Ever since the death of his grandfather, Yasuji, Kousuke Kumagaya has grown distant from his close friend, Natsume Tonai. Having grown up together like siblings in the same apartment building, the two now find themselves at odds with one another due to Natsume's inability to let go of the past. This rift is further exacerbated by the news that their former complex will soon be demolished.
Hearing about a ghost that is supposedly haunting the old complex, Kousuke's friends drag him into the demolition site to look around. When Kousuke finds that Natsume is also there, they get into an argument over an old camera that once belonged to Yasuji. This results in Natsume running off with it, but just as she is about to fall off the rooftop, a torrential downpour envelops the entire building, flooding the ground around it.
The young children now find themselves drifting at sea with the apartment building acting as their ship. Unable to communicate with the rest of the world, Natsume and Kousuke must reconcile their differences if they want to stand a chance at finding their way home.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Vo1se
Not a super long review and I don’t typically even do reviews, but since this literally released a couple of hours ago and I have Covid and couldn’t sleep, I gave it a watch. Visually, this movie is fantastic and really excels at conveying it’s story and emotions through the setting it creates and I honestly enjoyed everything about the animation and art featured throughout. What I liked most regarding the visuals, is that it never felt “boring” to see the same scenery, even though the characters are in the same place for a long period of time. When it comes to the music, I loved it.Fantastic soundtrack, great voice acting (I watched it subbed), and great background noise and sound effects. Nothing felt generic and I felt really immersed in the world consistently throughout the film. The emotions conveyed by the music and the voice acting are phenomenal and felt extremely “natural”.
The plot was great. I wouldn’t say it was revolutionary, however it was fun. The fantasy setting and the mystery behind what’s really going on was entertaining and the plot took time to develop while also not jamming useless filler down your throat. The climax and ending were great and honestly (won’t spoil here) I had no idea what to expect because of how unpredictable a lot of things ended up being.
Characters were good. I enjoyed the entire cast and even though a couple of the characters were annoying or frustrating in the beginning (mainly the MC and Reina), once you stop and realize that these are legitimately 11 year old kids and imagine how you’d feel if you were in their shoes, it really makes you appreciate them more. The writing for all of them was solid for the length of the movie and I feel like we got just enough information to appreciate and also care about what happens to them. It was cool to see the development that most of them went through and although I wish we could’ve seen their futures, it was nice where it left off.
I think this is a great watch for everyone tbh. It’s family friendly but adults and older teens can absolutely appreciate the emotional moments while not feeling like it’s a kid targeted film.
I’d have to go with an 8.5/10
Not a true masterpiece, but a very good and very entertaining anime movie nonetheless.
junnji
Never have I been more intrigued by a story's premise, only to be let down harder than Rick Astley. What initially had the potential to be a great piece of entertainment ultimately flopped under its own weight, which came at the cost of my time and attention. This movie runs for 120 minutes including credits. This movie did not feel like 120 minutes, rather it felt like binging through a weak 12-episode slice of life. It consistently had downtime in which I felt that the plot was moving fucking nowhere, which is pretty ironic considering how the whole movie is about kids trying to find theirway back home.
A quick explanation of the plot: a group of friends gets stuck in an apartment building that happens to teleport in the middle of the ocean and they work together to survive and find their way back home.
Now that may sound interesting at first until you realize... that's it?
Well not really, there's more to the story. But honestly, I wish that was it, because the "more", is absolutely fucking bullshit.
The movie does not give a rat's ass about the things it throws at the viewer. It goes from one plot point to the other, see-sawing between elements. I wouldn't be surprised if someone with bipolar wrote the script for this movie because not a single aspect of the movie was explained or developed further. You're left with a blank face at the end of the credits with one question in your mind: "What the fuck just happened?"
And to make matters worse, the characters are absolute dogshit. The director literally took cookie-cutter personalities and copy-pasted them into the script. I don't know how much more basic you can get with how they're written, their backstories, and their interactions.
From the very first minute to the last, it oozes mediocrity. Animation-wise, there's nothing noteworthy here. A big-budget anime film by Netflix is bound to look at least good, but the only thing that could save a story this boring was beautiful animation, which it also fails to deliver in that regard.
Drifting Home is an experience that only the bottom 5% of viewers will find fulfillment in. As a movie watcher, you expect your time and patience to be rewarded with a journey worthwhile, or a sense that something about you changed compared to before you sat down on the couch. However, I can say with confidence that I have gained nothing by watching this movie, except for the feeling that I probably could've finished a better Studio Ghibli movie instead.
meridiasbeacon
The trailer I saw months ago really had me interested because it just seemed like it could be good. Visually it was absolutely stunning, the animation was beautiful from start to finish. The music captured me and did not let go until the movie ended. However, as far as story and characters go. The entire time it just felt like something was missing. It was a fine movie, don't get me wrong. But, I just felt like it could use something else, I can't say I am smart enough to know what that something is, nevertheless it is how I felt more or lessthe entire time.
