Heres a review of a short film produced single-handedly on a macbook by a single artist. It was a huge leap for director Makoto Shinkai (The Place Promised in Our Early Days, 5 Centimeters Per Second, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, The Garden of Words) which proved to be his ticket to success. This review was copied from our old page, The Anime Snob, and written by myself and @Anthony Queen. **Hoshi No Koe (Voices of a Distant Star)** Animation: 7.5/10 I wish I could rate the animation better, considering the fact that one man was responsible for the entire film, but we have to compare it to the average anime... that is not to say that the animation quality is poor. The artwork for the characters is not very detailed, almost appearing hand-drawn (as Im sure they were), however, the artist seems to have focused heavily on the cosmic landscapes, the futuristic war machines, and the user interface that they are equipped with, to the point that, just like Tekkonkinkreet, the background animation stays in your mind more vividly than the characters do. If I were to consider the fact that this was created by one man on his own dime, it would be getting a 9/10. Great job, for a debut film. Story: 9/10 The story of Hoshi no Koe focuses on two lovers, separated by not only space, but time. Mikako and Noboru have been childhood friends for years, until one day Mikako is recruited into the UN Space militiary, and leaves the planet. They continue to communicate via their cellular phones throughout her campaign, but as Mikako (female protagonist) ventures further away from the planet Earth, so do her cellular messages. For example, in the film she states, that at her current position over Jupiter, it will take 6 months for their messages to reach each other. As the story progresses, the distance between the lovers grows greater, and so does the time required for their messages to reach each other. Without spoiling the film, the boy, Noboru, is aging faster than he can communicate to his love. Overall/Summary: 8/10 While this is a short film, that doesnt give the viewer much time to become attached to the characters, it still hits home in such a way that is almost unheard of for a >30 minute movie. The theme expands upon the timeless Dear John theme, in which letters are exchanged between lovers torn apart by war. The music in the film probably made it twice as hard not to cry during the more emotional scenes, and therefore deserves special recognition. To summarize, Hoshi no Koe is a short film that wont waste your time, and if you are even slightly susceptible to cheesy love stories, it is especially worth a watch for you. Attached is an AMV featuring footage from the short film. Enjoy :D
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 04:50:42 +0000
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