Lonely Castle in The Mirror

When I reviewed "Drifting Home" last year, I said that when it comes to the fantasy genre, anime movies have a lot to offer. Unfortunately, that movie didn't showcase that potential.

But this movie certainly did.

I had such a magical experience with this movie. This is one of those mysteries where the movie is pretty simple in the first 90 minutes. It builds its plot points but it keeps it pretty slow and simple. It does this in a way that it keeps you interested in the story, but just barely. And then the last 30 minutes of the movie COMPLETELY change it. A lot of information is thrown at you until the entire puzzle is completed in your brain. And it's a lot of fun. Remember Astra: Lost in Space? Yup just like that. It's been such a long time since I've seen a mystery like that.

This type of structure is risky though. Because if you stretch out the movie too much, the final act can be a bit too late. This movie though, I thought handled it pretty well. I believe the first 90 minutes, while being slow, were important for that final payoff and for the overall mystery.

And the final act doesn't just provide answers. It really makes you care about these characters and because of that, you walk out completely satisfied. I just LOVED the final act of this movie. The animation by A1 Pictures is nice but towards the end, it's actually quite brilliant. Similarly, the soundtrack in that final sequence was outstanding.

I do think that not all the characters were necessary. They could have merged a few of them into one. But overall though, that final act really blew away all those thoughts. But I'm still confused about just 1 or 2 things, I think I might catch them on a re-watch.

In the end, I just adored this movie. "When Marnie Was There" is my personal favourite mystery movie in anime. But this movie was pretty damn good. If it comes to theatres in your region, please go and watch it. It'll be a beautiful experience.

No pun intended - obviously time is always an issue, but it seems that time spend behind the mirror ... is not used to the fullest effect. What is .. key to that? Well exactly that one might answer. But more puns aside, the movie has a serious theme and it is about bullying - about mobbing, about what goes on in schools, no matter who you are and when you went to school.

Hopefully you never had to experience it, but I think most of us had some experience with it. Some more, some less so. The movie packs this all in a fairy tale setting - and with quite the understanding mother to say the least. That doesn't happen to often. Neither in reality nor in the movies. So good for this and good for us.

Great animation, really tight story and what an ending ... you may choke a little bit! You may also have guessed some of it - especially things/persons that can't be missed ... and with this last pun I let you go ... into a (hopefully) better future.

I'm just starting to get into anime and as a big fan of the novel this movie is based on I bought it and watched it right away and I was spellbound by it the movie follows the book very closely and as someone who was bullied in school when I was Kokoro's age this movie really hit home Kokoro is a very relatable protagonist and the growth she and the other kids have throughout the film is amazing and very inspirational The ending was very emotional and seeing how everything came together was amazing this is one movie I'll be watching over and over again overall it stayed very faithful to the novel and I loved it I highly recommend it.

It's lovely in every aspect. The story's engaging plot, captivating features, beautiful instrumentals, smooth flow of events, and intricate complexity hold my attention completely. I admire how they effectively convey the main character's struggle to break free from confinement, the loyalty exhibited by the members, and - wait, does the male lead actually remember everything? I began watching without any expectations and found myself completely engrossed. I'm curious to learn more about how the characters met in real life and the origins of the castle. I have so many questions, but they only serve to increase my desire to rewatch it.

7 Outcast middle schoolers find a gateway to a magical castle in the mirror. They are told that in the castle there is a hidden key to a room. If any of them are able to get into that room they will be granted a wish.

OK, there is a lot of nits to pick in this story. First, the kids are told of this magic, yet they don't really concern themselves with finding the key. Most of the story they just use the magical castle to hang out. They don't go on magical adventures in an enchanted castle, they just eat food and occasionally play some board games.

The 7 kids always feel like they are 3 steps behind the audience. They try to unravel pieces of the mystery that logically could have been figured out in a 5-minute conversation. And I get it, they are socially awkward middle schoolers, they wouldn't make the most logical decisions. But it doesn't make it any less frustrating.

But at the same time, the audience is given enough clues to solve the mystery for themselves. There is information hidden from us that makes it impossible to figure out where the key is.

With those problems in mind...why do I like this movie?

If you are suffering through the slice of life drama, and waiting for the movie to get good, stick around. The movie has an emotionally cathartic ending that makes the whole runtime worth the wait.

I work as a teacher, and the scenes with the middle school bullying are portrayed all too real. And as one who was also once an awkward middle schooler I can still empathize with the plight of our protagonists. They are problems that exist in schools today and will continue to exist as long as teenagers are all grouped together.

Despite the logic of the film not always adding up, the emotional beats strike a chord that resonates deep within me.