Upon arriving at the train station of death, an impure soul is granted a second chance at life against his will. Reincarnating into the body of Makoto Kobayashi, a 14-year-old boy who recently committed suicide, the soul is tasked to identify the boy's greatest sin in life within a time limit of six months. Although it remains reluctant toward continuing life as Makoto, the soul soon begins to notice the complexities of people's emotions and actions.
Deconstructing the ideas of fractured families and suicide, Colorful explores the intricacies of the daily struggles humans face but are too abashed to confront.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Pixaiated
Despite a wonderful opening sequence and captivating premise, Colorful turns out to be a mediocre disappointment that doesn't manage to attain much depth despite its attempts to do so. The film's main failure can be attributed to its lack of focus and scope, choosing to jump between several different characters that were related to the life of the protagonist. Whilst each of these characters and their inner conflicts had the potential to be very interesting upon exploration, the film never delves too deeply into any of them, choosing to take more of a touch and go approach, jumping from character to character, and developing none ofthem fully. It is due to this that it often feels as if there are jumps in characterization - most notably with relation to the crush of the protagonist, who is left forgotten by the film after a chilling and memorable scene, only to be brought back at the very end in what seems to be a very clumsy attempt to tie up loose ends. Much of the film feels that way - Despite it taking 2 hours, it doesn't really feel as if we really got to know the characters.
Beyond that, the film can sometimes come across as preachy - it oftentimes lacks any subtlety at all. The message of the film is simple, about how us humans are often multifaceted and multicolored, how each of us have many different sides, and how each one of us are often suffering under our own burdens under the facades we put up. We are not alone in this world - your depression and sadness is not something that only you feel - but rather something that everyone goes through, and that we must push on and live life to the fullest even through sad times. It's a beautiful message indeed, but I personally don't feel that it is delivered well. Most of it is literally spoken out by the characters to the audience, most notably in the closing scene of the movie. It's a weak way to deliver a message, and it probably would have worked much better if the film found a way to show it more rather than simply preaching it in our faces.
That said, the film does do some things well. For instance, the final twist, as predictable as it might be, works wonderfully for such a film, and would perhaps have been much more effective if the rest of the film had managed to develop a stronger emotional attachment to the protagonist. It's also beautifully animated and wonderfully drawn, making for a great visual experience at times.
Overall, Colorful is a film that is perhaps brought down by the weight of its ambition. It tries to tackle a range of important issues and explore how we humans tick, but it never really delves deep into the characters and at most times only lightly touches on them. Jumps in characterization and relationships are probably the most problematic point within the film, and it simply doesn't make good use of its runtime.
neonoen
Being a fan of drama anime, especially ones that exemplify harsh realities of life in a real-world setting, I didn't think twice about giving this one a shot. Like Haibane Renmei (which I liked a lot) it deals with recollecting memories of one's past life and getting a shot at correcting the errors of the past. An unknown soul who commited a grave sin lined up, along with other souls in heaven, to receive his judgment inadvertently wins a lottery that gives him a second chance at life by doing an "internship" trial. A test that takes him back to earth and has to beable to remember the grave sin he committed and be able to enjoy and live life again through the body of someone who recently committed suicide, 14-year old Makoto Kobayashi.
Story: 10
The plot's idea of the afterlife and another chance at life is quite amazing. Although it's not so new, it provides a more understandable view of second chances and acceptance of real life circumstances no matter how difficult it is to cope with. The movie doesn't fail to capture reality through the view of a seemingly normal yet troubled family and the eyes of their youngest, melancholic, junior high school son who experiences disasters one after the other pushing himself to do the worst thing. Character development in the movie shows another positive, particularly with the protagonist who has zero knowledge and idea on Makoto's circumstances yet tries to cope with it all despite how unsettling it is to live another person's life and adjust to a new, albeit indifferent and sometimes distasteful, environment. And Makoto, who really fell on hard times, deciding to end it all, whose life the protagonist must pick up where he left off. Being a a film in the drama genre, this movie didn't fail my expectations of one that really digs deep and touches the heart.
Art/Animation: 9
The art for Colorful looked really great and fitting for an anime movie. The CG background was beautifully drawn and given much detail and the characters are drawn well fitting each character's personality. Both Saotome and Shouko were really depicted as goofy and/or eccentric, two people who really get along well with the similarly strange Makoto whose former self is isolated from other people. Makoto's father looks as simple as he is an ordinary low-rank salaryman and his brother who is academically strong but socially indifferent especially to Makoto, fits the four-eyes, tall and brooding character. Makoto's mother really shows the deep and emotional yet motherly figure and Kuwabara, Makoto's crush is really pretty and takes advantage of it. The images of the city landscape were also breathtaking and the places portrayed definitely shows a realistic imagery.
Music: 8
Of course, the best part I liked with regards to the music is the ED theme "Aozora" sung by miwa (who, by the way, has that really clear, beautiful and emotional singing voice). Beautiful song that perfectly fits the story which is about going through and living life no matter the diversity of life's "colors" may put you through. Although most of the movie plays with little or no ambient background music. I can say fitting music is put in the right places where the emotions are most intense.
Enjoyment: 10
Overall, the movie definitely lived up to my expectations of a beautiful drama. Emotions are spot on, at times even, Makoto's character might get on your nerves because of his attitude despite his family's efforts to show their love and support but hey, as they say, everyone is fighting their own battles. Also, even with the fantasy theme of reincarnation it didn't fail to portray reality, its harshness, and the beauty of living life despite the former. Definitely something you can't miss especially if you love drama like me.
vasili101
I myself have been particularly fond of anime that venture towards conveying an important message rather than predominantly focusing simply on mere entertainment as its driving force. By doing so you not only deliver an intellectual ambiance to your viewers but an inventive one as well. For some this may appear too contemplative or be adding excess perplexity unnecessarily. Rather than enjoying this type of anime for mere amusement or pleasure, one should be prepared to learn a valuable lesson or two. By all means there is no urgent need for concern, since you will feel just as content and ecstatic with the conclusionas you indubitably would with any other distinguished anime.
