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2
Cute but awkward
So Ao Haru Ride is one of my favorite mangas and I was really excited for this one after watching a super cute FMV on YouTube (link here if anyone wants to watch it: https://youtu.be/uqdrmW9-g_8), but I think the music video turned out to be a little better than the actual movie, just because a lot of awkward line delivery wasn't noticeable.
That's the first thing that stands out about the film — it very clearly feels like a manga adaptation and like most of those, the exaggeration really doesn't work too well. The lead characters clearly have chemistry but some of the dialogue really hampers that.
I know it's hard cutting such a long story into 1.5 hours and they definitely did the best they could with it, but it still comes at the cost. The friend group doesn't feel as tight, side characters are less layered, and some of the story beats feel a bit choppy, with a few iconic scenes being cut. It's ultimately fine because I'd rather have more focus on the leads and the romance though, but it makes the stakes feel a little lower.
Romance-wise, I think this did an okay job; I'm more forgiving of Kou than a lot of people seem to be, and this was no different. I found his struggles very relatable, though I'm not sure it would come across as strongly to someone who came in without any prior knowledge of the story.
That's the first thing that stands out about the film — it very clearly feels like a manga adaptation and like most of those, the exaggeration really doesn't work too well. The lead characters clearly have chemistry but some of the dialogue really hampers that.
I know it's hard cutting such a long story into 1.5 hours and they definitely did the best they could with it, but it still comes at the cost. The friend group doesn't feel as tight, side characters are less layered, and some of the story beats feel a bit choppy, with a few iconic scenes being cut. It's ultimately fine because I'd rather have more focus on the leads and the romance though, but it makes the stakes feel a little lower.
Romance-wise, I think this did an okay job; I'm more forgiving of Kou than a lot of people seem to be, and this was no different. I found his struggles very relatable, though I'm not sure it would come across as strongly to someone who came in without any prior knowledge of the story.
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