My Oni Girl

Of course they are high schoolers, of course there are fireworks, of course parents have little to no effect on their children at all, of course it's full of supernatural stuff going on, of course they shower after rain but this time, it's not rain, it's snow.

Characters have no personality, you don't get what this movie is about. What's the message? What is the point? Why are we watching? NOTHING EXPLAINED! Just like most animes, you just have to accept whatever you see i guess.

The only ok part was the few 20 mins which was relaxing. But then as soon as supernatural things start, it becomes unbearable.

SKIP IT, WATCH SOMETHING WORTHY.

It is plain. It is shallow and uninspiring. There is nothing unique in this movie, nothing that could really catch your attention and stay with you for a long while. It is almost formulaic. You won't see anything that can surprise you here, and there are maybe just a couple of shots that may potentially be exciting, but that's it.

Even one of the main cornerstones of the premise of the movie, Oni hiding for some reason, starts to fall apart quite early, falls apart even more once the "Hidden Village" is visited, and completely crumbles, with a single comment in the very end of the movie.

Yes, animation is good here, the art style is good, too, even though kind of boring, but it means nothing is story is not good. Don't get me wrong, it may be quite ok for children, but for me, who saw a lot of other movies and shows with similar idea, it's just boring. And it feels like, writers did not bother to even think through the world they are describing.

Directed by Tomotaka Shibayama, "My Oni Girl" is a 2024 Japanese animated film that aims to merge fantasy with a coming-of-age story. However, despite its intriguing concept, the film ultimately falls short due to a story that feels underdeveloped and misses its mark.

The animation is impressive, and the Oni girl, with her distinctive features and playful charm, initially draws viewers in. Yet, as the plot progresses, it becomes clear that the storyline lacks the necessary depth and clarity. The narrative wanders aimlessly without a solid focus.

While the fantasy aspects could have enriched the characters and themes, they are introduced but not fully explored. Important plot developments seem rushed or insufficiently examined, which diminishes the emotional impact.

Although the protagonist's inner conflicts are suggested, they are not thoroughly explored, leading to a disconnect in their character growth. The dynamics between characters, especially between Hiragi and the Oni girl, lack the richness needed to make their exchanges truly impactful.

Fans of animated films might appreciate the visuals, but those looking for a strong narrative may find themselves disappointed.

Not sure why every negative review is being down voted. I've watched thousands of hours of anime from the past 4 decades. This movie really dropped the ball.

The animation was decent, nothing spectacular, and nothing requiring a movie budget. I've seen seasonal anime with equivalent or better animation. If you need a bar to compare to; The Garden of Words is from 2013 and crushes this. That said, it's nice enough to enjoy had there been substance to the movie.

Unfortunately it's drowned in sappy unrealistic interactions that borrow from past successful anime like Spirited Away, but has none of the character building, script refinement, flow, or even plot.

Many questions simply go unanswered, leaving the viewer confused. The Oni are mythical creatures yet somehow just humans with horns with no discerning qualities. The movie attempts to go into the supernatural but hamstrings itself and it's own concepts.

You never really figure out WHY you're watching the movie and continually expecting "things to get good soon", but it never really comes.

Unfortunately good characters and world are wasted on a terrible plot.

Had this movie recommended on my Netflix and just watched it because I was bored and don't know what else to watch. The animation was nice but the whole story and plot was just poorly explained. So many unanswered questions, so many things happened for the sake of happening. So many "WTF", "why", "what is the goal here" moments. At the end, the person missing for years just came home from a place within a few hours of running from the village she was disappeared from. No explaination of why she had to go there, why can't she just go back. Tsumugi just found her and then everybody go back hom lol. I was like "WHAT?!". I was so sure it must have been a sloppy animated version of some manga/novel where a lot of details were cut to fit in the film because there were SO MANY details unexplained. But nope. It's an original movie and wasn't based on any story. What the hell. Just a bunch of random things happening, random goals for characters to chase and everything worked out just because it's the end of the movie.