Story: The story has a cleverly mixed assortment of themes that are prevalent throughout the story. You’ll find just as much optimism as you will pessimism, the outcome of events and development are erratic yet with a serene overtone theme.
Straight from the onset our main character is utterly bewildered, he is neither deceased nor living. Believing to be in Nirvana(hope I’m correct on my wording there) he soon arrives face to face with a bizarre outspoken individual he surmises to be an angel. The “angel” instructs him that his soul is to replace that of another temporarily. The state of his new body’s situational status must be amended if he has any hope of returning to his former self. In addition to this, he is informed that the severity of his current results till then are a direct representation of the sin the he himself had committed. So he must amend a person’s life utterly foreign to him while simultaneously delving deep within himself for his own personal reconciliation.
Along the way our protagonist will uncover several shocking revelations as he becomes desperate and resolute to succeed. Though this progress does not go without doubt and uncertainty in the process as he eventually loses confidence with his own capability at some stage. Even when he eventually becomes convinced that he’s now cognizant and in control of this seemingly futile enigma with all the answers to our protagonists abundant issues, he evidently couldn’t have been more mistaken.
Characters: As you steadily learn more about the characters you come to realize that they don’t consist of your typical archetypes. Colorful’s intriguing, exotic, and riveting set of characters are a perfect surreal personification of any commonplace individual in the real world today. We all have our own vile and appalling secrets that could dismantle our lives as we know it if uncovered, and our protagonists in Colorful are no different.
Why certain individuals make the choices or decisions that they do and very often take action upon them, whether deliberately or simply out of blind impulse is a prominent theme in Colorful’s primary cast of characters. As depicted with Koboyashi’s mother and his crush in school, they both committed sins but don’t know how to reconcile them since they either believe it’s justified or are still essential in their lives. Discerning a sin or scar from their past that still prevails or lingers within their minds and personality is already a dreadful experience, but for someone dear to them it’s likely more difficult. As Colorful portrays in a genuine and flawless manner, for a loved one attempting to resolve a situation such as mentioned above, it’s a near incomprehensible conundrum, since you’re aiming to discern another one’s perspective for the solution.
Though there are other characters that reflect and orient on the more optimistic side of Colorful, the endeavor of lasting friendship. Koboyashi had always been a deviant in society even before the soul swapping, and his school life was no different, he was ranked as the second worst of his class academically. The one student who performed worse than he did was Saotome, who was otherwise a very commendable and admirable individual. Eventually they form a bond of unyielding tight friendship and Saotome becomes the predominant for Koboyashis hope and aspiration to go on living.
Art: Simply the art itself it fabulous but is not the reason why it is truly groundbreaking, what is was the style in which it’s portrayed and utilized. The intent and driving force for the varying and noticeable differences in art styles throughout was undoubtedly meant to amplify and magnify the substantial changes in the characters personalities and situational revelations occurring that had lasting effects. It quite simply makes a fantastic epic drama film even more emotionally thrilling to experience.
Music: Though the music might have been more subtle than the art and visual execution was, this certainly doesn’t lessen its value or magnitude that it carried very well.
Overall Enjoyment: Colorful has easily surpassed my disproportionately high expectations, especially for its gallant and comprehensive realistic drama. I felt passionately connected to each and every major character, not despite of, but because of their individual deficiencies and fortitude. This is the essence of what profound and astute drama can become if you truly are striving for it.
Utsusemi1
Yet another glorious movie that left me thinking about life more seriously than I should be at my age. Words can't express how outstanding this story is. The description would capture anyone with enough interest, I didn't care if I hated the story I wanted to know the answers to the synopsis - that's how much the storyline had me going. Luckily - there was 0 chance of me disliking this movie because it shed light on every doubt I never had. MC is strong-minded and arrogant BUT this is not a problem! Don't get me wrong, we want MC to be this way - hetakes the biggest learning curve anyone could take in a lifetime and pursues it in the most creative way possible.
The story is simple but within its simplistic nature is a complex core and by the end of the movie you will either be feeling super-duper happy and satisfied or super-duper happy and satisfied whilst crying lots.
There may be parts of this film that you question why? But honestly, if you look at it from less of a " This is an anime movie" point of view - it will make sense I guarantee it 100%
If there is only one thing I can press onto it would be the obnoxious and weird classmate of the MC - she can get on the nerves a little just for cramping the mood BUT that is just me trying to find something negative to play upon for the sake of this review.
starshinesMonet
Colorful is like a secret place of solitude that helps a person recuperate into humanity and society. It is like a living photograph of all the places you go, both inside yourself and in the world beyond, to meditate on what's important and who you are within the fragments of life. Sometimes being given a second chance and a different perspective is all it takes to see the world in a brand new light. Story: The story for this anime is engaging and moves along at a fine pace. Slowly we are introduce to the elements that made one persons lifeboth rich and miserable and from there we learn what caused Makoto's decision to commit suicide.
What I found most intriguing was the method the anime took to unveiling these reasons and the little details shown to make the audience understand how important life's true connections are. Whether it's painting or being truly understood by someone, we all have something that changes our hearts and gives us a reason to go on. I felt this anime did a particularly good job at describing this to its audience.
Art:
Colorful is vivid and expressive anime, using painting as a medium for survival and contemplation. The still photography used in this anime tells a historical story of the nostalgia for a time that has past, and possibly never lived, but not forgotten. The skillful way it was incorporated is just another detail that made the anime enjoyable to watch and I found myself feeling that nostalgia along with the characters.
Sound:
The sounds were always appropriate to the particular feelings of a scene, and although there is nothing particularly catchy about any of them, what struck me the most was how much I felt that the seiyuu (voice actors) for this movie had a real talent for their characters. I've said often in this review how involved I was in the plot, and this was due mainly to the skill of the seiyuu, who I felt really embodied their characters, and the artists that created this world.
