Jun 19, 2015
It certainly is an epiphany when you find out that the crudely dubbed show you used to watch on television (Shin-chan has been airing in India for quite a few years now, in Hindi) and which, apparently, is exclusively aimed at kids, is much deeper and inspiring than it appears. I can't speak for the other movies in this franchise, but this one certainly was.
The basic plot element, in one word, would be 'nostalgia.' Keeping spoilers to the minimum, the movie is about the circumstances that'd arise if adults were suddenly provided with the golden age of their childhood, the period they were brought up
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in, cheerful and gloomy moments alike, and the opportunity to live in it forever; and how our main cast struggles their way through it to earn their anticipated outcome.
Despite the seriousness of the plot, the film is thoroughly light-hearted and comical, as in accordance with the minimalistic art-style that keeps it apart from the rest of the medium as well as the misadventures of our eternally young 5 year old protagonist and his friends. That's why even the bus-chase that is over 10 minutes long, or the pointless acrobatics above the Tokyo tower never feels overbearing but makes the emotional moments even more captivating. The movie also doesn't miss out on inserting some social commentaries in between, which are gleefully lost among the puns and parodies. The story has a villain, or two to be precise, but they're portrayed as justice against justice rather than evil, and are on the softer side when it comes to implementation of violence to achieve their means, which gives them that humane touch that prototypical villains lack.
As already mentioned, the art is crude, as is the comedy, but it perfectly contributes to the overall feel of it. And it'd be a real shame to skip this one based on preference of visuals alone. Because here is something that has the colour of a sunset, joyously defies serious scrutiny should one even attempt it, and at the same time is culturally profound from a Japanese point of view, from the very first mahou-shoujo anime televised, right down to Taro Okamoto's avant-garde art and an escapist society of the early 21st century.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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