In recent times I have developed a liking towards Japanese anime production both to certain series and movies. When it comes to movies, I think the writer/director Makoto Shinkai has been the best one of this past decade. He created one of my favorite animated movies of all time called Your Name, and his other films have also been very good.
Children Who Chase Lost Voices was the only film from Makoto Shinkai that I haven't seen so last night I finally decided to give it a watch. This was just his third normal length movie without taking into consideration his shorts. Despite the fact this wasn't a bad film, the only film from him I enjoy the least was The Place Promised in Our Early Days, ironically, the 2 films with the best and most intriguing names.
The reason why I didn't enjoy these films as much as the other 4 is because there is too much emphasis on violence, war, and bloody fights. His other 4 films and the ones I enjoyed the most are 5 Centimeters Per Second, The Garden of Words, Your Name (the masterpiece), and Weathering with You. These aren't violent in the least and are very touching and emotional.
It is cool seeing how this creative mind evolved from stories that had action and violent scenes as key parts of the plot, to more fantastic and emotional stories that can touch the hearth of the viewers in a very unique way.
The movie is about a girl who lost her father when she was a baby and he left her as a gift a crystal radio receiver. The girl spends a lot of her time alone because she doesn't have siblings and her mother always seem to be working. She likes going to the mountains and hearing things with her radio.
One day, after the teachers at her school give a warning about the sighting of a huge bear, she encounters a very strange being who looks like a bear patrolling a train's rails. This being doesn't look very happy to encounter the girl and appears hostile but just before anything bad happens, a guy appears and heroically saves her from this huge monster. The guy was extremely skillful and certain scenes are very similar to the ones with the vampire Edward Cullen and Bella Swan when he shows her his powers for the first time, such as jumping from tree to tree like a superstrong monkey.
He later informs the girl he is from an underground and secret country, which is also a sort of magical place. The movie has several action scenes involving normal humans dressed as a swat team and doing everything they can to discover this place and make use of its unique qualities. There are also several attempts to make the movie a bit emotional but nothing can be compared with the other films from the same creators that don't involve violence.
This is a nice flick that mixes fantasy, action, and a little bit of drama which makes it worth watching. There is a lot of creativity in this story and most people will certainly like it. Some of the other works from the same creator set such a high bar that some people might think this film isn't worth it but that's not the case. If you are looking for a cool Japanese anime series with fantasy and action this would be a great choice to watch.
The best
- Interesting idea explored in the plot.
The worst
- Not as impactful as I was expecting.
More information: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1839494/ Review: AAA In numbers: 7/10