Characters:
The characters are really alive and left me feeling as though I got to know them better. Their personalities show through very well, given the same amounts of detail and you are left with parts of them long after the anime has finished. Each scene with them is beautifully construct to let the viewer in a little more into their lives and who they genuinely are.
Overall:
This anime was so engaging that I often could feel myself having great empathy for whatever a particular character was going through at any given time. I felt happy and introspective and sad and nostalgic right along with the characters and was carried away by their lives. I would definitely recommend this anime!
kokohamstar
This will be the first review I actually write for a movie that I didn't enjoy. Story: Okay so the story has a pretty good plot line with a lot of potential, plenty of time to develop it well, some good turns and twists, and overall some good writing. It had enough of a story going that I wanted to know what happened and kept me watching throughout the entire 2 hour film. However with all the potential that it posessed to keep a viewer interested, I was so bored. I wanted to know how it ended and I wanted to see where the story went, butI was counting down the minutes to the end by halfway through. I give the writers props for coming up with a plot that's unique in it's own way and with the potential and the synopsis to get the viewers that it gets, but I couldn't sit through this movie again.
Animation:
The art style in this movie is reminiscent of the style put into more realistically drawn Ghibli films such as Grave of the Fireflies. Its pretty and the movements are smooth and it doesn't fall into the common style of "just change the hair and you have a new character" that a lot of anime in the past 10 years especially fall into.
The backgrounds especially are extremely detailed in mostly a good way. Considering it's movie about an artist you have to expect some of the art to live up to the character's standards and it does. My major problem with the animation would probably be that the real life backgrounds and cut scenes always seemed out of place. That and the opening scene with the terrible CG had me praying that it didn't carry out through the show and luckily it didn't.
Sound:
Music played barely any role in this movie. I could hear the background music but it didn't really dominate a scene which is both good and bad. I don't think that I could remember this movie by any special song and the music is normally something that sticks with a person even if they don't realize it.
There isn't too much that I can say about it either though, it was so slow paced with the same loop of music that I can't complain or comment so that's all I really have to say on the subject.
Characters
Makoto Kobayashi. Okay so here is our protagonist. Yes he's pretty dynamic. He goes from soft spoken, to confused, to nice, to total douche then back to being nice. He doesn't change enough for me to say that the plot really progressed his character though. It more seems like instead of the plot changing him to a different person it's bringing him back to who he was. And he was a very boring guy.
Mother. She has the potential to really carry the storyline to a wonderful climax but instead she just sits there and cries. She doesn't change in any way to help or hender the storyline.
Father. He's the peacekeeper of the show but considering that absolutely noone besides Makoto makes any conflict, and you're really on his side? Nothing you do matters. You're just kind of there to take up space.
Mitsuru. Another character that has the potential to drive the plot, and in certain instances he really does and I like him for that. I wish that the writers had given him more because he only got really 2 good scenes that gave him the depth I feel his character deserved.
Sano. She is extremely static. She is insecure and awkward and even makes the main feel awkward. Sure I feel sorry for her in one scene but if she didn't exist I feel like the plot would have really been almost exactly the same.
Hiroka. This character has such a deep story going for her that should be made into something just for her, but instead the main character gives her some truly beautiful words and then she's gone from the story and nothing more is said.
Purapura. He is one more character that has the potential to be his own story. I want to know more about him! And I never will!
Saotome. I don't know anything about him. He's poor and smiley. Woo.
Overall none of these characters were developed. They are all just there as background art with words. They have maybe one or two scenes where they push Makoto into something but for the most part Makoto pushes the story on his own and they are all useless characters.
Overall
I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone really. I see the wonderful reviews of this movie and I can't see why it deserves it. I was bored, I learned a lot about a character I disliked and nothing about the characters I liked. The music I couldn't even comment on and the art style was the only good thing going for it.
I wish I could put more detail into my review but as long and slow paced as this story was, I barely got anything from it.
Meg-nyan
I have a certain fear of what happens to humans after death. Do we go into a vast oblivion of darkness or do we get a second chance at life and become reincarnated? Since I brood over such trivial matters often, the plot for Colorful really caught my eye and I figured watching it would help me reach an answer. Well, not only did the movie get me closer to a sufficient answer, but it changed certain views of life that I had as well. Story: 9.8/10 The plot for Colorful was a simple yet broad subject. A second chance of life, how many of us wouldtake that? Would it be a good or bad idea? I've seen and read other stories that try to play around this concept, but Colorful's is unique. The journey of a person's discovery of sin in another sinner's body became as interesting as I hoped. While the movie was rather slow and dragged out for the first half of the movie, it created a build up that led to an ending that left a lasting impression. Colorful also explores the lessons of family, priorities, and friendship, all of which tied together well with the main plot. The ending was extremely satisfying and for a while after the movie, it makes you reflect on your own life as well. Philosophical and heart warming, Colorful's plot teaches life lessons that I never thought a movie could.
Art: 9/10
Colorful had some pretty good quality as an anime movie. The animation for each movement was very fluid and each character was drawn clear, tiny details included. The character design was nothing too special (except PuraPura), but they were still drawn well and realistically enough for my liking. Backdrops ranging from train stations to forests and lakes were all beautifully done and lovely to look at.
Sound: 8/10
I gave sound an above average 8 because the soundtrack for Colorful just didn't really stick out to me that much. However, they did fit the story and setting well, so it was still good enough. The voice actor's for each character portrayed their given role and personalities well. No one felt too plain or forced.
Character: 9.4/10
When it comes to character, the one that I'll be focusing mainly on is Makoto. His personality was very interesting and wasn't that of a basic main character. His development throughout the movie was so endearing and I ended up rooting for him more than I thought. His growth was refreshing, eye opening, yet realistic enough to enjoy. The side characters, though not as important, were just as interesting as you get to know them more and more through the movie. Each person has their own secrets and little quirks and its hard to not to hate someone by the end of Colorful.
