Anime Digest
Yuna and Akari are two school girls who have extremely different perspectives on love: Yuna fantasises about romance through rose-colored glasses, whilst Akari is practical and down-to-earth. Meanwhile, Kazuomi and Rio, two high school boys, have opposing ideas on love: Kazuomi is an airhead who doesn’t understand the concept of love, whereas Rio sees each confession as an opportunity—as long as the lady is pretty. Will these four classmates have a teenage relationship that lives up to their hopes?
The Feel-Good Part
Minami did an outstanding job with her acting. She calls herself a “bad girl,” yet she’s not far behind Yuna. Another selfless character who will go to any length to keep her family intact, even if it means lying to others. They did an excellent job of emphasising each character’s shortcoming as well as the circumstances that led to those faults. There are many amazing situations, such as Akari and her mother’s late-night conversation, Kazu and his brother’s scenes, Akari and Yuna’s push, and so on. There are no fillers in any of the scenes.
The Disappointing Factor
The story is “uneventful” in the meaning that it lacks major dramatic moments and instead leans toward slice-of-life. The plot is typical of a coming-of-age romance in Japan, but the pace is extremely slow.
In-Depth Analysis
When Yuna Ichihara’s best friend Sacchan drifts away as she begins high school, she learns that “life is a series of hellos and goodbyes, I’m afraid it’s time for farewell again,” as famed vocalist Billy Joel put it in 1976. She also discovers that there are not only goodbyes, but also unexpected hellos. A girl named Akari approaches Yuna and requests for money, claiming that she needs money for train tickets and that she “had a friend departing today and really wished to see them off.” The weird girl offers to exchange contact details in return for a bracelet. Yuna, understanding her need, offers her the money and arranges to meet next day to be paid it back. Friendships between teenage females may be difficult, and when boys are involved, they can be even more so. Yuna’s childhood buddy, who also resides in the apartment, turns Akari’s head rapidly. A “prince,” as Yuna calls him, moved into the building as well, and swiftly became the focus of Yuna’s pure-hearted girlish fantasies. Akari, who has a boyfriend at the outset, notices Yuna’s childhood buddy. The youthful friendship of the innocent Yuna and the more jaded Akari is forced to face the difficulties of youth—school, friendship, and, most importantly, love.
Star Power
The actors and actresses did an excellent job at expressing their emotions, and I really like how their expressions say it all in some scenes. Rio and Akari’s feelings fluctuate slightly, and it feels rushed due to the time constraints.
Overall Opinion
If you dislike slow-burning stories, this film is not for you. A film for teenagers about love and dreams. It’s a clinch with a slow burn atmosphere. Overall, this is a fantastic romance/friendship/youth film with a fantastic cast and story. The personalities are all excellent, yet they all have problems that they sort out together in the end.
