Review of A Whisker Away

This movie is super solid. This isn't going to pull the praise that more mainstream films will, but I honestly think it does a much better job. To put things in perspective I like films like Maquia, Penguin Highway, Napping Princess, Tokyo Godfathers, as well as most of the Shinkai, Hosoda, and Miyazaki films. However, I think A Silent Voice and I want to Eat Your Pancreas are extremely overrated. People who have seen other works with Mari Okada screenplays may be accustomed to a sad anime that constantly tries to get you to cry, but this is not one of those movies. Overall, thisis a more playful telling of Anthem of the Heart, which I also like. I think Anthem of the Heart is a much cleaner telling of the pain of a child with divorced parents, but it may be a little too emotionally draining, while A Whisker Away never really hits too hard. Since this is a lighter film, it is a bit easier to recommend to people. I have seen others say this is a bit formulaic, but I feel like that is a rather shallow unless they just think that all teenage romance/ drama are the same. The scene selection is rather different and they do a great job at making you care about the characters. There are some films that seem to be just a loose collection of scenes from the genre, but this is not one of them.

I think a film that knows how much it wants to do and sticks too it. Too often a film tries to get too large of a plot or have too many characters. I think that this cast is just the right size. Everyone except the adults have a place and get their time in the spotlight. I've seen animes where there are a ton of friend characters that don't really do much and yet somehow waste a ton of time. A Whisker Away knows who matters and sticks to it.

The visuals are generally clean and the shot selection is great. This isn't Shinkai levels of throwing art at you, but it does a good job at building a world and telling a story. The animations generally felt smooth and I never felt anything was out of place.

I think the soundtrack is solid. It does a really good job at complementing the scene. I absolutely love the ending and the credits for that matter. The strategic use of silence was also good to see (or hear).

Overall, I think this is a light film that does a good job telling the story of some teenagers and their struggle with the world.