I actually found the animation to be lacking. Maybe I am used to the latest Japanese animes that capture everything perfectly from expression to little details. That is not saying that it has bad animation, just that it looks like Akira, even if it is made in '98.
The story is great. I liked both the storytelling as the story itself, with many unexpected twists and (well, it IS Japanese) a very depressing atmosphere. The soundtrack is nice, too, as many people noticed.
What this movie is about is what it is to be human in an inhuman world. I think they specifically chose such a detailed yet alternate world to put the setting in. It is not science-fiction, is ultra-reality. It shows not the beauty of the world, but the place where we all sit to look through the window at a beautiful world that doesn't exist. The worldly waiting room.
It would be pointless to repeat who the characters are and what they do. Enough to say that this is a must see for anime fans as well as any other cinema lovers. If you want something bloody and pointless, watch something else.
I can compare it with Grave of the Fireflies, although it wasn't THAT heartbreaking, or with Akira. It also feels a lot like Natural City.
The story is great. I liked both the storytelling as the story itself, with many unexpected twists and (well, it IS Japanese) a very depressing atmosphere. The soundtrack is nice, too, as many people noticed.
What this movie is about is what it is to be human in an inhuman world. I think they specifically chose such a detailed yet alternate world to put the setting in. It is not science-fiction, is ultra-reality. It shows not the beauty of the world, but the place where we all sit to look through the window at a beautiful world that doesn't exist. The worldly waiting room.
It would be pointless to repeat who the characters are and what they do. Enough to say that this is a must see for anime fans as well as any other cinema lovers. If you want something bloody and pointless, watch something else.
I can compare it with Grave of the Fireflies, although it wasn't THAT heartbreaking, or with Akira. It also feels a lot like Natural City.