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Why Bakemono no Ko is going to my top 10 list and why Hosoda is a genius:

I saw Wolf Children a few years ago and I couldn't forget that movie ever again.

Hosoda is a genius when creating stories that make us empathize with the characters. He has brought us many stories that one can never forget, no matter how crazy the plot might be.

This movie, as some of his other works, engulfs us in the story of a boy that lost everything and then gained even more than he could wish for. As in Wolf Children, the relationship between parent and child is approached in ... a very tender way (even if the characters are feisty).

The story is great, the art is quite good, the sound is very good, overall I enjoyed this story a lot. I won't forget Bakemono no Ko's key moments, same as I won't forget Wolf Children's. Hosoda knows how to place the different elements of loss, hardship, perseverance, choice-making, path-taking, love, and hope into a beautiful story.

Going straight to the point, now that everything is fresh in my head:

I'm going to start by saying that I was watching two animes at the same time: Kuzu no honkai and Tsuki ga kirei.

Tsuki ga kirei is a warm comforting blanket that wraps you in a cold rainy night. It's a romance with not much drama, slow pace and adorable moments. I didn't feel like the pace was annoying because the whole story is structured in a way that you just acknowledge from the beginning this isn't some raging passion between two steamy teenagers but a pure, innocent, and very much real love slowly ... growing between two very nice kids.

Story: 9
it makes sense, it has coherence, it has realism, and is refreshing to see this slice of life put into animation. I didn't feel bored even with the slow pace. And I even felt some gut-wrenching moments in one or two episodes.

Art: 5
This was the only thing I need to point out that... it was VERY bad. I understand the simplicity but the digital animations were horrible and the characters were too flat! The light/shadow ratio was absolutely terrible.

Sound: 6
Meh. Nothing I'll remember.

Characters: 7
I like the characters because of their simplicity. There were times where you'll probably wish to see a bit more into other character's lives but I'd say I'm pretty satisfied with the overall thing.

Enjoyment: 8
If you are a hardcore masochist who is into NTR and can't stand to see a happy end and no painful twists that shatter your soul *cough* (kuzu no honkai) *cough*, this will not satisfy you :D But if you want to watch something beautiful (not the animation, the story, THE STORY) and pure-hearted, definitely watch this! Watch it while drinking a cup of warm chocolate and you'll feel that the universe and this world are kind, are good, and that Mondays aren't so bad after all.

Overall: Watch it. It's lovely.

I'd really love to give this show an 8+... but I can't. Here's why (I'll keep it short and simple):

- Comedy: very good premise and a fertile ground to have hilarious scenes. There are some which I was so excited about, but they were never exploited enough.

- Characters: all so interesting in their own way, but so underdeveloped! Maou would be one of my favourite male MC if they had put more flavour into it. Maybe show us more colours, he seems so black and white! No progression from Evil to Hero - it seems like it happened overnight. The characters need more depth so ... we can empathize with them.

- Story: again, such a good premise and so underdeveloped. Even the whole Orba and Sariel plot was so... insipid. No actual build up, little context...

- Soundtrack: I liked the soundtrack, no brilliant, but fits the story well.

What makes one come back for the next episode? Interest, wanting to know more, wanting to enjoy the next good laugh. I finished this because I gave it one chance after another and the premise was interesting. But I was not particularly caught on it.

I'd give it a 7 if 7 was "Slight above average". The plot is interesting, it was a nice pilot episode, I laughed a lot, but we need more scenes either developing the romance, with more comedy into them, or that develop characters and the actual story.

I'll be waiting for the second season in hopes it will get better...

Koi to Uso had a great premise. As many other shows with potential the plot seemed interesting enough to drive us to the next episode. I really thought there was more to the secrets. Maybe there is... in the manga.

Warning - spoilers ahead.

Characters:
Poorly developed. We don't actually get a sense of direction with any of them. Characters are not developed enough to actually makes us feel anything towards them. I didn't feel sorry for Nisaka, I didn't root for any of the girls and I didn't even get mad at the main character's indecisions.

Story:
Great premise. Great premise not developed at all and thus, lacking a ... point in the end. A society where the government chooses who you marry - this could raise many interesting debates on whether love is a social construct or a biological reaction. Can we love someone chosen for us? It even raises the interesting subject of arranged marriages in many cultures. What makes a relationship good or stable or even... real?

Of course, none of this matters because the inquisitive dialogues and monologues are not developed, the relationships barely change and Nisaka (who raises even a more interesting subject which is homosexuality in this kind of society) doesn't get enough screen time with his love interest.

*sigh* I was disappointed because I was looking for more metaphorical matters to be approached. If you're just looking for a romance/drama then the anime is fine and has a couple of sexy scenes.

In the end, it all boils down to what your expectations are.

Free of Spoilers.

This is the first time I went through the trouble of writing an actual review, I'm a very lazy person, but this piece deserves all of our attention.

I'm not an expert in cinema, nor in Japanese animation (though I have consumed a LOT of anime), I'm not going to pretend I know all the producers and writers, yata yata yata - I don't.

Know that that is out of the way, let me tell you about this movie.

I'll start by the story:
After I finished the movie, I send an audio review to one of my cinema-addicts friends and that is how I realized, when ... I talked about it, how great it was.

I felt two different things at this point: there's not much story to tell and yet, this movie, made me feel like no other. There's not a big quest or a complex mystery to follow. There are no ulterior motives moving characters in a big conspiracy, no utopia, no dystopia, no apocalypse.

This story is about emotions. Notice that I said emotions and not feelings and I would like to reiterate this - emotions. It's the rawness of emotions that you feel throughout the movie that makes it great.

This movie is a journey of the most complex type to represent - it's an internal journey. The theme itself is controversial and you get to the end with no villains or heroes, just... human beings trying to get by, to adapt, to find joy in life, to get a second or even a third chance at being happy.

Characters:
Without a doubt, this is the best the movie has. No character in this movie is flat, even the most undeveloped ones.

The characters have many facets, they are complete and so beautifully human. There's no kawaii (except for Kawai, pun intended) running around being the absolutely flat 2 dimensional silly pure hearted girl (don't get me wrong I love a good romcom with flat chars from time to time). Cuteness is there and it's complex, and can hurt and be hurt, can be mean at times, and the intentions are not obvious. People can be caring and at the same time, cowards.

At one point I thought to myself: "I accept you, and you, and you too", "I get it". I couldn't feel "angry" at any character because they were just normally flawed. They feel afraid, they are confused, at times they don't even really know what they're feeling, which is something so real, who's got it all figured out since kids?

We also get to see what happens when the one bullying gets the finger pointed at them. Mean characters are usually tsundere's that after a while become friends with the main characters or just go away to their own worlds. Not the case here.

Art:
Man, this is something. There are details in this movie that make it absolutely beautiful. You'll notice the t-shirt tag probably like I did. Emotions are well represented.

Sound:
The contrast between the silence and the music was well placed. The soundtrack I didn't really pay much attention to it. Could have been over shined by the emotions or wasn't memorable enough.

Overall: consider your timings and motivations to watch this piece. If you're looking for a romance I'd suggest other titles. This is a complex movie that requires your attention and it's not going to be piece of cake to watch at times. That being said, I strongly recommend this movie.