Summer Wars

Summer Wars reminds me a lot of Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (one of my all-time favorite anime movies) and it gives me the similar kind of heart-warming feeling. It's by no coincidence that I feel this way as both movies have the same director (Hosoda Mamoru) and similar art-style.

Story: (9/10) – Very Good
When timid high school student and math genius Kenji is asked by his senpai and secret crush Natsuki to follow her to her Nagano home for a summer job, he agrees. Natsuki's family members have all gathered together to celebrate the 90th birthday of Natsuki's grandmother. That’s when Kenji discovers his 'summer job' is to pretend to be Natsuki's boyfriend. As Kenji attempts to keep up with Natsuki's act around her family, he receives a strange math problem on his mobile phone and he can't resist trying to solve it. As it turns out, the solution to the mysterious puzzle causes a bizarre virtual world (OZ) to go haywire. It's up to Kenji and Natsuki's family to try to put everything back in order.

At first glance, I thought the plot seemed a little absurd. However, the moment I started watching, I was immediately charmed by the movie. The heart-warming story telling and dynamic pacing make this movie a joy to watch.

Characters: (9/10) – Very Good
There are so many characters and mostly are Natsuki's family members and relatives. Though I can hardly remember the names of the supporting characters, all them have their own unique personality and charm, and I love watching them interacting as the family members have such great chemistry with one another.

Obaachan - I know she has a name but everyone calls her Obaachan. She's such a heartwarming character and she totally reminds me of my grandma. She's absolutely my favorite character in the movie!

Art/Animation: 10/10 – Awesome
The CG for OZ is amazingly good. I also love the simple designs of the characters.

Music: (8/10) – Good
The Ending theme 'Bokura no Natsu no Yume' by Yamashita Tatsuro is quite nice, but I don't think that it fits the theme of the movie very well.

Enjoyment: (9/10) – Very Good
It's a joy to watch Natsuki's family in action. Her family is full of fun and friendly people and it makes me feel like going over to their house for a home-stay. =P

Overall: (9/10) – Very Good
Though this movie (in my opinion) is not as good as Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (too good), it's still worth a watch for its CG, action, humor and heartwarming scenes.

Only Yesterday - a great slice-of-life!

Omohide Poro Poro (Only Yesterday) must be one of the most underrated Studio Ghibli movies. I guess the reason is Only Yesterday is not as child-friendly as the other Studio Ghibil movies. However, like many other Studio Ghibli movies, Only Yesterday touches audience in a way that only Studio Ghibli can do.

Story: (9/10) – Great
Okajima Taeko, an office girl from Tokyo, decides to take a ten-day vacation in the countryside. Not having any close family to stay with, she chooses to visit some relatives of her sister's husband and work on their safflower farm. Throughout her journey and during her stay, Taeko reminisces about her 5th grade year. With flashbacks to her school days, we follow Taeko’s thoughts as she becomes aware of her life.

This is one of the most realistic anime movies I’ve watched. I see myself a lot in Taeko. I too have memories of childhood that, for some reason, just won't go away. Like Taeko, I sometimes find myself thinking about my childhood days, feeling regretful of some of the things I had done and wondering at how things had turned out the way they did. Through watching Only Yesterday, we also get to experience the profound beauty of rural life in Japan.

Characters: 9/10 - Great
Taeko is a very realistic character and it’s easy to relate to her. Her life is a simple one and some of the things she has experienced are things which we can most definitely identify with - first love, struggle with math (I personally have no such problems ^.-), and etc. Little focus is given to the other characters but like Taeko, the other characters are easy to identify with.

Art/Animation: (8/10) – Good
This is a 1991 film so Taking that into account, I think that both the art and animation are beautifully done. I especially like how the landscape is drawn. The only small issue I have is that all the adult characters have realistically (too realistic) sculpted cheekbones and other facial contours, which I haven’t seen in other anime series before. It may be realistic but aesthetically speaking, I don’t think it’s necessary.

Sound/Music: 8/10 – Good
Music is pleasing, peaceful, and very fitting. There is a repetitive Hungarian theme in the movie, using pieces of music such as 'Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 7' in a scene where Taeko is eating lunch, and making references to Hungarian musicians when she is in the car with Toshio. Though this is an odd choice of music, I think it’s a good one.

Enjoyment: 9/10 – Great
I think that one needs to be in the right mood to watch this movie. If you are in the mood to watch something that makes you laugh or gives you an adrenaline rush, Only Yesterday is not the movie to watch as you will definitely find its pacing too slow. However, if you are in the mood for something simple and realistic, which I was when I was watching, you will definitely enjoy watching Only Yesterday.

Overall: 9/10 - Great
Only Yesterday impresses me with its simplicity, realism and serenity. It’s a must-watch for all who enjoys slice-of-life.

