Chage & Aska: On Your Mark

On Your Mark is a quasi-movie that has everything except words, and that's just the way it was meant to be. Being a little under 7 minutes long, you'd think that it couldn't offer much in the way of content, but it's simply a monumental achievement. The song "On your mark" by Chage and Aska is the only accompaniment to the masterful sound effects throughout the animation.

As with most anime, though, you may have to watch it multiple times to absorb all that's thrown at you, but since it's so short, this is easily done. The story follows two soldiers' experience after a raid on a violent cult headquarters. What they discover hidden away in the back, however, will change their lives and the way they think forever. You'll laugh at some of the sound effects, and maybe a tear will be shed with the ending. On Your Mark is of the caliber of such movies as "Macross Plus", and even better that "Mononoke Hime". One that should be remembered always.

If you Like Hayao Miyizaki's work it's hard not to like this music video. While the music may not be to everyone's tastes I can't say I wasn't enjoying it, plus it would be hard to enjoy on your mark without its soundtrack.

What is most stunning about On Your Mark is Miyizaki's converging of many of his traits and themes. It's great to see Imagery from Miyizaki's Long serialised 'Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind' Manga, Even though that appeared as a film in 1985, we get to see much of what wasn't in the film but was in the Manga. Also familiar are the two leads who aren't too far from his interpretation Of Lupin and Jigen from Miyizaki's Cinematic Debut 'The Castle of Cagliostro'. Present too are so may other touches, not least his depiction of the girl and his love of flight. What is new territory is how the future is envisioned, Many of Miyizaki's Films are set in the past, but On Your Mark is actually stylistically similar to other Anime that being a Blade Runner, Metropolis Dystopia, perhaps a set not too far in the future, whereas Miyizaki's only other future world in Nausicaa is far more sparse and Sombre.

Anyway, On You Mark is a truly wonderful and entertaining piece off work. It all seems too easy?

The song was ok, nothing more. But the animation is great, Its interesting to see a storyline produced without a word said... the story even manages to have some twists to it, some humor and beautifull images (and angels, love angels...), dispite the meager song, I feel happy whenever I see this small piece. See it, its definatley worth 6 minutes of your time! Average 8.7(10)

It must have been a small but extreme labor of love to make On Your Mark, a short film directed by the great Hayao Miyazaki with his Studio Ghibli crew working at full throttle. It gets right to the heart of the idea in seven minutes through an immediate array of strange but deliriously exciting images, and its story gains momentum by the end. The end, also, is one of the happiest I've seen in Miyazaki's work (if a little fuzzy with an angel flying high into the sky). On Your Mark tells of such a winged being who becomes prey to the horrors of civilization, plague, technology, when she only got there through a tremendous blunder. But when two men finally decide they've seen enough, they go through the security, through the swarms of bio-chemical suited soldiers, and through a desperate escape they make it through the explosions and action.

All through this Miyzaki and his team create small wonders frame by frame, with small details like falling rocks just as fascinating as the large-scale amazements like the 'city' at night in neon, or the shots of the getaway vehicle running along the highway, with the helicopters chasing afterwords. How or why this has happened to the angel is never made clear, but in such an amount of time Miyazaki can only show so much. What comes through best, in the end, is the immense talents of his team, his collaborators who transform such a near fairy tale into a one-of-a-kind show. The music, too, is a curious addition, as I don't think I would've cared for it much taken apart from the animation. With it, the song works on a romantically charged, epic scale (if it were in English, I might've mistaken it for an 80s power ballad). It won't remain as a true landmark achievement for Miyazaki like Princess Mononoke, but if you're already a fan of his &/or Studio Ghibli's works and you can find it (online is the best bet), it's more than worth it, it's a must-see.

Miyazaki is considered one of the greats of Japanese animation for a reason. This film is a great short piece set to the song "On Your Mark" by Chage and Aska. The only problems with it is that it's a bit confusing due to its two endings. Repeat viewings are recommended.