Overall: 9.7/10
Initially reading Colorful's plot, I had high expectations for the movie, and it was definitely filled. The overall impact and morals can be near life changing as it really turns your perspective on how you may live. Along with high quality animation and characters that could be your next door neighbor, Colorful is a fantastic movie and one that I won't forget.
TeaAnyOne
Story: The story of Colorful follows a person who finds himself trapped outside the normal endless circle of life and death. Thanks to winning a lottery in the angel world, the protagonist is brought back to inhabit the body of Makoto a 14-year-old boy, who tried to commit suicide. The Story Shows Makoto's daily life, including family, school and character relationships. Slowly unveiling Makoto's life and his reasons for commiting suicide. Art: The art is bright and vibrant, but dims down to suit darker moments. The Still art is extreamly beautiful and mixes well with moving art. Showing a Nice contrast between the two.Sound:
The sound is strong and works really well with scenes within the movie. If its a high energetic, or a more slow dramtic scene. The sound supports it giving it an extreamly great viewing experience.
Character:
The characters feel real and 3 dimensional. You can really get connected with alot of them. None of the characters feel annoying or forced and they all have there own part to play.
Overall:
Overall, this movie is an amazing viewing experience. Sunrise did an amazing job with this. Im glad I took the time to watch it. If your looking for something with great drama and characters this is the movie to watch. I definitely recommend this to everyone
Atlos
(TLDR at the bottom, thanks for reading.) Colourful manages too something that seems impossible, it is simultaneously to long and too short. It's almost like the staff working made the film but the realised that the script and storyboards only cover an hour of screen time, so they decided to emphasise certain bit of the film to make it longer but only achieving making the overall pacing of the story was way longer than it needs to be. So even though this is a two-hour film, it barely achieves anything of value. It's one of those anime that is made so at the moment you thinkit is really profound and deep but when you end up thinking about it a few months later the only think about the film you can remember is the final few minutes. As I am writing this review I am having to go back and rewatch sections of the film because the only thing I remember from my initial viewing is criticisms that I made (and the opening and ending scenes), and when the most memorable part of a film is the reasons you don't like it that is when you realise something went horribly wrong.
The film starts with the rather effective hook of someone in the afterlife, a young boy, who is given the chance to relive his life and to prevent his own suicide. The overall directing of this scene is quite impressive. The camera is positioned in such a way that Purapura (the spirit guiding the souls of the dead) is always in the centre of the screen, his upbeat tone and boyish look clashing with the overall morbid nature of the scene, our main character (who we know nothing about) has his own voice muted and replaced by white words on a black background. The other souls represented by translucent 3d models in direct contrast to the 2d background and too Purapura who still takes up a large portion of the screen, the dichotomy between these models and 2d drawings is really effective at bringing across the uncanny nature of this scene. These entire few minutes, while impressive, probably hurt the overall experience as it puts the viewer's expectations higher than what the film can actually deliver.
But after this opening scene the film throws us directly into the life of Makoto and its liner through line all but disappears as the viewer ends up watching Makoto live his day-to-day life, his encounters with friends and school, his relationship with his parents, the stresses of finding a new school and other fairly typical events in someone's life. Since the main focus is meant to be on the life of Makoto it is more of a collection of a bunch of random scenes with only some of them contributing to the actual plot and themes of the film, you could cut out a good chunk of the scenes in the middle of the film, and it would really detract from the film. There isn't much of a plot to colourful, there is the whole idea of Makoto being reincarnated, but that is mostly you used in the start and end of the films with the actual meat of the experience being the interpersonal relationships between Makoto and the rest of the cast, the problem is that Makoto is just an annoying character. He is arrogant and rude and bairly has any characterisation that can make him appealing despite his personality, maybe this lack of characterisation is done to make him seem like a typical school boy, but it just is one of the many issues that makes the time spent watching the film unpleasant. He does develop as a character but all of his development is kept to the final quarter of the film, so while it is great that he does develop most of the film we are stuck with and annoying MC and his development isn't particular noteworthy as it is just him learning to be a better person. The rest of the cast aren't any better, a lot of the characters that are around Makoto's age are similarly annoying or just have some really lacklustre characterisation that they are just boring to watch because their entire purpose is to talk to Makoto about some random event. There is one scene in the middle of the film where Makoto and his friends skip school and just end up walking around the town and talking about the history of it (it's more of Makoto's friend talking at him, though). But this scene is a bit of a waste of time as all it does it prove Makoto has a friend and due to the naturalistic approach to voice acting the series takes all the characters sound extremely uninterested and the lack of anything else to spice the scene up (like a good ost, impressive directing or noteworthy animation) the whole scene is just boring and has no real place in the story, and for the over all length of the scene it barely impacts the actual film.
And after some heart-to-hearts between Makoto and his parents the film stumbles into its ending, where its entire message is made clear in an overly ham-fisted and preachy way, that people are multifaceted, you could even say that people are “colourful” and the film wants to make sure you understand this by saying it multiple times, the staff were trying so hard to make sure that the viewers understand this message that they have the big conclusion that the answer is spelled out right in the title. My main issue with this isn't the lack of subtlety or the obtuse nature that the film takes in preventing its themes, it's that it is fairly obvious to most people. We've spent our entire lives living around over people and learning that they aren't black and white or easy to fit into categories. In the anime community to outsiders it might look like we are one homogenous group but as you can see there are plenty of different types of people, you'd have to be colour-blind to think that life is not colourful and then for this film to come round like it has made some grand revelation on human nature just feels wrong, we already know what the film is trying to say so no matter what the film does say we already know these messages and then combined this with the lack of anything conclusive happening to Makoto just makes the ending sub-par.
Even with all of these issues, the film just isn't that entertaining.
