot a 7/10. The interesting theme of the story is encumbered by inconsistencies and the ambiguity of narrative hints inevitably hinder the enjoyment of the average viewer.
Art: 9/10
The 2D art was spectacular. Background scenes were beautiful, and animations were well-done. CGI was used in scenes that might be difficult to animate in 2D. I personally did not find the transition to be very jarring, although I know people who are extremely turned off by it. A good gauge to see if you will be bothered is to watch the music video for the theme song. If you did not notice the use of CGI there then chances are that you would not be affected by it much. (You can also take this chance to count the occurrence of wind turbines.) Character design-wise, very similar to Shaft's. Watching them might remind you of other shows done by the studio.
Sound: 9/10
The music for the show is fantastic. I was a little disappointed that the theme song was only played for the credits, but the other songs used in the show really fit the atmosphere of the scenes they were used in. The voice acting for some characters will be a little strange to those who are used to anime VAs. This is because some voice actors in this show are not Anime VAs but actual actors.
Enjoyment: 8/10
Strangely enough, I had more enjoyment looking out for narrative hints and symbols in the show rather than watching the show itself. The discussion among my friends were also focused on finding a consensus on what really happened in the end. Nonetheless, those who do not derive enjoyment from such speculations can still enjoy the other notable aspects of the show (art, sound etc). Just note that you will likely be quite confused the story, certain scenes, and decisions made by the producers of the show.
Dec 5, 2017
Recollections of our past always come bundled with feelings of nostalgia and regret. Look back at your past actions--be it opportunities you should have taken, mistakes you could have avoided, or decisions you should have made; history is often riddled with painful memories that we cannot erase. Now, when given the opportunity to right these wrongs, what would you do? Would you cast away your present self to relive a life without these mistakes, even if this alternate life is not real? Decisions like these make up the core theme of Uchiage Hanabi; it is a story about retrospection and the hypothetical scenarios that result
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