Gsarthotegga
Drifting Home is one of those well-made but somewhat mediocre films that come out every year. All the ingredients seem to be there for a great film: talented studios working on it that are clearly passionate about what they do, solid background art, good character animation, an attempt to tell a serious story with the medium, etc. I wouldn't say this is an "A-list" film in the way people usually envision Ghibli or some of the bigger and more popular productions out there from Kon, Hosoda, or Shinkai, or whoever else—it's a bit more modest than that. A film like this is immediately viewed asaverage or slightly above average at best, but I think a lot of people are left uncertain as to why—they just realize it's missing that special ingredient.
To begin with, I'm not even sure what audience this is meant for. I suppose this will have a shounen tag? The characters are all 11 years old or around that age, and it feels like it's meant for a younger audience, but at many points, it feels directed more so at nostalgic and reminiscing adults who have regrets about their childhood and what they've lost. Despite the action and adventure on display, this can be a little slow and contemplative, and attention spans are not what they used to be—even decades back, I feel like the average child and even teen would be bored by this; most adults have probably been inundated with most of the themes and ideas so regularly from other media that, they too, will be fatigued by the familiarity of the production, regardless of how patient they are. Indeed, this is a rather long two hours for such a simple retread of the regrets that emerge with coming of age.
The movie offers a little bit of everything, but it doesn't really excel at anything. You have the rather uncanny valley brand of fantasy where something is off but everything is familiar. The characters wonder if there was a flood that sent the abandoned apartment building they were playing at drifting away, and you can't really blame their incredulity, as it's all rather silly. The ocean becomes a kind of dreamland, with buildings that are either disused or that no longer exist floating around. Then we have adventure as they forage for food in the various buildings. A bit of action when the seas become rough and turbulent or when we need conflict. Plenty of drama with shrieking and crying kids, often shifting into tearjerker mode as they try to pull at your heartstrings with sentimental flashbacks and piano ditties, but it's always manipulative rather than authentically emotional. A little romance (not really, but you know that kind of coming of age "I like you!" thing—I'm trying to make a point here). There's a very quick blast of suspense or even semi-horror, and a small mystery that unravels clumsily concerning the character Noppo and the fantasy elements.
Excluding Noppo, there are 6 characters in the cast stranded on the building. Technically, 4 of them are not needed, but the movie would be too empty without them, and they help "confuse the issue" a little bit to prevent the film from appearing too basic. The two friends of Kousuke are basically 2 of the goons from the Three Stooges, Reina is a tsundere brat, Juri is the unconfident four-eyes. They're pretty typical, and Natsume and Kousuke are the standard male-female leads; they have a strained relationship, and Kousuke is very abrasive for about half the movie, while Natsume is rather glum.
Why do we have the fantasy element, aside from it being visually more interesting and mysterious than just a standard slice of life or drama coming of age film? This is another one of those films where the writer takes a basic problem that normal people have to solve and figure out the hard way, and throws in a fantasy element to whisk away the problem instead. It's kind of like the silly premise behind ReLife, where the main character is having career troubles (the backstory for why is really stupid and contrived), so then we have the sci-fi concept of manipulating his appearance to look like a teen again, and he redoes high school to fix his problems!
Drifting Home isn't nearly as laughable in this sense, but it's similar in execution. Basically, everything happens because Kousuke said something to Natsume in the past that was kind of "mean," and so misunderstandings and resentment formed as well, and they grew apart, but then the fantasy yarn heals all their booboos and kisses them on the forehead, and their relationship again becomes positive. Even the slight "twist" that is offered is very predictable, and it's the kind of thing that even when you don't consciously think about it, it's lingering so heavily in the subconscious that nothing is at all surprising. The whole film reeks of psychoanalytic cliches and carries the burdensome weight of a dream we didn't ask for or need.
heychrisfox
The biggest issue with this film was mixed messaging and missed expectations. Given the premise of this film, it seems like it's going to be a band of crazy kids stuck on an apartment in the middle of the ocean. I interpreted that as a fun little romp, a silly adventure where the kids struggle, but bond, grow up, and have a unique time in their lives. That... is not what happens. This film is surprisingly dark. It's more akin to a less dense version of Lord of the Flies mixed with Life of Pi than a cute, fun adventure movie. The kids are actually struggling here.They have to ration meals, struggle to survive, use their wits, and strain against the stress of their situation. Injury and chance of death is very real in this world. People's heads get bashed, people fall into glass, or slip off metal sharp metal poles. Starvation looms, tensions flare, life is on the line.