TLDR: Too long with sup-par voice acting leading to a disappointing conclusion.
grawlak
One night I'm challenged to watch this movie with friends. They were pretty hyped for it and so I followed, in antecipation, waiting for a good movie. What did I get? A terrible one. Where do I start? The plot starts off pretty interesting, it makes you question, it leaves you hyped for a really cool movie, which unfortunately turns out to be pretty lame. It consists essentially of a kid struggling with common life problems (be it family, friendship-related, school-related, etc.) who gradually goes about making sense of it all, understanding how to look at life, making friends, becoming a new kid entirelly, culminating with a plot-twist whichI honestly saw coming and which didnt affect me much to be honest.
As far as the plot's concerned I'll give it a solid 6/10., it's neither good nor bad, it's just a plot.
I must also note that the MC has a terribly emotionless personality and I couldnt get attatched to him very much.
Now let me get into what really fails in this movie.
The art is pretty, but oh god did I have to lower the rating on it.
The CGI was like something from the early 90s, which DIDNT BLEND AT ALL into the anime, and what were they thinking when they decided it would be cool to put real life photos as backgrounds?? WERE THEY SERIOUSLY HOPING WE WOULDNT NOTICE? WAS IT SUPPOSED TO BE NOTICED? It was hideous.
The music is forgetable.
The time I wasted on it will not come back.
Overall it was an ok movie but only because I watched it with friends, it's again, one of such movies where most 8s and 9s out of 10 come from weeboo "anime appreciators" who clearly cannot tell the flaws of a movie and although singular opinions are to be respected, it should not be expected of me to understand such opinions when there is clearly so much flaw to be seen in this movie.
It is NOT that great and overall I give it a 4/10.
Kuandohan
The film "Colorful" is quite a deep film. Yet it is filled with depression, if you want a happy film (for most of the way) that makes you feel good, this is not it. Although the ending is quite inspiring. Sometimes it's the small things in life that cause the most influence. The story of a middle schooler, Makoto Kobayashi who commit suicide after witnessing some - to him - emotionally crushing events. Now a random soul in a room of souls, here to basically be banished from the ability to reincarnate, has won "The Lottery" to be reincarnated whether he wants to or not. He will inhabitthe recently deceased Makoto, and in order to complete "The Trial" he must remember his sin, almost without any help.
His family and a few people along the way try to help him in his life.
This is a strange film. It is almost unbearably depressing, and even more so, because it very realistic.
But, it is a very deep film, with some amazing lines that are hard to miss. Although, I only noticed most of them around the last 30 minutes of the film.
This is most definitely a slice of life film in a realistic, drama filled setting. The type of drama in this picture is extremely passive aggressive, with unaddressed remorse and regret. Being someone who has experienced and been apart of this type of personality, it really hit home and made me feel more depressed while watching.
You can tell I do not like these types of films.
But that is just me, this film is beautiful work.
They took a realistic approach with the art, which made the story even more effective. The animation is mostly fluid, and facial expressions are well done.
The music in this film is your basic Kow Ohtani sound, except higher quality. You could say it's in league with the score of "Haibane Renmei" respectively. Other than a couple of pieces that annoyed me (I've listened to a lot of Kow Ohtani), It fit the production very well. Amazingly he managed to make the film feel even more depressing.
The seiyuu are mostly very well done. Sometimes Makoto sounds like a man doing a high pitch voice though (apparently that is what the Seiyuu is actually doing, go figure). Some scenes with yelling (Not many yelling scenes) could have used a bit more power in the diaphragm in my opinion.
Every character in this show is dysfunctional. Makoto's family is extremely dysfunctional, including Makoto.
PuraPura is an "Angel" who gave the "random" spirit, now in the body of Makoto, a "Second Chance".
Makoto Kobayashi is the character that you learn about in this film, so any development here would spoil the movie. I'll mention that he's confused in the beginning.
Makoto no Haha is Makoto's mother, she has some personal problems.
Makoto no Chichi is Makoto's dad, he has some personal problems.
Mitsuru Kobayashi is Makoto's brother, he also has some personal problems.
They are mostly not addressed, but you can tell on their faces and in the way they speak to each other.
Satome, Hiroka, and Shouko are the "Friends" that help Makoto remember his sin and basically live, all in a very dysfunctional way.
---
This film is a great film, it teaches the importance of being alive, that little things can be important, and you can learn some amazing things at the most unusual times, places, and events, unexpectedly, and even more. This is a very deep film.
I must warn you though, this is a depressing film, and doesn't do anything to change that, and some may not feel better by the end. Luckily, I did.
I do think this film deserves its awards, and praise, but It's not the type of film I would visit often, maybe never again.
IamReel
Colorful begins from the first person perspective, with the hero’s words being written rathen than spoken. I have to admit, this is a very interesting choice for an opening, which reminded me of visual novel games a bit and got me instantly interested in what was about to happen. As it turns out, the main character has just died and is now given a chance for a resurrection. In order to have it given to him, he has to pass a certain test. His soul is transported into a body of young boy who nearly passed away in a suicide attempt. The task that isgiven to our MC will require him not only to be able to continue living as a new person, but to remember and atone for the sin he commited during his own life as well.
Unfortunately, I am not really sure of how accurate that summary was. And this is not due to me hardly remembering the movie (which I kinda wish was the case) or it having a very complex plot, making it hard to give a decent explanation of it within such a brief paragraph. Instead, I have to put the blame on what seems to be the this title’s largest shortcoming - it’s a complete and utter mess.
This is a little surprising, seeing that Colorful doesn’t bring up a whole lot of characters or themes, but it still manages to continuosly forget about the ones it did thgoughout its duration. As a result, the movie ends up with a line-up of people who are not only not given any kind of development, but are left halfway through their exposition when the ending credits roll in.
