Anime Review: Koe no Katachi

This movie has been taking the anime community by storm since it's movie release in Japan in the late fall last year. Finally, it's making its way over to the west and I was finally able to watch it. While I watched Kore no Namae Wa awhile ago last year, I was most excited for  Koe no Katachi. 

While I personally like Koe no Katachi more than I liked Kore no Namae Wa, I'll do a different review for that show later.

Koe no Katachi is based off a manga series by the same name written by (blank). The plot revolves around a cast of interacting high schoolers that all attendees the same elementary school. The issues here is that in elementary school they had a bit of a bullying issue. The main character, (something) when he was in the stupid impressionable age of 11, bullied a classmate with the sort of help of his other friends. She was deaf and they continually ridiculed her for that fact. Later on he was put under fire when the mother found out and complained to the school. Quickly hewas ostracized   from the class while ( blank ) transferred school. This was the tale from his childhood that haunted him all the way to present time. From then on it cursed his life with anxiety and a fear of people that he could never shake. He stopped looking st people in the eyes and hid himself as much as possible. The show begins, with him attempting suicide. It's a failed attempt and goes home. I media fly we are introduced to the main theme of the movie. The feeling of uselessness. That feeling to the point where you only feel a burden to those around you. The feeling of wanting to die. 

Eventually he meets ( blank ) again, which begins the reintroduction of all the characters from elementary school now in different high schools respectively. The story revolves around these older children, who now understand what had transpired, and how they choose to solve their rocky relationship. Mostly they do a shitty job of it because no one really grows up on their own or by ignoring the issues as people tend to do.

Ah yes. Social anxiety is a bitch.

I could honestly go on and on about the themes in this movie, but for now I'll switch over to the obviously superb animation that Kyoto Ani doesn't play with. They bring out there cute one style once more, but it's more than that. The backgrounds are breathtaking and feel alive. Everything moved smoothly and nothing ever jerks. This one helps the movie maintain its, for lack of better word, dreamlike. Really it feels more isolated. As if it is purposely only from one persons view, which it is. I can't explain it better really. But the animation very much reflects the main characters sense of out of world ness.

The music itself is light and airy for the most part but strengthens whenever something dramatic happens. Not really heavy but almost just gets louder or more determined. Frankly I'm mostly judging this by its original views. 

The show is very much a social messag, works like this being the ones I tend to enjoy the most. 

But let me get into the characters. I briefly mentioned the main character and how everything in the show feels like it's his thoughts and how he sees things, but I'll go into a little more depth. The main character is very flawed, as many of the characters are, but his are very subtle compared to the issues of the rest of them. Well actually the main two together, but let's focus on ( blank ) for now. He's hated himself for years and when he finds a chance at redemption, he guilts himself we over whether it's pity or actual sincere feelings he's doing it. It's a struggle for him as he tries to discern himself from that hatred of himself and that guilt getting to now Kyoko once again. The characters around him however, hate him for it. Deem him irredeemable and not worthy of anything. Kyoko sees differently however. She blames herself for his pain. Then and now. If only she wasn't different, if only she could communicated better. If only she didn't burden anyone. As much as ( main character ) tried to separate his problems from her all together, she's no idiot.

Animation...So pretty...

And over to the side characters. With clearly less time to delve as deep into their character flaws and drives, they do a fairly good job. They make it evident as children the problems that they create. At one point they clearly say it, but in a way that makes it pasable. I won't bother saying it because I'd like everyone to make their own opinions about these people. Despite not being fleshed out, they easily resemble real people. Actually, even to me, people that I know.

Overall it's a great show of growing up and accepting things as they are. Accepting yourself and accepting mistakes. Just a whole lot of acceptance. I know Tumblr wants to make it out to be this is what it's like to have depression, this is great representation of suicide, but I don't think that was the issue. It wasn't trying to shed light on suicide, it was trying to say that we all feel like shit. And being alone, is never the answer to those problems.

And one last thing. I like this show better, because it represents something. Kore no Namae Wa is just another love story. A good one at that, but none the last that's it at its core. Koe no Katachi is more than that, which is why I like it more. And such, that's my review. Yayayayaya