Colorful

This movie really blew me away. It isn't the typical fantasy or violent anime most of us watch but, it is really powerful. To start i'm going to say that not everybody will rate it a 10/10. The meaning of it will be interpreted in different ways, and depending on how much you can relate to it will impact your rating.

The animation is beautiful, with many colors and cool locations to look at. The story can be very dark and unusual but also fun and playful at times. I recommend everyone watch this movie at least once, to get the full meaning out of it. To me I really felt it was trying to teach me to be thankful for what I have, and to value my life even at the worst times.

The overall concept is a a really great idea, but is not executed very well story and dialogue wise, as alot of characters feel archetypal and unlikeable and the story is very predictable. I will say some of the animation and scenes in this movie are great, i especially like the beginning scene and it's the most memorable thing about this movie. I just wish it was less surface level and explored it's themes and characters more.

Considering their target audience, youth issues tend to be a major theme in manga and anime. The animated format moreover tends to give creators rather more freedom to experiment with fantasy elements that can explore deeper underlying issues. Directed by veteran animator, Keiichi Hara, COLORFUL for example manages to touch on an important subject with a message that is perhaps rather more difficult to reach a younger audience through conventional live-action drama. That subject is teenage suicide.

Passing through the transit between life and rebirth, a dead soul in danger of obliteration is given another chance to reform and regain the right to rebirth. Brought back into the realm of the living, the soul is reborn into the person of Makoto Kobayashi, an artistically-inclined 14 year-old boy who has just attempted suicide. With the assistance of Purapura, a guide in the afterlife, the 'new' Makoto considers why someone from a seemingly happy family attempted to kill himself and tries to pull the young boy's life back together. COLORFUL is literally a 'finding yourself' film that considers the challenges facing young people who are finding it difficult to cope socially, to fit into the world and deal with the problems of friends, family and relationships.

The fantasy element of the film isn't the most convincing, but it does have a powerful pay-off at the end and it undeniably finds a unique way to tap into the mind of a young alienated individual and how he might respond to the world, particularly one who has been driven to attempt suicide. Keiichi Hara uses an animation style that is reminiscent of GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES in how it touches obliquely but incisively on the challenges facing youth. One seemingly irrelevant sequence based around the disused 'Tamada' trolley car, for example, is just beautiful and transformative. Using such techniques COLORFUL manages to cover a wide range of difficult issues and personality types in a realistic fashion and offer some measure of sympathy and understanding for its characters. It manages to do so moreover without ever becoming sentimental or talking down to its audience.

First, the story is kind of unique. Maybe too melancholly. But, the story has wonderfully been drawn into scenes and animations. Well, the animation itself is not perfect, but still can represented what the story want to tell.

Second, the perspective of story is also a great idea. It is a thoughtful imagination that been translated into scene by scene. Somehow, I just really appreciated the story been telling from this perspective.

This movie does have it's issues. For example the story is rather predictable and the protagonist at times it a bit too unlikable, however this doesn't stop this movie from being entertaining.