The only character which I felt was decently introduced and deserved their place in Colorful was Saotoma. His subplot seems to be the one that actually pushes the protagonist and the plot into some kind of direction, too bad it takes place exlusively within the last one-third of the movie. As a result, we are left wondering what is even the whole point of it throughout the rest of the time. Although, to be frank, I’m still not 100% sure about what it was even now.
To give you a better example of how severely Colorful lacks any kind of focus, let’s talk about some more adult-like themes it throws at the viewer. And there are at least two big ones, namely betrayal and prostitution. I won’t go into details to avoid spoilers, but if you watch it expecting some kind of an actual look into those issues, you’ll come out dissapointed. It’s a bit like virtue signaling, except the authors don’t even have balls to actually condemn those sorts of behaviours, they just throw them into vacuum and never do anything with them. Maybe this was an attempt to make the movie seem more edgy and appeal to certain types of demographic, but instead it came out totally out of place.
However, the absolute cherry on top when it comes to lack of direction in Colorful was the moment when its creators realised they forgot to actually put its keynote into it. To fix it, they decided to make the protagonist blurt it out in the middle of the dialogue with barely no context, while the person they were talking to just nods silently, listening to an explanation of the movie’s title. Unfortunately, I cannot bring myself to fully hate this moment, because while the MC was talking, his school’s graduation song was also playing in the background and I happen to have a particular weakness to those. In the end, I had a very weird moment of contrast, when the worst and the best thing I was able to hear throughout this movie both happened simultaniously.
Speaking of contrast, this words also deserves its place when talking about Colorful’s visuals. I definetely have to apploud the backgrounds - while they’re not quite on Shinkai’s levels, they are still really well made, vivid and detailed. On the opposite side, the character designs are pretty poor, even scruffy. Their animation is even worse, especially when it comes to walking or running, which seems very sluggish and at times the framerate for it is really low. You can really tell the difference between the level of detail put into those respective aspects and the overall impression is similiar to a poor green screen effect.
I was hoping the whole mess in the direction would eventually be given some kind of explanation, but in the end all of it was left to my own imagination. Was the movie trying to be an elaborate metaphore of our own lives, which can be very chaotic as well? Unfortunately, this is but a poor excuse for the Colorful’s very apparent issues and I can’t bring myself to handle it to it.
The ending doesn’t help much either. Instead of leaving me with a good final impression, it brings the exact same resolution I was guessing would happen six minutes into the damn thing. And to make it even worse, it gives hardly any explation as to how the protagonist was able to solve the puzzle, making it even less satisfying than I was expecting.
All in all, watching Colorful was but a waste of time. I might end up being a bit salty about it, seeing that is was the first anime I decided to watch in the new year 2018, but the rating I decided to handle it is what I give to series that might have some pros to it, but are largely overshadowed by their cons. I believe this is what constitues as a fair judgement for this movie.
nanashi_xx
Colorful is a profound and emotionally charged drama that tells a compelling story about redemption, self-discovery, and the complexities of human nature. A masterpiece. This movie had such a profound impact on me that I'm struggling to put it into words. From the very first scene, I was hooked. The story was so cleverly crafted with a mix of themes that were both optimistic and pessimistic, yet had an overall serene overtone that made it all the more captivating. The film explores the theme of sin and redemption in a nuanced and thought-provoking way, and it forced me to confront my own moral and ethical beliefs. AsI watched Makoto navigate his new life, I couldn't help but feel invested in his journey filled with challenges and experiences all unique to him while struggling to search for his own being. The characters were so beautifully complex, with their own flaws and secrets that added such depth to the story. Watching them try to reconcile their past mistakes and grapple with their own personal demons was both heartbreaking and inspiring.
One of the standout aspects of this movie is its art and music. The art style was so unique and purposeful, amplifying the character development and story revelations in a way that made the emotional impact even stronger. Colorful is one of those films where the art not only matches the theme of the story but also accentuates the overall sensory impact that it will have on the viewers. The film's score is also exceptional, with its haunting and melancholic melodies perfectly capturing the film's somber and introspective mood.
Colorful is a remarkable film that is both artistically ambitious and thematically rich. It offers a powerful and emotionally resonant experience that is sure to leave a lasting impression on its viewers. It is one of those rare movies that has stayed with me long after the credits rolled. It made me reflect on my own life and the mistakes I've made, and inspired me to strive for personal growth and reconciliation.
kawaii_ashleyy
Story (10) The story is full of lessons and real life problems. The anime is full of emotion and tragedy. Their are parts where you can laugh but mostly full of tragic events. Art (10) The anime is all colorful and full of bright colors in the cover of the movie. Sound (10) I have no problem with the dub or sub voices or the music. Character (10)I completely love all the characters, especially the main character. They're personality and point of views change-for the better.
Enjoyment (10)
I enjoyed the anime a lot. I didn't have any problems with it. Its a shame it's just a movie and not a full out anime. Always enjoy to re-watch it though.
Overall (10)
Overall its perfect. I would recommend this to anyone who is going threw suicidal thoughts-This anime taught me a valuable lesson.
ggultra2764
This worthwhile movie explores the importance of valuing ones life despite the hardships one would frequently confront in it. This theme is explored through a lost soul who occupies the body of a teenage boy who took his life through suicide and must figure out the sin that led him to his death as he experiences the boy's life. Colorful delivers enough depth at exploring the life of Makoto and the relationships he had with his family and classmates prior to his death. The movie isn't afraid at pulling its punches with exploring both the good and bad sides of living as we come tosee Makoto being an outcast at his school and having some serious problems within his family, as well as the soul within him coming to value the bonds he comes to establish with those that care for Makoto despite the shortcomings he had prior. Some have commented on Makoto coming across as unlikeable at points during scenes where he lashed out at others and distanced himself from school and family. Yet considering how miserable his life was before his suicide attempt, his anger towards life in general seemed justified given what he discovers about those close to him. Yet his character does gradually get better when he comes to find a few classmates that care for him and coming to learn that his family still cares for him despite the problems they had prior.
