A pure visual, auditory, mentally-satisfying, spiritual, magical, spell-binding extravaganza

Rating: 10/10 (14 May 2017)

The "anime" form has a limited niche of audience may be due to the fact that computer-generated animation appears to be an eye-candy! Well these were my thoughts before I watched this movie (in Japanese). And boy, I was so wrong! I had watched Spirited Away in English a long time back due to its such rave reviews but somehow i felt that I missed something in that movie that others could see and I could not. And that was the end of my 'anime' career. Fast forward 4 years and here I was going through a rough patch of time as I beginning to think that good movies are not being made anymore and that I have watched everything there is to watch and that creativity has limits too! Well you can always be denounced wrong if you have directors like Mr Makoto Shinkai. Hats off to this great director and the music composers Mr Youjirou Noda and the Radwumps band!!! They have produced a masterpiece. A gem of a gem! What sweet romantic love story, a perfect romcoms! Also many praises to the editor of the movie that is again Mr Shinkai... The chemistry between the two lead characters is so strong and intense that you will be spell-bound. First half was a "feel-good" part that made me thought is this what the people all raving about? True even in first half, some of the scenes with the background song ZenZenZense were absolutely stunning like the scene with sunrise in the city and sunset in the rural area. Both are shot with absolute precision. Then the second half starts and you ate really caught off-guard. Now you will be really into the story that what is going on and what will happen further! I was on the verge of tears at 3 points in the movie and simultaneously I was pitching for the two protagonists. The comet scene with the song SPARKLE in the background provided a breath-stopping view of the beauty of the scenery. End of the movie was mentally satisfying when you are so much into the characters that any more tragedy might have made me crying my heart out.
Now I admit that it took me 3 viewings to fully understand the story due to its complex plot but when you think you have seen every good story in the world then such a refreshing original story is really a big welcome.
Now something about the background score and music! When you are watching a foreign language movie and there are no lyrics for the background music and even then you are perfectly in sync with the music, you get to know that the music composers, lyricist and singer have achieved a feat. Music is absolutely lovely. The end score "Nande mo naiya" was so ear-candy that I heard it like 15 times before closing this movie off! I immediately bought the Japanese original soundtrack and kept on listening (with English lyrics of course) to it for next 2 days. Only then I got to know that there is an English version of the movie and English version of songs. And now I am writing this review I am listening to the English version of the song "Sparkle". I am glad that I watched the movie in Japanese. May be if I would have watched the movie "Spirited Away" in its original language then I might have connected it to better.
I am looking forward to watching more anime movies and I am really thankful to God that I got to see this movie in this lifetime. I have recommended this movie to more than 100 people till now and still counting. Please give yourself a treat, a peaceful heart-touching rest by watching this movie with your loved one. May be if you are going through a rough patch of time in your relationship then this movie might just be the thing that will rejuvenate your love! Again I can just go on boasting about this movie for eternity but before that watch it yourself and prove me correct.
P.S. - The plot of this movie has a bit of resemblance with the Bollywood movie "Haunted 3D" which was India's first 3D in-home production, a horror zoner. Indian viewers who liked that movie would feel an instant connection with this movie. This movie is remembered more for its sweet love story and melodious music rather than for acting skills or overall storyline. Watch it at your leisure for the sweet horror love story and songs that you will keep on lipping for years to come.