Hello everyone!!
I am here with my first short review about one very special anime that I have watched so many times that I have already lost count of it. It is a very beautiful anime that is very easy to get into and is not too dramatic. But, it will tug at your heart strings so many times. Because this is a short review, I will keep it brief and will only write about the two main characters around whom the story unfolds.
!! Minimal Spoilers Included !!
Story
It begins off haphazardly and maybe also a bit violent. But, it soon softens down to an easy-going style soon. Our impulsive protagonist who is also a famous calligrapher gets rattled up by an old veteran's demeaning comments on his award-winning work and ends up punching his daylights out.
As punishment, he gets exiled off to a remote island, where he slowly learns many beautiful things and experiences many bittersweet moments, through which he evolves as a person. That's the gist of the story.
Characters
Of course, there are a lot of characters in the story. But, the main two would be our impulsive calligrapher and a little child from whom he ends up learning a lot.
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Handa, Sei.
Simplicity is the easiest path to true beauty
Our clumsy calligrapher, who experienced a pampered upbringing, didn't get to live a normal childhood. He was made to focus on calligraphy, and for better or worse that became his entire reason for existence. Many of his experiences on the island are his very first experiences. It will be a clumsy ride that will make you smile a lot.
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Kotoishi, Naru.
You ain't gonna know unless you climb up yourself. Ain't no way to look if you don't try.
The bundle of energy who ends up being the main stimulus for our Sensei. He is the main reason how he gets pulled out of his comfortable shell and experiences so many things. It kinda gives off the message “Never to kill off the child within your heart” and express yourself openly without being too worried about what the “others” might think of your words and actions. She pretty much makes our Sensei experience the world from a child's perspective, which ends up being what he needed all along… a proper childhood.
Art & Music
Even the simple scene of a paper plane tearing into the skies can become so moving at the right moment and with the right music. From the beauty of a dying sun to the whispering hopeful shimmer of a desolate starry night sky, there are tons and tons of beautiful imagery that weave perfectly well with the background scores and give you goosebumps. It is something you'll understand after watching.
Overall
Bonds… that is what our clumsy protagonist ends up making with so many people at the end of this heartwarming story. Something that he had so much difficulty to do at the start. The journey he takes to becoming this person is what this whole story is about.