The only element to the movie I found lacking was focus on Purapura's character as he only appears frequently during most moments when Makoto was venting at his family and classmates with the spirit reprimanding him for his actions, as well as not being able to learn very much about his character. Compared to what I seen with Makoto establishing bonds with his family and classmates, I couldn't find myself buying Makoto's connection to Purapura due to this minimal focus.
In terms of presentation, Colorful makes use of subdued color tones in depicting its down-to-earth and realistic look into Makoto's problems. Scenery is highly detailed featuring vast shots of city and forest landscapes. While character designs and animation aren't too impressive quality-wise, characters are drawn in realistic detail and move about at a fluid pace, as well as while in vehicles. The animation highlight for me in the movie was the beginning featuring a first person perspective of the lost soul being in line in the afterlife with its abstract style and lifeless look at lost souls prepared to exit the cycle of reincarnation. The movie's soundtrack is just as subdued in tone featuring piano, stringed and low-key brass music played in both dramatic and joyful moments, which fits perfectly with Colorful's varying moods of tense and happier moments.
Overall, Colorful made quite the impression on me thanks to its meaningful message on valuing life and not being afraid at tackling some shaky social issues that effected Makoto such as bullying, marital affair and compensated dating. Those looking for a worthwhile down-to-earth drama should be willing to give this movie a shot.
angelsreview
So this actually confused me as I had watched an anime of this name before and was rather off put by it. For those that didn’t read my review of Colorful (The anime), let me give you a word that described it… Perverted. The whole anime was about guys trying to see women’s bodies and just being complete creeps about it. The artwork was not that great and just made the characters look even creepier with the jagged lines and sort of spots of color. As with that, I thought that the movie was going to be the exact same way. Boy was I wrong;in fact this show was absolutely nothing like that anime and is only connected to it by name alone.
Let me set the stage just as the movie started us out with. We start out in the first person perspective of a person walking though a rather hazy looking transit room. It’s gloomy and almost has this strange grunge about the people and walls but there really isn’t anything that stands out. There is nothing to show where we are, who we are, or even why we are in a place like that. There is a strange gray boy standing in front of us and he tells us that we had won a chance to atone for our past discretions. It turns out we are in the land of the dead and if we do not atone for the things we did in our past, we will not be able to be reborn again into the land of the living. We are then forced by this little boy to possess a young boy named Makoto Kobayashi, a young boy who had committed suicide by overdosing on some pills. And here is where we are given a chance to fix things. Once our main character takes over Makoto’s life, we are finally given a third person perspective on all the things he does.
Now, given the way this story started out, you would think they would head more into the supernatural mystery side of the genre, wouldn’t you? Well, strangely enough, you would be wrong in that aspect. What we get is more of a modern day slice of life of a middle school boy who is just trying to get by. The only supernatural thing around him would be the strange ‘angel’ or the gray little boy who goes by the name of Purapura. Purapura tended to be more of an informational character to help us learn more about Makoto’s back story and sometimes ended up being sort of a conscience for the Makoto we follow. The most interesting part about all this is that our main character that was given no name before he was put into Makoto’s body actually seems like he is right at home after a while.
The amazing thing about this show is that it seems to dive into the psychology of a young boy having to go through a lot of tough times. We are given information from Purapura about the problems that Makoto had to go through. Things I would be very surprised a child could deal with on their own. He was bulled, had his crush seen going into a shady hotel with an older man, saw his mother having an affair, had a father who rarely was at home, an older brother who barely spoke to him, and just overall was alone with no friends. Looking at the psychological aspect of his life, it was no wonder he chose a way out. And in this, I guess it might be time to bring out a rather sad story of my own.
You see, I was a lot like this main character growing up. I had problems keeping friends, fought with my mother many times, had a younger brother who seemed to always belittle me as I am very bad when it comes to computers, and my father was always busy with work so I sometimes would rarely see him. I wasn’t exceptionally good at school although I wasn’t the worst one in the class and was always so sensitive about stuff that probably shouldn’t have bothered me. I started to cut myself to feel something different then the pain I felt inside, and even almost killed myself as well. I just felt alone for so long and couldn’t understand why. About a year ago, I was diagnosed with BPD, Borderline Personality Disorder, which helped to explain some of the reasons why I felt so out of touch with the world, but this was when I was 25 years old. For those 25 years before, I had no idea what was wrong with me. I think that because of my experience, I feel a bit more connected to the main character, or at least Makoto himself. In fact, there is a line in this show that might be considered a little bit of a spoiler, but its one that jumped out at me that became very dear to my heart. Our main character says this, ‘…People are not just monochromatic; they all have so many colors to them. It’s fine to have many beautiful colors… for a long time, I didn’t know my true colors and was at a loss.’ For someone with BPD, this stands out a lot as my different personalities feel like those different colors and it was hard for me to believe that it was normal to have them.
The artwork is really simple and mostly on the subtle side. We don’t get splashes of bright colors or the normal anime tropes of huge eyes, girls in small skirts, and even strange colored hair. In that way, I consider it more real life then most anime even if the design of the characters is bland. None of the characters really stand out though and sometimes get lost within the background including our main character. This would probably be a bad thing if the story didn’t seem to make more sense as to why he was lost within the world he seemed to be in himself. Even with this, there is a fine line between the world of the dead and the living as the world of the dead looked even more run down and depressing then the world of the living. The world of the dead looked hazy, with sort of this murky brown while the world of the living did have some sharper looking lines and was a bit cleaner to see.
The dubbed voices are… alright I guess. Again, they don’t stand out just as the characters don’t really stand out that much. I think that the lip sink is fairly good at some parts of the show while in other parts they seemed to lose it. I blame the fact that when the character is overly distort, their mouth tends to move much more freely and seem to express their words fuller. The words they are saying in the movie are actually from the Japanese sound track I believe so it can tend to lose it when it was transferred over to the dub. Still, with all those problems, the dubbed voice actors did a really good job putting Emotion into their characters. I was extremely surprised when I found out that Greg Ayres did the voice of Makoto because he was able to get the right soft of tone for a boy who had not hit puberty yet was not annoying when he got so emotional.