Look at the pictures and all the promotional material for this show. Would you say that description above matches it? This is the core problem: what looks, at first, to be a lighthearted and fun adventure is actual a survival story. And if your expectations aren't aligned with that, you're going to be a bit confused by the genre division.
But there are other issues at play. Namely that the screenplay is exceptionally convoluted and bloated. The reason for this seems to be that they came up with the core concept for the film, and had a strong idea of the ending, but had no idea how to fill the second act of the film. This film has it all. Of course the survival aspects are present, including all the struggles that come with that genre. But there's also shintoism, fantasy magic, light romantic tension, character drama, childlike joie de vivre, ghosts, nostalgic drama... there is so MUCH in this film, so many things that the film wants to say and address. And the problem with Drifting Home, just like other films that want to say a lot, is that it's hard to fit so many different, disparate topics and ideas into one film and make things cohesive.
At its core, Drifting Home is a character drama. It's about the kids doing everything they can to survive while also straining against each other's personalities. The problem is, the screenplay is a bit incompetent in this regard. The way Drifting Home interprets drama and conflict is through arguments. A problem will arise ("we're running out of food"), so the kids start to argue. The argument will talk about how there's no food, someone will say "we'll make it work," and then a third-party will say "we have to work together." Then everyone agrees to do their best. But then, hey, no food again, and the exact same argument happens, in the exact same way, just featuring different characters; then the argument gets resolved in the same way, everyone goes back to normal, until the next thing spawning an argument. The arguments also don't really change a lot; it's not like there are new problems that the kids argue about, it's the same core problems of trying to survive that always inflame tensions. This makes the arguing itself extremely repetitive and annoying, because you remember this same problem being resolved 10 minutes ago, but now they're just fighting again. It becomes nonsensical.
There's also an issue that the cast is quite large as well. Seven is a crowd, and although everyone has a foil to bounce off of, trying to characterize and give everyone a valuable arc in the film is a struggle within the screenplay. There's a whole lot of talking, yelling, brooding, etc., and much of this is inconsequential to the broader plot the film is delivering. This muddies everything, making delivering conclusions on everyone's arcs difficult. There's a scene near the end where all the characters have this emotional moment regarding themselves as characters. The problem is, it happens so suddenly, that it's over after a second, and feels extremely unfulfilling, because it doesn't feel like we had enough time to learn about everyone's personal situation for the moment to really pay off.
This is because a deeper core of this movie is the relationship between the two protagonists: Kousuke and Natsume. They're childhood friends, and childhood sweethearts, but also straining under the shared relationship of Kousuke's grandfather who passed away many years before. But because this film is a survival film, that core premise takes a back seat to them working together to survive. As such, we don't get enough time to see these characters emotionally bonding in a way that doesn't involve tension or conflict. The present day has left them both emotionally fraught, so it's difficult for them to act like real friends, especially in a survival situation; but we, as viewers, WANT TO SEE THAT, because we know they care about each other, and never get the opportunity to experience that outside of a couple scenes here and there, or outside of flashbacks.
That isn't to say the film is all bad. It nails the visual aesthetics, and all the character designs are amazing. The animation is stunning as ever, which is to be expected from Studio Colorido and Ishida himself. There's also quite a lot of expertly crafted CG, which is rare in anime.
But a few good compliments and a nice initial vibe cannot combat the weight of a messy screenplay, which inevitably drags this film down from being better than it could have been. It's an unfortunate sophomore slump for an otherwise ultra talented director, and is a strong example of "telling not showing" and how a bloated screenplay can really drag down an experience. If this film had focused on its core ideals: nostalgia, drama, and character bonding, this would have been a fantastic experience. Unfortunately, it throws everything including the kitchen sink into the mix as well, along with an overly mature and dangerous tone, which drags down the entire production.
AldoArcadia
Beautiful visuals wasted on a dopey concept. The trailer hooked me, with its lush animation and a somewhat intriguing idea about an apartment complex floating in the sea. Seemed like it would be a good time, given that I'm a bit of a fan of single location settings. Well, after watching it, I was left cold. Let's briefly dismantle this thing, shall we? Honestly, there's nothing particularly special about this movie that warrants an unnecessarily bloated two-hour runtime. The supernatural elements are goofy, and awkwardly written. The main characters yell at each other for a good portion, constantly being absolute savages to one another. Seriously, these KIDSwant to see each others brains and guts splattered all over the floor of that floating apartment. That Reina girl, what a charmless, bitchy child. This is a prissy, stuck-up debutante who enjoys constantly tearing down everyone, except her bestie. Only with her bestie does she show any heart. The backseat characters (especially Juri and Yuzuru) are far more rational and likeable. And, like I said, the supernatural aspect of the story was where the movie really lost me, particularly the "ghosts." We have to watch this mopey, uninteresting, vague ugly ass ghost with mossy shit growing on him, brooding along, trying to make this dour experience reach some sort of emotional apogee, and ultimately missing the intent completely. Anyway, to conclude: it really irks me when an anime hits all the technical marks beautifully, only to leave me cold by an under-cooked, heavy-handed plot, and miserable shit characters. Skip it. It's a colossal two-hour dud.
