A simple story that moves nicely through its leads’ interactions.

Was not expecting much (apart from the Ruki-biased lens I was wearing for the trailers) but this turned out to be one of the best coming of age romances I’ve seen in a while.

The film is pretty dialogue-heavy. Though majority of Akane-Seiji’s relationship happened through conversations, it still felt like it grew naturally and they “showed more than they told”. The film’s cinematography and scoring lent a lot to that achievement.

I loved the subtle changes made to the source material. The additional subtexts allowed them to weave certain elements more seamlessly.
(E.g., color grading and key scenes mirroring Seiji’s art preferences; “Plot-twist” ties closely to Akane’s arc.)

Overall, it’s the type of film that will probably make you feel differently every time, as you discover something new each watch.

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