This year has been a tough one for the Japanese film industry. Only a few of the planned anime releases came to theaters as many were delayed till next year. However, among those few, are a couple of shining gems you should see if you get the chance.
*Note: Entries are listed in alphabetical order.
Image source: 【公式】デジモンアドベンチャー LAST EVOLUTION 絆 on Twitter.
Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna
Genre: Coming-of-Age, Monster Battle
Studio: Toei Animation
Release date: February 21, 2020
Non-spoiler plot summary: A mysterious Digimon is attacking DigiDestined across the world—leaving both the humans and their Digimon in a coma. At the same time, Tai and his friends discover their time with their own Digimon partners is coming to an end—and that Digivolving will only bring the end quicker. Thus, our heroes are torn between fighting this new menace and protecting the time they have left with their treasured friends.
Why you should watch it: If Digimon Adventure tri. was all about the DigiDestined’s first steps along the path from childhood to adulthood, Last Evolution Kizuna is about their final steps on that journey.
When you are kid, the possibilities are endless. You can become anything. But by the time you finish college, you are finally forced to choose who and what you want to be going forward. And that’s what this film is ultimately about: letting go of childhood and moving on—finally attempting to fulfill that limitless potential inside each and every one of us. Yet, just because we all must grow up, that doesn’t mean that we should just forget those who helped us stand on our own. It’s okay to be sad at what is gone just as it’s okay to look forward to what is to come.
Watch it if you like: Digimon Adventure Tri
Where You Can Watch It: iTunes, Microsoft, PlayStation Network (on consoles)
You can read my full review here.
Image source: アニメ映画『ジョゼと虎と魚たち』 on Twitter.
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
Genre: Slice-of-Life
Studio: Bones
Release date: December 25, 2020
Non-spoiler plot summary: Tsuneo is a college student with a single goal: to study abroad in Mexico and scuba dive there. After years of studying and working numerous part time jobs, his goal is finally within reach. All he needs to do is to finish his final job: working as a caretaker for Josee, a paraplegic with a caustic personality who lives alone with her aging grandmother.
Why you should watch it: Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is a glimpse into the world of the paraplegic—and just how difficult it can be. Like a mermaid on dry land, she is trapped in a world not made for her. Her traditional Japanese house is too narrow for her chair, leaving her forced to crawl along at ground level. She is unable to do something as simple as cook for herself—the stove and sink are literally out of her reach.
But the film is clear to note that what she needs isn’t someone to protect or rescue her from her existence but someone to help her learn how to live in the world both inside and outside her small home. It’s not just her disability she needs to overcome, it’s her personality that has been formed from years of social isolation. Luckily, with Tsuneo, she has her first ally in this struggle—though he eventually learns he needs to do just as much growing as Josee to find happiness.
Watch it if you like: A Silent Voice, The Anthem of the Heart
Where You Can Watch It: Japanese Theaters
You can read my full review here.
Image source: 東映映画チャンネル on YouTube.
Looking for Magical DoReMi
Genre: Coming-of-Age for 20-Somethings
Studio: Toei Animation
Release date: November 13, 2020
Non-spoiler plot summary: Three 20-something women are feeling lost when it comes to the path of their lives. One works for an international trading company—a company that cares little to nothing for what she has to say. One is a college student nearing graduation who fears she might not be cut out for her chosen career. And one is a part-timer who is little more than an ATM for her boyfriend and has pretty much given up on her dream of going to art school. One day, the three meet by chance while doing a bit of anime tourism for their favorite childhood TV show: Magical DoReMi. Little do any of them know that this is the start of a friendship that will change their lives for the better.
Why you should watch it: Most coming-of-age stories focus on young teens entering the world of adults for the first time. This film is all about adults who have entered the adult world but are stuck in a place they don’t what to be. It’s a feeling I imagine that many 20-somethings can relate to. You’re so focused on getting a job and becoming self-reliant that you have to make compromises—compromises that prevent you from doing what you really want to do. But pursuing your true dream could mean giving up the stability you have. This movie is about how three very different people help each other get un-stuck—and all through a TV show they loved as children.
Watch it if you like: Magical DoReMi, relatable stories about being lost in your twenties
Where You Can Watch It: Japanese Theaters
You can read my full review here.
Image source: ノイタミナ YouTubeチャンネル on YouTube.
Psycho-Pass 3: First Inspector
Genre: Cyberpunk Murder Mystery
Studio: Production I.G
Release date: March 27, 2020
Non-spoiler plot summary: In a world where your mental state is regularly scanned and those who even have the psychological capability to commit crimes are regularly imprisoned, one man, Azusawa, has found a loophole in the system. As part of a grand game where normal people are the pieces and Tokyo the board, Azusawa sets his plan for checkmate into action: to attack police headquarters and assassinate Tokyo’s new mayor.
Why you should watch it: Now let’s be clear, First Inspector is in no way a stand-alone film. Rather it’s the climax to Psycho-Pass 3—and a fantastic one at that. Not only does it reveal many of the mysteries that have been lurking in the background throughout the show but also does so in a way that re-contextualizes all we have seen before.
And behind all this action and drama is the battle of philosophy between Azusawa and Arata—a man who believes in the system even as he abuses it for his own benefit and a man who questions the system even as he protects what it stands for. It’s action-filled cyberpunk dystopian fiction at its finest and a fitting capstone to a solid series.
Watch it if you like: Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass
Where You Can Watch It: Amazon Prime Video
You can read my full review here.
Image source: 「ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン」公式 on Twitter.
Violet Evergarden: The Movie
Genre: Steampunk, Slice-of-Life, Romance
Studio: Shochiku
Release date: September 18, 2020
Non-spoiler plot summary: Child soldier-turned-ghost writer Violet has grown from a near-emotionless doll into a deeply caring young woman thanks to her work and her friends. Every day she understands a bit more about the final words her commander said two her before the two of them were buried in rubble: the words “I love you.”
Despite him being MIA since that moment, her dearest wish is that he is still out there somewhere—and dreads the day where she gains solid proof of his demise.
Why you should watch it: The Violet Evergarden TV series is all about Violet growing enough as a person to accept that Gilbert was likely killed in action—saving her life in the process. It’s about, how, through others, she is able to understand her own feelings towards him—even if it’s too late to convey them to him.
But, as the film shows, just because she is strong enough to go on without him and has come to understand her own heart, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t long for him with every fiber of her being. Every action outside of her work life is spent trying to grow closer to a man who is likely no longer in this world. It is a truly relatable, human story and one with an emotional climax that will leave even the most jaded heart in tears.
Watch it if you like: Violet Evergarden, The Ancient Magus Bride, Kino’s Journey
Where You Can Watch It: Japan (It is rumored to stream on Netflix worldwide sometime after May 2021).
You can read my full review here.
Top image source: アニメ映画『ジョゼと虎と魚たち』 on Twitter.
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