randombot
Music and animations were the only things worthwhile in this movie. Characters were either unbearable or forgettable. Scenes were either drawn out too much or made to short to make any impact whatsoever. Natsume was incredibly irritating, selfish, and kept putting everyone in danger and never learned from her mistakes. The main leads obviously don’t care about any of the other side characters. Kousuke had no real personality aside from being a brat, caring about the female lead and disagreeing with anyone and anything. When Reina, though bratty, calls out and tries to hold Natsume accountable for her many mistakes, she is instead painted asthe villain that bullies the poor main heroine. Not to mention how Natsume was written for the audience to feel bad for her and if she wasn’t making some stupid decision was wallowing in self pity and blaming herself for everything so much as if she just wanted to hear someone (Kousuke) tell her that none of it was her fault (even if most of the time it was).
Even though they are kids, 11-12 year olds as annoying as Kousuke and Natsume is a rare feat, the rest of the characters were more rational, but as mentioned before, forgettable. Natsume had a single braincell that eventually dwindled as the movie went on. She ran away and let Kousuke miss his grandfather’s last moments AND slapped him when he went through all the trouble to SAVE HER from a SINKING BUILDING. If that doesn’t tell you how insufferable she is, I don’t what will.
I am not sure how anybody cried during this movie, I think the only way I would have cried was if the main characters fell off the building and did everyone the favour of going away forever but that would’ve ended up being tears of joy.
Please don’t waste your time on this poorly written 2 hour long film.
IAmGrace
For me, this anime was a good 9/10. A truly interesting concept that piqued my interest in what would happen next. A big thank you to the designers for creating it. This is one of the animes that I wanted to watch right after seeing the trailer; it's been on my list for a long time, and I'm so glad I got to watch it and find it in the first place. Speaking about the characters, I quickly became attached to them and shed tears as the story progressed, and the animation was excellent. For those of you who are hiking to find anything towatch, this might be a decent anime to start with.
Animetrack07
Such a studio colorido film. One of my top fav anime movies. I just started loving it by the bond they have amongst natsume,noppo, and kausuke portraying their emotions so Determinatively and their rescue actions, all those nostalgia of apartment bringing up their true unbounded love for trees. Even though it's a fiction of hoping that trees gives life. The truth had already been there in many reality. Apart from studio ghibli, I really love and appreciate colorido movies!! I love these genre of films and this is truly unique in my perspective. As it's a studio colorido movie , no doubt that you'll enjoywith the art form.
The characters might be of different set up but i love every at the end, no disappointments with their story plot.
Try this if you want a truly emotional and adventure loaded thrill ;)
officialbighead
This review may not be entirely helpful, but it is what it is. As other reviews state, this movie is visually stunning. The animation is incredible and the attention to detail really got me. The premise is not the most original, yet it isn't entirely copy-paste of any other anime/manga I've seen. The entire idea revolves around having the two main characters own up to their fears and pride. It essentially is a "I didn't go to therapy so now I'm stuck in a different dimension" kind of deal. Only through working things out do we see how the kids get to go home. The characters aregood, yet shallow. We don't dive too deep into any single character, and with some we don't dip a single toe in. But I think that's part of what I liked about the movie. We got to see how the characters acted and reacted to the situation around them without needing to know their past. They managed to be interesting and plot-driving despite us knowing little more than their names and ages.
In terms of overall enjoyment, I definitely got a decent experience out of this film. I would recommend it to anyone who likes beautiful animation, but would not recommend it to someone who is very plot-driven and cares much about the details of a story. Ultimately, don't knock it till you try it.
Hope this was helpful.
Galatory
Drifting Home Review (7.6) There are parts that make you curious because they don't explain it but the story has a good pace, it's just slow pacing.I was happy with the animation because it's smooth and colorful it's beautiful.It's funny,rude,selfish,and that's what I saw in the characters because I was like that when I was a kid.And the song is beautiful. STORY:5/10 The story is predictable because the things that happen over and over again,it's disappointing because the place they went to and the monster are not explained. ANIMATION:10/10 The animation is beautiful and cool kuddos to the animators great work!!CHARACTERS:7.5/10
The characters development is messy,there are times when they blame others over and over again.
SOUND:8/10
The song is beautiful.