So this show might be a bit boring for those who love fast passed stuff or those that are really into the supernatural aspect, but I still think this is a show that many people should watch at least once. The show has a really beautiful story to it and a very deep meaning that really needs to be explored. In this way, you might actually be able to see why everyone is so colorful and except who you are.
colemanH
Colorful - a wonderful movie that keeps your emotions running. This movie follows the story about a soul that has won a lottery, allowing him to return to the normal world to find out the sin that he committed. Although the movie starts off slow, you will surely love it when it ends. This movie teaches the audience how important life is and why we should cherish everyday as though it is our last. The art in this movie was done very well. The use of still photo pictures was brilliant to show how life was back in the days. The characters were drawn consistently throughout themovie.
The sound and background music that were used were synced to the scene in the movie. The one thing about the sound that I did not go crazy about was the voice actor for Kobayashi Makoto. As readers of this review, you may have different opinions of it but to me, there was not enough emotion into what he was saying. The emotion of the voice was not consistent throughout the movie, other than that, I had no problems with the movie.
The characters of the movie were well-developed. Each supporting character had about the same amount of screen time. The personalities of each and every character were brought up.
Overall, I enjoyed this movie a lot. The producers of the movie did a splendid job in creating this movie. I'm glad I took the time to view this.
xkylehasheartx
Colorful begins cooler than possibly any anime I have ever seen. A young boy, who is an angel speaks to you, yes, you, the viewer. You, or I, when I watched it, have died and either of us must be placed into another body as a test and show our worth to get a second chance at life. The film is engrossed in gorgeous colors. The flowers on the trees pop and are just as memorable and the unique introduction to the film. The viewer is placed into the body of a young boy who has tried to commit suicide, but this confuses the occupyingsoul because the life seems wonderful and ideal with no obvious problems, but the suicide hints at an underlying problem. Since the viewer is given a body, the film doesn't take place through our eyes anymore and shifts to a third person where we observe rather than live the character first hand throughout the entire film. Being 100% interactive seems like it would be impossible to accomplish in film anyway... otherwise, it would be a first person video game. We need a plot. The boy that the soul is placed into is named Makoto, and the soul begins to discover himself through Makoto's body and at Makoto's expense, as there are no real consequences for the dead soul and only for the body he occupies. He has a set time though that he must prove himself or else both the boy dies and the soul gets no second chance at life. Nobody understands Makoto, and Makoto, as he exists in this current states sees this, but he is unempathetic to others that are misunderstood, like the "dorky girl" that tries to speak to him, with big dorky glasses. He doesn't know her life and what hardships she's faced, but he seems to be totally self involved and pushes her off, despite her approaching him. The occupant begins to take advantage and changes his appearance and people begin to appreciate him, especially the "cool kids" and "hot girl." With this, he becomes superficial and gets caught up in trivial matters. He likes the "hot girl" based mostly on her looks, as the attention she has shown him thus far been incredibly shallow. He likes her, but she is terrible. She prostitutes herself for money, though nothing states that she must. In fact, she says it's because she wants this nice things that come from it. She isn't faced into it by any pimp or by poverty. Later, he counsels her through her wishing to die, and explains that everybody feels that way at some point or another, as by this point, he does understand, because he sees that Makoto's life was indeed, not so colorful and joyous. His mother cheated on his father, and the occupying soul treats her horribly. He fixes this when, on a fishing trip with his father, his father, without exposing that he knows of the affair, reveals that he has been at fault in somewhat abandoning the family and the mother, working far too often and too long. All of this instills a since of deeper understanding within Makoto, humbling him. He understands that everybody has some self-torment. The girl is very submissive into believing him after he tells her "everybody does that!" with a smile, letting her know that everybody can often feel so gleeful and gay one day, and other just wish nothing more than death. The scene is sort of genetic that she is so much like "okay, you're right, I won't argue with what you say. I'm fine" (this isn't exactly how it goes.) It is undramatic and lame. There has been an unfinished canvas that the original Makoto started throughout the whole film that the occupying soul has not touched, but he suddenly does once this depression and conflict sits in. He has had no reason to touch it, but now, he gets a compulsive spark to seek and create art, as it is therapy. The film comes full circle and it is revealed that the occupying soul was indeed the boy the entire time, and he had to be ignorant to this to make things right. Through his lack of knowledge, he has made a friend, which he never had before, has become more understanding of his parents and siblings, and he is more confident in his future. He decides which school he wants to attend and is respectful of his peers and empathetic.
The movie, if only visually, is worth the watch. Each body of water looks exceptionally realistic and gorgeous. The backdrops are all beautiful and colorful. Maybe the film is called colorful because the boy turns a grey life into one of color, or maybe the film is called colorful because the colors are something to marvel at, and can even distract from the characters themselves and plot. You may need to rewind a bit and pause for ravishing stills.
kurosaki_girl15
Based on the first person narrative by Mori Eto, Colorful is a film directed by Keiichi Hara that details the story of a soul that committed a grave sin. The soul is chosen to have a second chance at life to remember the sin it committed. It possesses the body of a 14 year old boy who committed suicide, named Makoto Kobayashi. During its stay at earth, through the eyes of Makoto, the soul begins to realize and accept the circumstances of real life and begins to learn that about the harshness and beauty of reality through the colors of humanity. It is a beautiful moviethat is worth to try, especially if you like drama and supernatural things. However, it is roughly 2 hours long, and very slow paced, so if you are someone with a lack of attention and prefer something fast paced with action, don't watch this. There are parts that detail the banality of real life, which do make it boring in between. The animation is gorgeous with clear attention to detail, so that is a definite plus. All in all, this is a good movie if you have a lot of time and patience, and if you are a deep thinker.