Piano no Mori

In my opinion, Piano no Mori is one of the best anime movies. The animation is beautiful, the forest scene is breathtaking, and the music is indescribably lovely. The film features performances by the renowned pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy. Click here to listen to his music.

Story: (9/10) – Great
Amamiya Shuuhei makes a temporary move from Tokyo to a small town. On his first day of school, it doesn’t take long for him to be picked on by the class bullies. He is thrown a challenge to play a strange piano which is found in the forest near the school. Though the piano is rumored to be broken, music could be heard from it at night. This ignites his meeting with Ichinose Kai, who seems to be the only one capable of getting sound out of the so-called broken piano.

This film is a joy to watch. My first impression was that this film might have something to do with the supernatural. However, there’s nothing supernatural about it. In fact, this film comes with a good and rich story.

Art/Animation: (8/10) – Good
This film is very lively and colorful. I especially love the piano/forest scene. It’s really beautiful. I also love those scenes where the pianists play the piano. The animation is really good and it captures their emotions very well. As for character designs, I think it’s average. If you have read the manga before, you will appreciate the efforts made in making the characters look much better in the film.

Music: 10/10 – Awesome
Simply great!! The film features performances by the renowned pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Character: 9/10 - Great
I love the two main characters, Shuuhei and Kai. The story is mainly about their friendship, he contrast in their personalities, and of course music. One plays the piano because he thinks that it’s his fate to do so, while the other plays spontaneously from memory and observation.

Enjoyment: 9/10 – Great
It’s a little slow in pace. If you don’t mind that, I’m sure you will enjoy the show. I certainly did!

Overall: 9/10 - Great
The characters are likable and the story is rich. If you enjoy classical music, you will certainly enjoy this movie.

Grave of the Fireflies

(/'_') Watching Grave of the Fireflies, I simply can't control my tears. It is one of the most depressing and unquestionably one of the greatest anime movies that ever was or ever will be. It's one of those movies you might 'regret' watching because you cry so much but yet at the same time, you feel glad you have watched it.

Many consider Grave of the Fireflies as an anti-war movie. I totally agree! War is cruel and I feel very fortunate and blessed that I do not have to go through what the characters in the show go through. Peace certainly cannot be taken for granted.

This is one very emotional, joyous, sad, powerful, and beautiful movie. I believe any breathing, feeling person will be touched.

Plot
Grave of the Fireflies centers around a teenage boy named Seita and his younger sister Setsuko. During World War II, the firebombings in their hometown Kobe, Japan, take away the life of their beloved mother. They suddenly find themselves homeless and decide to move in with their aunt. However, their aunt is a cruel woman who gives them barely enough food, insults them and sells their mother's kimono for rice, which she keeps mostly for her own family.

Seita and Setsuko finally decide to leave and they find an old, abandoned bomb shelter to stay in. However, they eventually run out of food, and Setsuko starts to suffer from malnutrition. In desperation, Seita withdraws money from their mother's bank account to buy good food for Setsuko. Sadly, at the bank, he learns of his father's death. Though depressed, he manages to pull himself together and buy a lot of food for Setsuko. When he's back at the shelter, he finds Setsuko hallucinating. She is sucking a marble which she believes is fruit drop. She also offers him 'onigiri' ('rice balls') which are made out of mud. Seita feeds her watermelon but it's all too late, she finally dies of starvation. He cremates her and puts her ashes in the fruit drops tin, which he carries along with his father's photograph, until his death on 21 September 1945.



Art/Animation
This is an 1988 anime movie. Taking that into account, I think that both the art and animation are beautifully done. I especially like how they animate the facial expressions of the characters and the scenes with the fireflies.



Characters
This anime movie is about the bond between brother and sister. It's not so much about the hardships they go through but more about how they react to those hardships and how they stick together right to the very end. Their bond is so strong that it makes the eventual tragedy ending all the more touching and meaningful.

Favorite Characters: Seita and Setsuko (Their resilience and love for each other are admirable!)

Toki wo Kakeru Shojo (The Girl who Leapt through Time) - 2006

One of my favorite anime movies of all time. It teaches me many things which I long knew (for example: to cherish time, not to take life for granted and etc). But well, I guess I'm someone who needs to be reminded Frequently about such things =X

It's also a very touching movie. I cried at the last part of the movie. I cried not because it's sad (actually.. a little sad) but because it's heartwarming. The movie leaves me feeling good and positive.

I love the Ending theme (Garnet by Oku Hanako). It's a very touching song. The first time I listened to it, I actually cried. It's one of my most listened anime songs. ^^

When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to, quite literally, "leap" backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.


So sweet..

Favorite Character: Makoto (She's so forthright and cute) and Chiaki (he seems like the best guy friend to have.. loyal.. fun-loving.. caring.. )