Anime: Omoide Poroporo 1a3722

Upon watching this at first, I was quickly turned off by the animation. I'm not very fond of dated animation styles, but the one thing I've learned is that often where a feature film anime lacks in style, they more than make up for in story. This anime was a good example of that.

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Don't get me wrong, the animation wasn't horrible. The more I watched it, the more I found myself being irked by things like the face structure, mannerisms, and gestures (like the way the male lead character laughed). Though ironically all of those things seemed to suit perfectly. This wasn't an anime which needed beautiful characters, since it was one which I believe was trying to convey something real. Thus, the characters had more down to earth qualities, which in turn presents a paradox where although you might not love a character ... you still love the character.

This anime doesn't make an attempt to wow you, but you may still be moved by the beauty contained in the mellowness of it all. Like the way a car's headlights reflect off of raindrops captured on the leaves of a bush. A very realistic and subtle detail, beautiful if you choose to perceive it, but subtle enough to be overlooked by many. This anime won't steer you to liking one thing over the other, you're free to view it however you want ... compelled by a relaxed yet completely moving story. After awhile it started to feel like it wasn't an anime at all. So while the animation style might not have been my preference, it meshed well.

The music, and sound effects in the animation were once again ... subtle. Nothing to truly take notice of, but perfect for seemlessly complementing each scene. The exception to this might be the closing track, as previous mellow sound and pace amplifies the dramatic impact of it and invokes much emotion.

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With all the subtleties, one would think this anime would boringly serene ... but contrary to that, it manages to convey something heart-felt and powerful. Other anime might try to move through extreme measures, and flooring visuals but this one manages to do it without any of the gimmicks. As such, this was a pleasant break from the redundancy, one which was much more than initially anticipated. This anime is highly recommended to those who are able to get beyond juding the book by it's cover. You might find it to be quite enjoyable ...

just make sure to give it a chance, and stay until the very end. =P

Well, I have to it that this anime brought tears to my eyes, because it was simple and undeniable real life. I'm not so fond of this review system, but on the other hand not reviewing this masterpiece would be a mistake from my part.

No, in my opinion animation isn't top notch and nor the music even while fitting into the anime quite well. But I don't any melody so this should be a sign of not so good music. The fact is that I dislike some drawings, as Taeko inflated cheeks or some of her expressions. But most of the characters are well done and expressions are mostly ok. Seeing the way Taeko cried was a blessing. Most of the times crying isn't well represented in anime, but this was done in a way we can't reproach.

From the start when Taeko was at his elementary school to the end in the country life, the set was wonderful because it was done without pomposity but reality. You should expect to see some nice country views representing Japan wild side, but this time you will have the oportunity to see the life associated with it that is not something you always see.

The story has it's charming because it brings memories from the past, not only Taeko’s but also yours for sure. Yes, you will start ing the past with her... and feel with her also. This is the part I loved the most, because it brought me some memories from the past and help me understand things I was still wondering until now. As Grandma said, "If you live a long time, you get to have many experiences."

As with most of Studio Ghibli productions, you won't have a bad experience. You might not like the real life representations and prefer something more funny or 'light', but reality isn't bad once in a while, don't you think?