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To start things off: I'm not a fan of the Haruka Naru Toki no Naka De(Hachiyoushou) series.. I thought it was everywhere and going nowhere in particular, with more plot holes than I could count.

In comes Maihitoyo... a beautiful, well written, well paced and amazing story that puts the rest of the series to shame by light years. However, the movie borrows from the rest of the series, so a viewer should consider watching the series before the movie. Standalone, this movie provided me with an original character who will go in my favorite characters list.

The Good:
As opinions go, Akane is not a character ... most will find appealing. Personally, she is as annoying and as endeared by her companions as Miaka in Fushigi Yuugi. I care for neither protagonist but their weaknesses are what allows the rest of the cast to shine more than they normally would. To that effect, Haruka Naru Toki no Naka de - Maihitoyo introduces us to an initially unnamed man, a movie original, who develops a stronger bond with the main protagonist within the span of less than two hours than any we witness in the 26-episode televised series. Not only is this bond solid, but the well structured story pulls the viewer into truly believing its reality.

Animation quality flew ten miles in a different direction in comparison to any of the OVAs or the main series. It is noticeable down to the last rain drop and every fluid thrust of a blade. Comparatively, there are actual battle scenes in the movie that dwarf the series in both delivery and execution. There aren't many, but given the movie length, they're spread out sparingly enough to keep the audience engaged.

The Bad:
The only negative points to this movie may lie in its relationship to the parent series and perhaps a singular corny, Power Ranger-esque moment.


The Truth:
Given the good points, Maihitoyo is an enjoyable tale worth sharing. It may suffer from being tied to a mediocre series, but the movie goes as far as to redeem the condemning role the main protagonist, Akane, plays. If a movie is capable of achieving that, it's worth revisiting the land of Kyou.