Anime Movie Database

Wolf Children (2012)

After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the werewolf son and daughter that she had with him. But their inheritance of their father's traits proved to be a challenge for her.

I never thought a single movie could be so captivating, fun, and sad all at the same time until I watched Wolf Children.  This is a movie about a single mother going through more stress raising children than any woman should.  The growth of each character is truly impressive and is the main focus of the movie. There are moments of pure sweetness where you feel the joy that this small family feels, and other occasions where you’re feeling a character’s pain.  Aside from the main characters, the secondary characters all feel like they bring something to the table and are integral to our main characters’ growth.

As with most movies, the art is beautiful. The characters are well drawn, backgrounds are full of life and vibrant, and the animation is smooth.  The only issue I had with the art was the use of CG for the background characters during the opening act. They seemed so out of place compared to the 2D characters. Some movies manage to have a fluid integration of 3D and 2D art, but this wasn’t one of them.  The sound design was well done, from the pitter-patter of rain drops, to the rustling of leaves and the blowing wind, everything sounded perfect. In the early stages of the movie there are multiple montages, I didn’t have anything against how they were done, but I found that the soundtrack used with them was more distracting than complimenting.  After that though, the music used sounded beautiful and definitely did a good job of setting the tone for each scene.

5 Centimeters Per Second (2007)

Told in three interconnected segments, we follow a young man named Takaki through his life as cruel winters, cold technology, and finally, adult obligations and responsibility converge to test the delicate petals of love. 

I’m not a big fan of romance related things, but this movie is much more than that. This is a movie that follows a boy from his youth to adulthood, and shows the struggles of love, time, people, and distance. There were moments that really tugged at my heartstrings and that’s not an easy thing to do to me. Overall, the movie does a great job of giving a realistic take on life as one grows up while they deal with people leaving while others join them.

This is another movie with truly astonishing artwork. The art for the characters and their designs don’t really stick out, but the backgrounds and landscapes are breathtaking. The use of watercolors really brings each backdrop to life. The colors are vibrant and the sounds make you feel as though you’re there. There was very little use of background music, which made the movie feel even more grounded in reality.

The Boy and the Beast (2015)

When a young orphaned boy living on the streets of Shibuya stumbles upon a fantastic world of beasts, he's taken in by a gruff warrior beast looking for an apprentice. 

This movie was a suggested viewing and I was thoroughly pleased with what I saw. This is a fun movie featuring anthropomorphic animals in a way I haven’t seen in the past. There are a few exciting fight scenes with smooth animations and flowing movements.  The story is captivating and engaging, although I’m not a huge fan of the ending sequence.

The story is one about a boy who grows up in a world that is different from our own, where animals walk on two legs, talk, run businesses and raise families. There are moments that are a lot of fun and very funny and there are some other pretty dark parts as well, but the movie does a good job of balancing the light hearted and the darker tones for the most part. The music was good, but didn’t really stand out to me like it did in other movies.  

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010)

On December 18, Kyon finds that several traces of the SOS Brigade have mysteriously disappeared from his life.

If there’s one Christmas movie you watch this year, make it The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.  I love the show and the movie even more so this review will be a bit biased. Even though you need to be familiar with the two seasons of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya to fully appreciate the movie, it’s still a good watch for anyone who enjoys a sci-fi-esque story. The story is very captivating; a student finds himself in a world where all his close friends are either gone or don’t remember him and he needs to find his way back to his original life.

The art is superb. Everything is clean and crisp and the animations are fantastic as well. The music is great, the orchestral versions of themes used in the show are especially fun to listen to. 

Daddy, are we lost?

Spirited Away (2001)

During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts. 

In honor of Michiyo Yasuda’s passing, this month I’ll be reviewing a Studio Ghibli film.  Spirited Away is arguably one of, if not, the most popular anime movies of all time. It’s a coming-of-age story about a 10-year old girl named Chihiro who ends up in a magical land and works to make her way back home. The story is a beautiful one with plenty of memorable characters and filled with adventure, friendship, mystery and more.  

The art is stunning and the music is powerful. Character designs are all very unique and you fall in love with just about everybody by the end of the movie. Each location is thrilling and makes you excited to see the next one, while also wanting to explore every nook and cranny of the one you’re already in. A couple parts of the movie seemed to drag on a little long for my liking, but it doesn’t really take away from the overall experience.

Redline (2009)

A story about the most popular racing event in the galaxy, the Redline, and the various racers who compete in it.

Personal Thoughts:  This movie is wild and I love it. If you’re looking for a fun movie with awesome art, crazy cars, and fun fanservice you need to watch Redline. The art is so stylized and gorgeous, it’s truly unbelievable how great this movie looks. The animation is clean, sharp, and fluid. All the cars look great, and every character is wild in the best way possible.  The races are by far the best part of the movie and you really feel a sense of speed and adrenaline when watching them.

Even though the movie has a great look and feel, the story isn’t that good and feels like it gets in the way of the excitement. The entire subplot with the roboworld government seemed like a waste to me. The main plot and character backgrounds were interesting, but a lot of things were left unanswered or unresolved.