Rickroller84
"One day, two now-estranged childhood friends, Kousuke and Natsume, stumble upon their old apartment (now labelled a ghost housing complex) which is about to be demolished, and out of nowhere, find themselves transported alongside other school companions literally drifting across the sea! Residing in the apartment complex as a base, they gradually unravel the truth of this strange phenomenon as they journey to survive in this fantastical and unpredictable adventure." Off the bat, this movie is the child of a typical Ghibli film (gives off "Ponyo" vibes) and the dazzling animation of "Your Name" - a Shinkai movie. It most definitely is, carrying those elementscompressed in an endearing fashion. Still, I never knew a Netflix-co-produced animated film would concoct such emotion, but here we are at a strange time. Binging through the Netflix catalogue, I found myself face-to-face with an unfamiliar title: Drifting Home. (Mind you, this is longer than Wit Studio's Bubble, also co-produced with Netflix earlier this year - I wanted to see how it would compare to the visual feast parkour extravaganza we have gotten from Bubble.). Oddly intrigued with the premise of a "lost at sea" movie, and noticing its alluring visual charm observing the now-being-played snippet, I clicked play. What came next, however, was something else.
Directed by Hiroyasu Ishida ("Penguin Highway") ("Rain Town"), who has experimented with the visual flair of simply wawtuh (water) and animation Studio "Studio Colorido", they have managed to assemble a perceptually breathtaking movie - the art of anime as a medium enriched comparable to a Makoto Shinkai film. Yes, the animation is prosperous, solid and surprisingly fluid. The stillness of one frame, enhanced by the sharp glare of lighting, illuminating a montage expressed with utter silence - the narrator's role is passed onto the visuals, conveying the adolescent struggles adrift in an expansive sea of sunken waste. There are moments like these that permeate and radiate emotional beauty - sympathy and empathy for the characters, who move and feel alive and human. These instances of character bonding and development frequently occur in the first and second acts, shaping the groundwork for what is to come.
However, the movie does not shy away from flipping a complete turnover, displaying the characters' fragmented and distressed behaviour at their lowest of lows. Take Natsume as an example, who is constantly depressed. Not to mention, some moments the characters undergo when journeying into the unknown are filled with tension and dread, full of them due to the filmmakers' unpredictability of twisting things. (Don't worry, it is never too extreme - but it can come out as shocking for some.) The third act further exemplifies this, which I would not spoil, compelling the aforementioned cinematic techniques with dynamic camera angles and movements - the perfect seasoning for a jaw-dropping climax.
(Also, I would like to point out that the abandoned buildings the assemble cast explores seem so reminiscent of the Last of Us, the studio can literally create a "The Last of Us" anime, and I will be hooked. Maybe that is every post-apocalyptic landscape ever; still, the considerate amount of detail brings the hauntingly gorgeous structures to life - it is beyond commendable effort).
Aside from the undivided praise for the visual fidelity, let us move on to the narrative. It is nothing revolutionary or groundbreaking, and on the contrary, it is simply charming, sometimes gleeful and at times painstakingly emotional at its core. Unlike many other media, it actually manages to capture my immersion for the most part (the pacing was slightly rough for the first half and bothered me).
What I took away from this was its themes - adolescence and maturity. Adolescence is a significant thematic force within the narrative when the main cast is comprised of middle school children: the bickering, the heartstrings, and the tomboyish nature of that ONE character - all present, but most importantly, growth. The impact is relatively rudimentary, but it sticks the landing. Perhaps it is the inner nostalgia reflecting the time when we were twelve sprouted back to life is that hidden trigger - who knows? Meanwhile, there are also themes of attachment, togetherness and letting go, though they are vaguer and more withdrawn from being obvious - it was probably a "me" problem though.
However, there is one concerning nuisance following the narrative - the bizarre third act. What could be interpreted to most as the emotional gut punch came to me as a generic shlock. The mysteries of certain aspects were left unexplored, bothering me; the character's actions and narrative direction were questionable, also bothering me. It is not too over-the-top or challenging to follow. However, it felt the writers were desperate to tie the plot into the end, thereby finding a rushed excuse as "so that happened, well here take this breathtaking animation as compensation!" Honestly, it was a massive letdown, but I mean it is to be expected these days.
Moving on to a different department: characters. To have a moving narrative, you will need to write unique and memorable characters. But like every other day, the characters were going to be hollow, and generically bland, right?
Well, my answer: not really. They do a decent job wrapping the leading characters' arcs (Kousuke and Natsume), but in my opinion, they are pretty forgettable. One whines a lot, one quarrels a lot - already a terrific cast, excellent! However, as the linear narrative commenced, showing signs of character progression and boom - flashbacks started to unwrap more of their past, I was frankly interested for more. Then, somehow the writers left it there: just stagnant, untouched. I was waiting for more, but nope, they stopped being relevant. There is also another character named "Noppo", and when translated, his name is now "Tall". I'm amazed.
