erikacunanan29
OTHER REVIEWS AT booksequalhappiness.blogspot.comI really like the story of this movie. It's your typical manga story but it was fun and entertaining to watch. I really like the bond that developed between the two lead characters. Also, the animation was very beautiful and pleasing to watch. However, there was one major turn-off for me. That turn-off is the reason why I'll probably never watch this again. If you decide to watch this, stop after the part where Gin and Hotaru has had their fun in the festival.
siderite
This 40 minute anime is about a girl who befriends a sort of youkai (Japanese spirit) and then they meet and spend their summers from then on. You get the usual magical summer, the green forest, the cicadas, the friendly youkai, the countryside grandparent and the almost absent parents and you get yourself the typical setting for so many Japanese animated stories. And while the animation was OK and the story nice and the mood a mixture of calm magic and romance, that's basically what the entire thing is. It doesn't go anywhere.Even when the girl grows up and develops womanly feelings, they are not really explored in any way. Her character doesn't change much from since she was 6 years old and there aren't really any other characters except her and the guy. When you have unchanging characters, the only thing remaining to entertain is the mood.So, while I enjoyed watching it, I also felt that it didn't teach anything.
nikii_star92
Before watching this I didn't know what to expect especially since it is such a short anime film. What I really liked about it was the story in general, the sound effects, the sketches and the voice actors. The whole idea was nothing I would imagine and the ending was nothing I had expected. I liked how all the spirits in the forest looked out for him and how he grew up alone in the forest. It was as though he was raised by wolves without the wolf part of course (haha) unless you include that one spirit. The whole time I expected a cliché happy ending. I assumed they would find the mountain god who gave him the powers and then they would give her some as well. That didn't seem all that unlikely seeing as they didn't introduce the family too well. I assume it was because they didn't want us to get attached to something that would be left behind. The main point in the whole movie was companionship, how no one wants to be lonely. In the end he appreciated her so much that he didn't mind being obliterated if only he could hug her. The ending was absolutely touching and even though I rarely cry when watching films this made me tear up.
Crveni Krst
"Hotarubi No Mori E" is yet another fine example of Japanese creativity and talent to make a heart warming story. Some might think that 40 minutes isn't all that long, but in this case, it was more than enough to tell a tale.A young girl named Hotaru gets lost in the woods during a summer vacation in her uncle's mountain lodge. Just when she starts to fear no one would find her, a young man with a mask covering his face appears and shows the way home. But there's something mysterious about Gin, and as it seems, he may even be a forest god in a human form. Hotaru is intrigued, and still, she cannot touch him. Years go by, with each new summer the girl returns to the same enchanted forest looking for this secretive boy. Hotaru feels closer to Gin as time passes, while she continues to grow up. Finally, she will unravel the secret behind mysterious Gin who doesn't seem to grow old, but things will never be same again for any of them."Hotarubi No Mori E" is a perfect exemplar why I like Japanese animation so much. Forest and it's spiritual surrounding represent an important part of Japanese culture, whereas this symbol can be found in many anime originated from Japan, but also in other Asian productions and traditions. An interesting and touching story is told without fireworks and big splashes. Maybe not the best but still solid animation, fairytale characters and a nice story make this anime more than worth watching.
AD
