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By definition, “Utopia” is simple in context, but every individual has their own take on what their Promised Land truly is. How far must we reach to obtain tranquility, and what must we sacrifice to reach that goal?

In a land where despair and hope are in constant conflict, Naruto, along with Sakura and Shikamaru, are thrown into a power struggle between a hypocritical faction creating their own path to peace and the world around them. By showcasing pleasing animation and a handful of new, plausible characters, we are once again served a modest helping of a series that has marked its place in anime history.

Complexity ... in a plot can have its problems, especially when the writers are restricted to a movie’s worth of time to draw out the intricacies in the story. What starts as a straightforward mission to catch and deliver a ferret soon turns into a, well, complicated mess. With little time to focus on the development of the characters, we are left with just a fluky plot and a handful of neatly animated battles that, most of the time, weren’t all that impressive.

Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru shine as three stand out characters from the main series, and luckily, their audacity carries over to the film to slightly make up for the poorly executed new characters. We’re introduced to an organization owned by Haido, a deceptive man wishing to create a world without war by using the Vein of Gelel, an ancient source of ultimate power. A quickly detestable character who's role can be easily pinned from the start, Haido offers nothing unique to the story other than the cliches that follow his position.

Temujin, one of Haido’s henchmen and also a main protagonist of the story, is one of the only redeeming aspects of the movie. As one of the only (somewhat) developed characters in the film, we learn of his troubled past and his own concept of what it takes to achieve “Utopia”. The other henchwomen include Fugai, Kamina, and Ranke, who serve no purpose other than to show off some interesting animation quirks during the fight sequences.

What can be said in a positive light is that the art and sound of Naruto’s second movie is very nice to look at and hear. While staying true to the series, the art and sound are a step up from what we see on the big screen every weekend. Overall, it’s nothing overly spectacular or out of the box, but the time put in paid off. You’ll especially see the great production values in the handful of fights where a lot of attention was given to details.

It is hard to say whether Naruto: Legend of the Stone of Gelel actually answered the questions lingering in our heads, but we do get to experience an interesting character study, to some degree. The story is nothing worth mentioning, but philosophically we are left with a treat, whether or not a “Utopia” can ever exist or if a “necessary sacrifice” is something acceptable is left to the viewer.

Often times when reading manga you might find yourself struggling to finish even just one chapter before losing hope, skimming the pages as you skip through lines of dialogue only to find yourself dissatisfied three minutes later. Truthfully, this is the case with most shounen-ai manga. You may stop once or twice to gawk at a seductive scene or chuckle at an awkward situation, but the majority of the time the story is coincidental and uninteresting or the characters are nothing more than objects of affection.

This is not the case whatsoever with Yatteraneeze. Written by the talented Meiko Koide and, lesser known, Koh Akizuki, the ... story follows Hiroya Fujimoto and Ryuu Masaki, two high school students on opposite sides of the social order at their school. By using meaningful plot devices, controversial topics, and realistic relationship developments Koide and Akizuki have created a shounen-ai manga that breaks away from many of the clichés and fluky plot elements that hold many manga of the same genre from reaching their true potential.

Admiration is a feeling many of us have experienced, whether it be the sports superstar, the successful actress, the popular mangaka, an older sibling, or maybe just a trendy nobody living next door, but to what extremes do we go to so that we can be like them? Hiroya Fujimoto, the vice-president of his school’s student council, is tired of his average life, his average personality, and even his average hairstyle. “What would my life be like if I was that person?” Have you ever asked yourself? Have you ever gone so far as to try and find out?

Insecure, introspective, and hesitant, Hiroya, tired of not standing out and not taking chances, has a story we can all relate to. Though his individual plotline is more childish compared to Masaki’s we are thrown into an inspiring, yet often touching tale of his journey to find himself. Hiroya pledges to become what he believes he truly wants, a confident and stand-out individual like the person he admires, Masaki. However, a new hairstyle, new clothes, and a comically placed earring can not change who a person is on the inside, a true awakening to one’s self requires dedication and the ability to persevere through the criticism we experience, but can one do all of that alone?

Masaki, an abrasive rebel-type who feels no shame from ignoring a planned meeting, is the main cause of Hiroya’s pledge to change. From an outsiders point of view Masaki is nothing more than a troublemaker with dyed hair, but behind that wall of ignorance is a teenager with a lot of issues. As said earlier, Masaki’s role in the story is much more mature as he deals with problems surrounding his family, his family’s relationships, and even his own health.

As the story progresses, the leads of Yatteraneeze develop to heights rarely seen in the shounen-ai department. Quickly avoiding the “seme-uke” trope, we learn that Hiroya and Masaki are complex and complicated individuals and when their stories collide we are given the opportunity to watch their relationship grow into a realistic experience. They learn to deal with obstacles that would normally tear a couple apart. Through this hardship they begin to accept each other for the best and the worst in each others personalities.

There are few important side characters, such as Masaki’s brother and boyfriend, Masaki’s ex-girlfriend, and also other students, such as a girl, and also a boy, who both develop slight crushes on Hiroya. These characters add very little to the story and are never truly developed further then their shared emotions. The plots they are involved in, such as a photo scandal and a memory loss situation, are not as well written as the other parts of the story, but don’t detract from the work as a whole.

Artistically, it is obvious there was a lot of attention to detail in Yatteraneeze, and Meiko Koide is a master of translating emotions through her art. The style of the work grows and develops like the characters and the plot, starting with a slightly more lighthearted feel and slowly turning more mature. The character designs occasionally appear misproportioned, but it’s not extremely important.

Yatteraneeze is truly a gem that might often be missed just because it is not exactly well known. Despite a few minor flaws, Yatteraneeze shines as an amazing show of well developed characters, an engrossing story, with also a few heart-dropping-teary-eyed scenes, and a respectable take on many controversial topics that many manga are afraid to cover. If you’re looking for a shounen-ai with a very realistic feel you can’t go wrong with giving Yatteraneeze a try!

(This is my first review, so if you read to this point, thanks for reading! Tips/criticism would be great!)