Although many of us wouldn't want to revisit that time in real life if given the opportunity, the awkward aches of teenhood continue to provide plenty of source material for some fantastic feature films. That wonderfully awkward charm includes the world of anime, and Yutaka Yamamoto's Twilight is further evidence of that.
The crowdfunded film, which clocks in at a brisk (but ultimately perfect) 53-minute runtime, follows the trials and tribulations of Sachi Koyama (voiced by Hiyora Sakurada), a young girl living in Japan's Fukushima prefecture. She's obsessed with violin, pouring hours upon hours into practice for her school's upcoming concert. Then, she falls for Yuusuke Kijinami (Seishirô Katô), a handsome stranger she met on the bus.
The story of Twilight — which takes its name from the refreshing time of day that Sachi loves to walk home — is grounded and simple, but it finds its most heartfelt beats in the minutiae of childhood. Like an anime Eighth Grade, the film perfectly captures the stomach aches and sweaty palms that come with awkward childhood crushes.
That said, its plot doesn't even reach the depressing depths of Eighth Grade. Instead, Twilight is, like its namesake, both beautiful to behold and worthy of thoughtful meditation.
(Twilight Studio)The crowdfunded film, which clocks in at a brisk (but ultimately perfect) 53-minute runtime, follows the trials and tribulations of Sachi Koyama (voiced by Hiyora Sakurada), a young girl living in Japan's Fukushima prefecture. She's obsessed with violin, pouring hours upon hours into practice for her school's upcoming concert. Then, she falls for Yuusuke Kijinami (Seishirô Katô), a handsome stranger she met on the bus.
The story of Twilight — which takes its name from the refreshing time of day that Sachi loves to walk home — is grounded and simple, but it finds its most heartfelt beats in the minutiae of childhood. Like an anime Eighth Grade, the film perfectly captures the stomach aches and sweaty palms that come with awkward childhood crushes.
That said, its plot doesn't even reach the depressing depths of Eighth Grade. Instead, Twilight is, like its namesake, both beautiful to behold and worthy of thoughtful meditation.
