Fireworks Review

Introduction

Fireworks is the Japanese anime version of "Sliding Doors." This drama was released in theatres on 4 July 2018, dubbed in English as well as in its original language, Japanese. It is a 90 minutes long anime directed by Akiyuki Shinbô. Ryan Shanahan, Brooklyn Nelson, and Aaron Dalla Villa are among the main cast who voice dubbed the English version of the anime.

Information About the Movie

1. Genre: Romance, Drama, Anime
2. Original Language: Japanese
3. Director: Akiyuki Shinbo
4. Producer: Genki Kawamura
5. Writer: Hitoshi ône
6. Release Date (Theaters): Jul 4, 2018 Limited
7. Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2018
8. Box Office (Gross USA): $522.6K
9. Runtime: 1h 30m
10. Distributor: GKIDS
11. Production Co: SHAFT
12. Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Story

A well-known tale is told in Fireworks with a teen twist: Both Norimichi and Yasuke, his louder, brash best friend, have an attraction for Nazuna. Nazuna asks Yasuke out on a date as Norimichi is too invested in winning the race in Nazuna's presence. Rather than going on a date, Yasuke is interested in hanging out with his other friends, who are now debating whether fireworks are round or flat on the day of the town's annual celebration. As a result, Norimichi finds himself spending time with Nazuna and learns that a weird ball she found by the shore has the power to turn back time and recreate a particular day so that he will be the one she asks out on a date. While Yasuke and the other guys continue to argue over fireworks in preparation for the festival's main show, Norimichi uses the magical ball repeatedly to make his day with Nazuna as close to flawless as possible.

Review

An unusual little film called "Fireworks" makes the difficult attempt to blend comedy, drama, sci-fi, and romance, but it never manages to do it successfully overall.

Directors Akiyuki Shinbo and Noboyuki Takeuchi have created something that can best be described as a trippy Japanese anime remake of "Sliding Doors," in which a pair of teenagers experience the same events over a single day in slightly different ways via a mysterious, strange ball. If the characters were developed more-or even at all, for that matter-this might've turned out to be more interesting. The 14-year-old girl, who is treated as nothing more than a gorgeous pawn in the movie, is mainly left out of the picture because she represents the sexist idea of a damsel in distress in each and every one of these situations. However, the young boy who saves her grows bolder and more heroic with each fresh interpretation of the events.

But Norimichi is a boringly typical teen at the beginning of the movie. In his little seaside town, he complains about having to go to school during the summer, so he and his buddies try to cheer things up by racing each other by riding their skateboards and bicycles down the hill. When they get there, it becomes obvious that everyone is smitten with Nazuna, whom Norimichi first sees on the way to school standing alone on the shore, gazing at the sea, with a gentle breeze lifting her short schoolgirl skirt. However, Yusuke, Norimichi's reckless friend, also finds time to tease and make fun of their teacher over her big breasts, which is an absurd scene in the film.

Later, while Nazuna is relaxing by the pool in her swimming suit, Norimichi accidentally crosses paths with her. Her discovery of the tiny ball on the beach that morning has now dropped into the pool, making her feel a cosmic connection to Norimichi. Unexpectedly, Norimichi discovers he can change the course of events by tossing the tiny, sparkling ball into the air and making a wish. He uses this power to support Nazuna in leaving her confusingly unhappy home, which primarily constitutes the same escape with a few minor adjustments along the way.

As in "Sliding Doors," "Edge of Tomorrow," or "Doctor Strange," manipulating time within an expanding narrative structure may be both fun and informative, offering different views on a plot. But in "Fireworks," the outcome offers nothing fresh. This plot simply gets boring and repetitive because there isn't much to this plot.

The worst thing is that, regardless of the timing, Norimichi's friends continue to debate whether fireworks are flat or round when they are fired into the sky. The strange event occurs on the day of the community's yearly fireworks display at the lighthouse. This discussion is a reference for the way the movie plays with perspective and the title, but it is boring the first time, and we are made to hear it repeatedly.

The fireworks are pretty beautiful, as there were a few glances of flowers flowing in a field and water drops from sprinklers falling on grass-this kind of imagery that makes anime so fascinating and enjoyable.

This youthful romance has lovely images of fireworks, flowers, beaches, and fluttery first love, but it also has some problematic assumptions about gender and an uneven, needlessly complicated plot. Some viewers may be offended by a few shocking, unexpectedly ridiculous remarks, such as those regarding the teacher's 'bouncing' breasts, a girl being a 'dog,' and jokes about betting on a woman's underwear. Another factor is the continuous attention on Nazuna's thin, long-haired, wide-eyed attractiveness. She doesn't really stand out as having a personality besides being the ideal crush of sweet Norimichi. She has little control over the events other than to support and encourage Norimichi, and he gets to relive the day he tried to win her over, love her, and even save her from being forced to move in with her mother and new stepfather.

Overall, it starts out as being detailed, and viewers might even find it realistic, but as we get to the crux of the story, the movie falls short of expectations. It has lovely visuals but fails to impress the audience.