Colorful

Colorful is an anime movie based on an award-wining first person narrative novel by Mori Eto. The movie itself also won several awards in Japan.

To be given a second chance in life after dying once... how many of us will ever get such a chance? Not many I guess.

The story of Colorful is a boy who is given such a chance.

Story: (9/10) – Very Good
"I" died and was kicked out of the cycle of reincarnation because of the sin "I" committed. An angel told me that "I" won a lottery and he gave me a chance to remember the sin. My spirit possessed the body of a 14 year old boy Makoto, who committed suicide and "I" tried to recollect my memory. "I" felt distressed by the terrible circumstances of Makoto and the fact that "I" was borrowing his body. "I" have started to realize that people are hurting each other because the world is too colorful to distinguish the true color of themselves from others'.

All of us have sinned before, but how many of us have ever paused and pondered over those sins we've committed?

The main character has committed so grave a sin that he could not reincarnate but he was lucky enough to be given a second chance to try to remember his sin. Sometimes, being given a second chance and a different perspective is all it takes to see life in a brand new light.

Characters: (9/10) – Very Good
The characters are very real and you can probably find someone like them around you. The interactions between the different characters are also portrayed very realistically.

Art/Animation: (8/10) – Good
The character designs are kind of boring but I do think that it's realistic.

There were some scenes where they used real photographs of the old trains to tell the viewers more about the history of trains. Though the photographs were obviously real, they managed to blend in very well with the animation.

Music: (9/10) – Very Good
The music was great. Different scores were appropriately introduced at the right scenes. The ending theme "Aozora" by miwa also fits the mood of the movie well.

Enjoyment: (9/10) – Very Good
The first half of the movie was a little slow and I felt a little annoyed watching the self-centered behavior of Makoto. However, as the movie progressed, Makoto also progressed and became more likable. It also became clearer where the story was heading towards and I felt very touched and satisfied after watching the movie.

Overall: (8/10) – Good
If you are looking for a slice of life anime, Colorful is the one you should definitely watch.

Ojiisan no Lamp - very heart-warming!

Ojiisan no Lamp is one of the 4 anime selected for Young Animator Training Project. Each of the four 25 min original short anime movies were each given 38 million yen (about US$400,000) for production. The animation production for each short is required to be based in Japan, and professionals will impart their know-how to the young animators through on-the-job training. One of the reasons that the Agency for Cultural Affairs is supporting this initiative is the concern that more of the Japanese animation process is being outsourced overseas — thus leading to a decline in opportunities to teach animation techniques within Japan. Source: ANN

Ojiisan no Lamp is the first of the 4 short anime movies that I watched. I haven't watched the other 3 but will definitely do so. Personally, I really like Ojiisan no Lamp. Though it's only 25 min long, it's enough to touch and engage me.

Story: (10/10) – Great
Ojiisan no Lamp is about a grandson and a grandfather talking about the grandfather's past 50 years ago when he was selling lamps.

Sometimes, simple story is the best for conveying feelings and thoughts. Ojiisan no Lamp is a one good example of such a simple and heart-warming story.

Characters: (10/10) – Great
The main character is the grandfather, Tatsunosuke. Ojiisan no Lamp follows his life from when he's a kid to grandfather. Though there's only 25 min for the story teller and animators to do this, they did it amazingly well!

Art/Animation: (9/10) –Very Good
The art is simple and clean, and it fits the story perfectly. The animation is also very well done. I especially like those night scenes with the lighted lamps.

Music: (10/10) – Great
I love both the Opening Theme "Onii-chan" by Crazy Ken Band and the Ending Theme ""Negai Tomosu Koro e" by Emiko Shiratori. Both suit the mood of the anime very well.

Enjoyment: (10/10) – Great
Though Ojiisan no Lamp is only a short movie, it manages to touch and bring a lot of enjoyment to me.

Overall: (9/10) – Very Good
Ojiisan no Lamp impresses me with its simplicity, realism and serenity. It's a must-watch for all who enjoys slice-of-life.