Jan 8, 2020
Disclaimer: I am not Chinese, nor am I very familiar with the culture, so there were undoubtedly some subtle cultural things I missed while watching this film.
Overall: 7/10
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I decided I wanted to find some Chinese anime to watch to learn more about the culture and language. I rated this movie a 7, but that's still a massive compliment compared to most other Chinese shows I've seen. It's overall pretty good and wouldn't be out of place as a Japanese anime movie, aside from the language obviously.
Story (no spoilers): 7/10
This is the story of a small group of friends
...
as they are finishing high school and seeking what they want to do with their futures. The story really emphasizes following your own dreams and not just doing what your parents or teachers want you to do, which is relatable to pretty much everyone but, I'm sure, doubly so for Chinese viewers. The film seems to take inspiration from Makoto Shinkai's works, especially "5 Centimeters per Second". If you enjoy that sort of sad, introspective storytelling, I think you'll enjoy this.
Art: 8/10
I stated above that the film seems to take inspiration from Makoto Shinkai, and that is also very evident in the film's art style. It is a gorgeous film. Any frame could make a good wallpaper. It really looks like Shinkai's films in that way. Unfortunately, while the frames look good on their own, the animation itself leaves a lot to be desired. It's not horrible by any means, but it gives the impression that most of the budget went to making still frames and the animation between them was a bit of an afterthought. If it weren't for that, I'd probably give the art a 10/10.
Sound: 6/10
There are a few vocal tracks throughout the film. I don't really understand Mandarin, but the songs were nice to listen to anyway. The voice acting was hit-or-miss. The main characters were mostly good, but some of the side characters' VAs sounded completely disinterested. Again, I should stress that I don't understand the language or culture so I could have just misinterpreted the characters' intonation and such.
Characters: 8/10
I was surprised by how much development some of the characters got in such a short amount of time. Almost every character seemed layered and thought-out, and the main characters especially are likable and believable. I found myself getting really invested in their story. I also really appreciated that several characters, including side characters, had scenes focusing entirely on them. In that way, I think the film balances its development well. I think this is probably the strongest aspect of the movie.
Enjoyment: 8/10
I greatly enjoyed this film and would gladly watch it again. My score here would be higher, but I think it's a little too slow in the first half.
Overall, I'd highly recommend giving this a watch if you're a fan of Shinkai's stuff (or others like it).
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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