Her Blue Sky

Once again director Tatsuyuki Nagai and writer Mari Okada (both did "Anthem of the Heart") have teamed up for an excellent anime depicting elements of fantasy in a reality-grounded story that most people can relate to. And the end result is an engrossing slice of life drama with gorgeous visuals and pretty good music.

Nagai directed also "Anohana the Movie." All three of these movies share the similar combination of having fantastic elements intertwined with stories of normal teenagers and young adults striving to understand their paths in life. It's an effective use of anime to give voice to what I'm sure many people have felt before.

Okada also wrote "A Whisker Away" and who is easily one of the best anime/manga writers in the industry today. In these three prime examples of her work, the protagonist is a young girl who comes to terms with growing up, supporting by a cast of fleshed out characters and situations that are very relatable.

The is what anime as a medium can do so well - give us stories and visuals which are a feast for both our souls and our eyes.

The ending song - Aoi by singer/songwriter Aimyon - is also pretty good.