An admittedly strong advertisement for the games it's based on, 'Deemo: Memorial Keys' struggles to stand on its own as a film. The issue is really the story, which to me seems like it would definitely be enough to stitch together a game that's primarily focused on its gameplay, which is a sensible call for a rhythm game. It's just that this isn't a game, and removing that aspect of direct interaction that separates the music from the story means the story's somewhat thin nature sticks out in a way that would almost be desirable in a game. It's not that it's not there, theredefinitely is a story, and it's got some fun emotional beats, but not enough to really keep your attention in its own right; again, it sort of feels like a lot of video game cut-scenes stitched together, which I suppose it technically sort of is. It definitely impacts the pacing as well, with the whole thing just struggling to flow properly.

Perhaps it would be easier to stomach if the animation was a bit stronger. It's not bad, and the music scenes are kinda nice looking, but it's definitely a little flat, and the 3DCG characters struggle to show any real emotion. Again, they sort of feel like video game characters.

There's a version of this that's a little less authentic to the source material, and by a slightly more thoughtful and interesting set of creators, that's probably pretty good. But, unfortunately, this version sticks a little too close to its source material, and isn't creative enough to really make the most of it.