Noppo itself is the pinnacle of the assemble cast, he literally shows his dominance by being tall and has little to no dialogue, noice. He is the mysterious character of the lot, a bystander for most scenes (except those when crucial to the narrative), and his character is merely bland overall. The secondary characters were a fun addition, but in the grand scheme of things, they did not add anything to the plot; they were just hanging out in the background - stereotypical background characters (except the Grandpa, who was the most compelling like all fictional Grandpas). Also, don't expect a montage documenting their future selves at the end of the movie, it never happens.
The sound is another key highlight which I adored. The soundtrack was not the greatest in composition, but it necessarily served the visuals justice as an accompanying piece. The voice acting was one of the film's greatest strengths (Reina's VA struck gold for me) and elevated the sheer emotion for me. But what stole the movie for me was its sound design, which was hauntingly gorgeous. Funnily enough, after initiating some research, this film's sound director, Eriko Kimura, has sound-directed Ponyo, another whimsical, charming sea movie with a typical child being the leading character. Go figure!
In conclusion, I think Drifting Home can be viewed by anyone who wishes to nosedive deep into their twelve-year-old selves for nostalgia reasons. It definitely surprised me going in. It is charming, bittersweet and captures peril all at once, boasting its terrific, dazzling and spectacular animation from Studio Colorido following a beautifully orchestrated sound keeping your attention at bay. The narrative has its problems, yes, and the potential is moderately wasted, AND its duration is irritably elongated, but the message/moral is present, albeit quite familiar for some. Shame it would be forgotten any time sooner in the Netflix catalogue, but for all it is worth, you should give it a try.
I'll give this one a seven.
A strong seven.
(So, to settle the score.
Drifting Home > Bubble)
PraneshChow
From my perspective, the story is unique. I watched it with my siblings. I like to enjoy adventure films where a child does something interesting. This anime's storyline is good and the twist is normal, but it takes time to understand the main story. Though it is a fictional anime story, the characters are not well expressed in an emotional way. However, some points are really good like how children are straightforward and can't make good decisions. These things are nicely shown in the anime. I think it will be good for children. The attachment to the place in our memories is shownperfectly. I'm sure they will enjoy this anime.
Thank you for reading my review 🩵. Now, watch it and enjoy it.
TimeFliesAway
Loved it! It's kind of a mix of "Weathering with you" and "Your Name", definitely at the level of these movies, except (thank goodness) no romance, since the character are middle schoolers. I bet if it was from Makoto Shinkai, this would be the most popular anime and most talked about. The visuals are so beautifully breathtaking. Props to the animators, I hope they're getting paid enough. Even though the characters were pretty annoying at some parts – I mean, they're kids, they're gonna be annoying – it was very amazing nonetheless. Especially the feels at the end, damn. Due to the different natures of the characters,you will at least relate to one of them. For me, I related to almost all of them; not all the time, but here and there, depending on the situation.
Enjoyed every bit and didn't get bored at all.
Nerdcatlady
So, I would score this movie with a 7. It was a pretty good fantasy (I would add adventure, suspense, drama, slice of life) movie and I would recommend it. It's about the childhood memories of two kids - friends who used to live in the same building block that now is about to be demolished. During their summer vacation, they decide to visit it one last time but suddenly, something unexpected happens and a long journey begins. The art and visuals are a pleasure in the eye, the music, sound and v.a. are great too. The main idea of the story and the pacing were interesting.There was also enough backstory from their past, shown gradually and character developement, as well as good chemistry between the main characters.
(There might be considered some *spoilers* ahead so if you want to keep reading, it's with your responsibility. I will explain what I liked and disliked about the movie)
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Reina and the mc were annoying in some cases but we can't forget that they behave childish because they are still kids so it's justyfied. While the story continues, we also see some nice moments of bravery or emotional and heart warming scenes.
But I think something was missing to make it great and for a 2hr movie, I think there was enough time to show better and explain some more things - [spoiler]like for example to analyze and involve more the rest characters who were just caught up in that weird situation and existed there for no serious resons or to say it better, they existed only to help the main characters to get out of dangerous siuations, or clear out better, about what was that fantasy place they were travelling to, what was this blue and black magical existence and why did that finally happen, what was the purpose of all this.
For us, the audience though, it was a nice journey we did along with those kids, watching them remembering their past memories, fighting and facing their fears and the hazards around them, together with Noppo the mystery figure. Who by the way, I think, he represented the nostalgic spirit of the house and all the bittersweet memories of the past, that they created together during their childhood years of living there and also, leave and seal them there so they can get along with again, move on and create new and better ones (memories) for the future ahead...[/spoiler]
za_hra
Dude, this was one of the best movies that I ever watched. I may sound childish but that was such a masterpiece. The story in my eyes is unique. The art style is perfect for this anime. The characters are so cute. it was a bit predictable but still mysterious at some points. I think a lot more people should watch this. It's such a comforting type of anime. I like how children's friendship is portrayed in this movie. Everything about this movie is so good. I can sit down and watch it for hours. It's just so beautiful and comforting type of anime.Yeah, at some point it gets sad but has a happy ending. Highly recommended.
