Review of A Whisker Away

There are a lot of reasons to be hyped in this movie: Junichi Sato’s directing experience, Mari Okada’s screenplay, popular seiyuus, Yorushika soundtrack, and a lot more. I’m not gonna lie, I was very excited to watch the film because their line-up looks promising. There’s a problem with being too hype though, since it will eventually lead us to have high expectations. But don’t get me wrong, I love the film’s strong message on depression, and it’s metaphorical way of showcasing the theme is remarkable. I may have the lack of capability to explain it well, but there’s something off with the movie that bugsme and my watching experience. I’ll assure you though that it’s not something major.

The show focuses more on the younger audience (teens) and this suits perfectly on their “questioning” phase. Nonetheless, adults would still be able to enjoy its entirety since they’ve also went through on these situations. One major factor why this is also watchable by anyone is the family problems implied in the story. The overall plot is good but the only problem is the transitioning of major scenarios, and I couldn't see the movie as a whole piece because of it.

One hour into the film, the story’s phasing was rushed and the introduction of the other side of their world (cat island) was a bit late. Because of it, I haven’t enjoyed the resolve that much. The background music also began to fell apart in some scenes and there’s a segment in the finale that has a rough fade in and out transition of music with a complete different vibe. Honestly, that segment was cringey.

Overall, I love the entire concept of the film and the message is clearly worth pondering. The concept and theme that they’ve decided with is no doubt an awareness through art. However, the second half is not really that great so my enjoyment until the end was affected. Well, if I’m a kid or a younger version of myself then I would really enjoy this 100 percent, but there’s something within me that is looking for an artistic “spice-up” if that would even make sense to you. Nonetheless, it’s worth the watch and as a big fan of Yorushika, I get to enjoy their beautiful songs being played in the movie. Ja Matane!