oconnell.kaitlyn - 2014-05-05 19:19:18

Never before have I felt so 'in-touch' or so understanding of characters in Anime. I could really relate to some of what occurred. I could really understand and relate to what the characters were thinking.

Story, 7/10 - Harmonie's story isn't exactly a large scale phenomenon. I didn't expect it to be. I mean, it is a movie, right? And a short one at that. While I definitely didn't get anything huge, I definitely got more than I expected. The plot was good; a small build up between two students and the events that happen between them. That's what this is. It never gets past the point of 'good', and while it is not deconstruction material, it is definitely unique compared to your typical highschool setting today.

Art and Animation, 8/10 - This, like the story, is also unique. It felt like I was watching something made by Makoto Shinkai's son, or 'kouhai' of the like. The character designs were great. Even the characters who only spoke a couple lines or even the ones who had none at all could be easily distinguished from each other. The camera angles, the shots taken, the detail in everything; all of it is great and contributes to the already great movie.

Sound, 6/10 - The less impressive part, mainly because of the OST. None of it is really memorable, which doesn't mean it's bad, but nor is it good. It's timed well, though. The voice acting, however, is what keeps this at a 6 rather than a 4. Hell, I'm even tempted with a 7. The voice acting is great and really enables emotion to come through. Not to mention one of my favourite seiyuu stars in this movie.

Character, 7/10 - Less than half an hour of running time, but yet... I feel like I know them so well! We have your typical otaku male with your typical attractive on the outside, wounded on the inside female. Now, how does this diverge from the usual set-up? It doesn't, and that's the good part! It sticks with these character elements and using them as a plot device to advance the interactions, events and emotion all shared in this movie. The main character, Akio, is a guy who I can totally relate to. His friendship group is something I long for, however.

Enjoyment, 9/10 - I loved this. The idea of mixing fantasy with slice and life is brilliant, yet it's so underdone or not done well enough. Like everything, it could have been better. Some series make you think it could have been better, but also make you want to stay away from future releases. This made me want more. I need more of this. The strong messages in people's dreams is something I love yet have seen so little of.

Overall, 9/10 - I am inclined to give this a 10, but can't due to there not being enough of everything. If this was longer, it would have no problem achieving a 10.

Recommendations:

For the idea of awkward MCs: WataMote, Welcome to the NHK

For a more romantice take of things, although not very similar: Kimi no Todoke

Although I can't speak for it, Paprika is said to also explore dreams, so it might be good for you if you want more!

jeffery.friesen - 2014-04-27 22:05:50

A rather odd movie that begins as something you'd figure as a cliche love story between a popular girl and a nerdy boy but turns into a random robot romance love story. A quick film that's only around 26 minutes long that has rather unique characters, a very soothing soundtrack and nicely animated, Harmonie really did capture my interest. If you can look past the random little twist they throw in and imagine your own reasoning as for why that twist exists, this can be rather enjoyable.