I need some lucky person who is able to view this in cinemas to come back and say how good it is. I am jealous…
I saw it in theaters today and really enjoyed it! My Japanese isn't perfect but I was able to understand like 60-70% of the dialogue, also I haven't read the novel, I've only seen the show, so take that as a disclaimer for the rest of my comment. I don't think any of this is really spoilers either, but I'll mark it just in case. I think they did a good job of adapting it for a movie format while mostly keeping the feel of the show. A lot of people seem to think that they were trying to do too much with not enough time, but I really liked the various side characters and stories that played out throughout the movie. I love Anna, so seeing more of her was great. In terms of criticisms, apparently compared to the novel some of the characters are underdeveloped, but personally that did not really affect my enjoyment much- although occasionally (combined with confusion from not fully understanding the dialogue) I got a bit lost. I was always able to figure it out though. I wish there had been just a bit more domestic fluff- I could watch an entire movie of Hira and Kiyoi just living their lives together with no conflict at all, but that's just personal preference. I do feel like in some places, they focused too much on the aesthetics/artistry and reality/the story was thrown to the side. There were a couple almost dream like sequences, mostly from Hira's POV, that were very pretty, but didn't feel necessary- I don't feel like they fully conveyed the emotions they wanted to portray. Overall, I really enjoyed it though! It was beautifully shot, well connected to the show, and I had so much fun seeing more of the characters that I love. The visuals were just amazing- the colors were so vibrant. The costumes and styling were also fantastic!
I think they did a good job of adapting it for a movie format while mostly keeping the feel of the show. A lot of people seem to think that they were trying to do too much with not enough time, but I really liked the various side characters and stories that played out throughout the movie. I love Anna, so seeing more of her was great.
In terms of criticisms, apparently compared to the novel some of the characters are underdeveloped, but personally that did not really affect my enjoyment much- although occasionally (combined with confusion from not fully understanding the dialogue) I got a bit lost. I was always able to figure it out though. I wish there had been just a bit more domestic fluff- I could watch an entire movie of Hira and Kiyoi just living their lives together with no conflict at all, but that's just personal preference. I do feel like in some places, they focused too much on the aesthetics/artistry and reality/the story was thrown to the side. There were a couple almost dream like sequences, mostly from Hira's POV, that were very pretty, but didn't feel necessary- I don't feel like they fully conveyed the emotions they wanted to portray.
Overall, I really enjoyed it though! It was beautifully shot, well connected to the show, and I had so much fun seeing more of the characters that I love. The visuals were just amazing- the colors were so vibrant. The costumes and styling were also fantastic!