Dhanraj_
Ame wo Tsugeru Hyouryuu Danchi Review. So the movie came out yesterday, I watched it yesterday and reviewing it today. I'll make it short. The story is about two main characters - Kosuke and Natsume, who were good childhood friends and lived together with Kosuke's grandpa Yasuji who has now passed away. After some incidents, Kosuke and Natsume, accompanied by their friends Reina, Taishi, Juri, and Yuzuru, find themselves in their old apartment, which mysteriously teleports to the middle of the ocean with no nearby land in sight. The story progresses as they try to survive and get back home. The plot is good overall. It iswatchable, and it didn't feel boring at any point. 7/10
The animation was just what you would expect from a high-quality anime movie. Thanks to studio Colorido for such satisfying sceneries and art style. 8/10
The music and soundtrack were just okay. Nothing too attractive audio-wise. 6/10
The characters were good and were probably the most important aspect of the movie which made it feel alive. They were kinda annoying at first, but their development is great. 8/10
So Overall, I recommend giving it a watch. It's kinda refreshing.
Overall, 7.5/10 for me.
Ryan_Melvin15
Ishida's second feature film after the amazing and underrated film of Penguin Highway, I genuinely think it's another fantastic work from a very talented director. I usually don't write reviews but seeing it go under the radar and getting ridiculous flak, I have to step up and tell why this film is pretty damn good - with some flaws of course. I think three parts of the films really stand out to me which I feel that makes this film as good as it is. Characters: I think the characters in this series surprised me the most from the film. It's all and well having straight uplikable main characters can do no wrong but in Drifting Home - the main characters are flawed, a bit messed up but have a lot of heart and it is why I really loved them. Natsume and Kousuke relationship are of friends that drifted apart due to some personal drama - and the awkwardness and tension between them was really interesting to me. They acted brash, imperfect but never to an extent where they are unlikable to me. Kids are kids and seeing them slowly make up after being real awkward with each other was really nice. Some may not like them at the start but they felt like proper children in that sense which I enjoyed.
The side characters on the other hand were really fun and made for a perfect foil to the main two. They were simply bystanders trying to get along with their friends and I think their childlike charm really helped push the story along and made me really smile whenever they were having fun - doing kids things.
Visuals: I'll keep this short but the visuals were pretty amazing. Not only the background and animation but the expressions on the characters really made me so happy inside. Charming as hell and I was enthralled by it. A feast for the eyes, Studio Colorido did real well.
Theme and Story: I love when anime films tackle themes that are outside the usual romance that we see in so many films these days. The theme of forgiveness and letting go is not a new one but done so well because it constantly plays on in the background of the film - remaining a huge pillar from start to end. We see Natsume being very distant from the moment go and it's hard to tell why she is the way she is. But as it slowly unravels, we can see how she is struggling to let go - her whole life has been a lot about goodbyes and sometimes people forget that they are simply kids. Natsume tried so hard to keep her feelings to her chest and it was a big reason why Kousuke misunderstood her. Sometimes, it's good to let it out and when it did, the film felt like relief to me after an hour of slowburn emotions. Natsume - busy hanging onto a lot of her old memories - the grandpa, the apartment and all, could finally let go and start anew. Things like this really was nice to see.
To go with some negatives, I do think the dialogue of the kids were a bit too adult-like, just a smidge. And the pacing could have been slightly better which dropped it from being just perfect. But, these are small nitpicks in a really good film which I'll have to rewatch to see if it holds up. Please watch the show and form your own opinion. Thanks for reading!
Firechick12012
Man, Studio Colorido's been on a roll lately, what with all the good stuff they've been churning out in recent years. They mainly do a lot of key and in-between animation for other shows made by other studios, and a lot of their own output consists of shorts or web series. They have started transitioning to making movies, with their first being Penguin Highway, which I haven't seen. I mainly know them for the Pokemon Twilight Wings and PokeToon web series, both of which are absolutely amazing, with one of their PokeToons, Yume no Tsubomi being my absolute favorite Pokemon anime of all time. Idid see their second movie, A Whisker Away, and I thought it was kinda meh. Thankfully, their newest film, Drifting Home, which just dropped on Netflix, fares a lot better in both its concept and execution, and is just a really nice, delightful kids movie.
