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What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga)
What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was cool, something that was bad, ask for recommendations, or anything else you can think of.
If you want to, feel free to find the thing you're talking about and link to its pages on Anilist, MAL, or any other database you use!
Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain - the film is a good continuation of the 2010 series. However, it's a little bit different when it comes to narration - some of the mood known from the TV series has disappeared. I don't know how to describe it exactly. The action is much faster, the camerawork is more dynamic, and we are constantly switching perspectives looking at the events through the eyes of various different characters other than our medicine peddler. It also seems like he is a little different character from the one we know from the series. The film certainly stands out with its much improved visuals, which are simply amazing. On top of that, it has an all-star cast and a great soundtrack. Overall it's a worthy continuation and I'm looking forward the next movie. 8/10
The Colors Within - I like Yamada's films a lot, and in this one you can sense the style known from her previous works. However, this is not a movie in which we are dealing with some heavy subject as it was the case in A Silent Voice. It's a warm, enjoyable film without any great stakes. It is a great film for those looking for beautiful animation with excellent cinematography, combined with beautiful music, telling a story about growing up, friendship, expressing oneself in music, shedding the mask and coming to terms with showing others one's true self. Definitely worth watching. 9/10
Suzume - I've watched a few Shinkai movies before and it seems Suzume reuses very similar patterns I've already seen in them. There's some self-discovery, some romance, some trauma, but none of these are explored deep enough to deliver a proper emotional payoff in the end. The main characters are likeable but the male protagonist is quite bland and uninteresting. Side characters don't bring much to the story either. Overall the plot is pretty average.
As for the technical aspects, the visuals are beaufitul, as always in Shinkai movies, the animation is fluid, voice acting is good, and sountrack is great. Great production doesn't make a good story though. I expected more. 7/10