Someone's Gaze
だれかのまなざしThe stage is set at near future. Okamura Aya, also known as "Aachan", started to live by herself as she started a new job after graduation. Her mother needed to go overseas to work as a doctor, so now only her father and a cat, Mii-san, live in a Proud apartment. Since Aachan moved out, her father has been trying to reach out to her but somehow there is an awkward gap between the two. And the cat Mii-san, which Aachan has kept since she was a child, is getting old... One night, Aachan came back from a tiring day and threw herself on the bed. She closed her eyes and remembered the happy days she spent with her parents and when Mii-san came to comfort her when she got lonely after her mother left.... And then the phone rang...
Reviews
paul.flatley - 2015-08-09 05:19:33
I cried like a baby, there's very little else to say. The plot is sweet and melancholy, tinged with regrets and nostalgia and just about anything else it can drag out of your deepest shadows. You'll recall people you wish you'd spoken to more, you'll relive some moments you forgot about. New pains will hurt, a lot.
Set aside a good half hour for this six minute short film, you're going to need it to recover. Also, grab some tissues.
jwiegand - 2015-03-25 21:55:34
I have mixed feelings about this anime. It is visually stunning and really beautifully animated. It had great potential, but I was really disappointed with the story and I am not very impressed. I did enjoy it because of animation but if it wasn't that good visually, I would grade it a zero.
eleanore.leffler - 2015-03-21 01:40:54
All it takes is six short minutes to tear down your walls and drag all your sorrows out.
reichert.laurianne - 2013-12-05 06:34:04
So I discovered this little short thanks to a Taisei commercial, it's a construction company.
The commercial was my first introduction to Makoto Shinkai, and his beautiful direction. I felt the need to search further, and the first thing I stumbled upon was this short film that I'm reviewing now.
It's a sweet 7 minutes of your time. Reminding people what growing up feels like from the perspectives of the parent and the child, despite the third person limited point of view. It's both saddening and touching, and gets its message across in the perfect amount of time.
The character's are the iffy part. There's not much room for development here. But there may not need to be any, depending on who you are. I personally got very attached, as I am a fan of family-centric stories. The relatability is what matters here. These characters are based on the accessibility of projection, but never come across as lifeless. It's a hard technique to pull off, but it's done very well here.
To be even more appealing than need be, this animation adds some flavor for us to enjoy by setting us in the future.
It's a small addition, but adds life to a universe that is otherwise very small.
If there's one thing this animation does very well, it's taking care of its audience. You can relate to it, enjoy its minor details, and not feel like your time has been wasted. Hell, I wasted your time more so with this review.