Kosuke and Natsume have been best friends since early childhood, and they often spent a lot of their time at Kosuke's grandfather Yasuji's apartment. Unfortunately, Kosuke and Natsume got into a fight at one point, and Yasuji dies shortly afterward, leaving their relationship strained as a result. The apartment complex they spent so much time in is now abandoned and due to be demolished soon. One day, Kosuke and Natsume, along with four other kids, find themselves in the abandoned apartment complex...and wind up getting magically transported to what appears to be the middle of the ocean, completely blocked off from civilization. Things get even stranger when they come across another kid, Noppo, whom nobody but Natsume recognizes. With no sign of civilization in sight, the kids have to band together to survive, dealing with all manner of dangers like food shortages and the already dilapidated apartment complex gradually crumbling around them.
So yeah, as it turns out, Drifting Home is a survival anime, and a damn effective one, surprisingly enough. Having just come off playing Digimon Survive, which tackles very similar themes, Drifting Home is basically a kids version of that, but much lighter in tone and without an actual antagonist, though that doesn't make the movie any less engaging and heartbreaking when it needs to be. Drifting Home's biggest strength is how much it commits to its themes of survival without skimping on details or trying to make things more convenient for itself. For one, when characters get injured, they stay injured, and their wounds stick around for the entirety of the movie. The characters' clothes get torn and don't get magically fixed like some other shows tend to do. Drifting Home takes absolutely nothing for granted, showing the characters actively trying to find ways to survive, like finding food or boiling rainwater to make it drinkable, things that most anime only tend to show one or two scenes of. Because of the main characters being a bunch of children, there's even more danger to it because their actions could easily either save them or get them killed. One scene later in the movie shows Natsume trying to save a girl from falling to her death, but her method of saving her, while preventing her from drowning, winds up giving her a serious head injury that could either have killed her or made her sustain serious brain damage, even though realistically, Natsume literally had no other options. Hard decisions are made, and the movie is fantastic at really giving everything a real sense of palpable tension and serious stakes.
The same amount of detail is in the animation as well: One thing I noticed in a lot of Colorido's portfolio is that their animation is heavy on fluid, dynamic movement. The characters move realistically and very few corners are cut in comparison to your average anime. The colors are vivid and bright when needed, the setting is down to earth yet surprisingly full of life considering the characters spent all their time in one location, and said location actually looks like a decaying, aging building, with cracks and dirt on every surface, with weeds growing in places they shouldn't. The character designs also toe the line between being cartoony and realistic, similar to a lot of the older Digimon anime. I don't have as much to say on the soundtrack, but it does its job nicely, and the few songs it has are okay too.
Even the characters and their development is surprisingly down-to-earth in spite of the slightly fantastical situation they find themselves in. Now, keep in mind, the characters are all elementary-aged children, and depending on your tolerance for certain archetypes, you're guaranteed to find one of two of them annoying. Reina especially is designed to get on your nerves. But the movie does well in developing them over the course of its run time, and they all manage to find ways to make the best of their situation. Plus, the movie is careful to remind us that these are just children, not super OP isekai protags who get everything handed to them on a silver platter. They're not always going to make the best decisions, and they're all engagingly flawed but still relatable. That being said, I really didn't like Reina's constant complaining and blaming Natsume for everything, even though the only reason Reina is in this situation with them is that she herself willingly went to the abandoned apartment just so she could she could have an excuse to hang out with Kosuke. Really, Reina, you only have yourself to blame for this. Plus, I wish the movie had bothered to mention Juri's name earlier in the movie, not wait until an hour into its run.
Of course, Reina's whininess isn't the only problem the movie has. It's biggest issue is that it's very...blunt in its themes and messages. It makes absolutely no secret of the fact that it's a story about grief, letting go, and moving on, and often times its visual imagery and symbolism have all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the face. Granted, this is a little understandable since Drifting Home is obviously aimed at a younger audience, but it could have benefited from trusting its audience a bit more. The lack of subtlety also results in the movie dragging a bit near the end, when it starts getting bogged down by its desire to explain its own subtext. That being said, I can forgive this because the movie still manages to be a pretty engaging and thrilling survival movie without trying to be the epic of the year. Drifting Home knows what it is, commits to its ideas, and doesn't give a damn about putting its characters in legitimate peril. I can definitely see certain overzealous parents freaking the hell out about the situations the characters in this movie find themselves in. Others might claim the movie is bogged down by emo melodrama, though I've seen other stuff that's way worse about this (*coughcoughVampireInTheGardencoughcough*).
But yeah, I honestly really liked Drifting Home, and I really recommend you watch it if you're looking for a survival movie that doesn't feel sensationalized or like it's only caring more about special effects. Also, I really hope Studio Colorido gets to do more things, like more movies or even TV series. Considering their repertoire so far, I can't wait to see what else they come up with in the future.
