Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara

[Infinite Zenith]

Originally Posted by SeaDoor

The magic, time travel and grandmother hanging out with her granddaughter were never really integrated into a story which was just left to be a pedestrian tale of teen angst.

What's pedestrian, a short film about a guy crossing the street? The angst was promptly dealt with, this was a story of discovery through friendship. A familiar theme, yes, but hardly tedious to watch.

[kuudererules]

GOD DAMN IIIT PA WORKS

Why you make ending like this, even though I already expected bittersweet ending but it’s still really broke my heart.

PA WORKS always make farewell scene in the end.

Spoiler for example:

Angel Beats, Another, Hanasaku Iroha, Sakura Quest, Kuromukuro, and Tari Tari.
Even though they separate, there's chance they will meet again sometime, somewhere. But Irozuku really different.

But compare all of them this is really cruel and sad for Hitomi, she finally meet her first friends and first love but only for a short time. She probably will meet again but they already old or one of them already passed away.

When Aoi try to save Hitomi I thought there’s twist happy ending like anime similar like this 'Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai'. I always hope Aoi will join Hitomi to the future but I know it’s really impossible consider time travel and against the theme.

That last scene really make me cry when Hitomi staring alone, try to look ocean and sky that have color blue (Aoi). Anyway I don’t think I can move on from this beautiful anime when I see fireworks on New Year’s Eve soon.

(sorry for my english)

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New image from Fly, character designer for Iroduku

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[4th Dimension]

While the show did have an interesting premise, and some nice bits (fish out of temporal waters by a future person and interaction between young grandma and granddaughter) in the end the story was rather fromulaic.

The only thing that saved it is that it had some really beautiful moments visually.

Which makes high positioning of Hitomi (3rd place) on some seasonal waifu charts kinda surprising.

[SeijiSensei]

Certainly the weakest story from P.A. Works I've seen.

Hope this isn't a portent of future works by them.

[Archon_Wing]

The first half of the episode was very beautiful and they didn't overdo the crying. I like the last monochrome transition. The rest? Well, I guess it was just sorta there and didn't tell me that much. Guess they were trying to be subtle?

Couldn't help but feel an Angel Beats vibe at the end, though this episode was actually good though a bit disappointing at the end.

Good show regardless.

[RDNexus]

As far as I've read, it's not unusual for japanese authors to end up being subtle with their stories' endings and/or epilogues.
Stuff like symbology of said moments, the intent of having the audience picture them as they wish or not wanting to piss off said audience may be good reasons for such practices.

Still, no matter how much the world might burn from it, I'd rather have a proper ending and/or epilogue as much as possible.

[Infinite Zenith]

I definitely enjoyed Iroduku: the series just worked for me.

A few interesting remarks from the finale:

1. The golden fish likely was around to represent the freedom that Yuito yearned to attain through drawing
2. The girls that Hitomi befriends are the same ones who ask if she'd be interested in joining them for fireworks during the first episode. They resemble Asagi and Kurumi, so it would not be too surprising if the two could be family
3. The causal loop explains why Hitomi was able to see colours in Yuito's drawings before they'd met.

[DragoonKain3]

I honestly couldn't see the episode until the day before, and couldn't post until now because of New Years. Amazon, why you so weird sometimes?

First thing, yep, right on the money that Hitomi was the one who sent herself back in time. Also, right on the money that Hitomi is the one sending herself to the future, as young Kohaku wasn't the one who sent her back. I really REALLY enjoy stories that properly foreshadow their stories even as early as episode 3, and the 'unconscious self casting' was amazing as a clue.

Secondly, yep, bookstore guy is Hitomi's grandpa. Not quite dead as I expected, but still the same person nonetheless. Lucky son of a bitch, marrying Kohaku and all (I'm so green with envy ). In a related topic, are those two future girls the granddaughters of Asagi/Sho and Kurumi/Chigusa? Like the subtle nod there.

Thirdly, I absolutely LOVE the ending. I dunno about others, but this story is my 'imaginary fix' for two anime whose story I have problems with: Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Uchiage Hanabi.

I forgot if I actually posted it (it's been a decade already lol), but one thing I HATED about Girl Who Leapt Through Time is that it gave off the message to 'never move on'. Irozuku on the other hand completely goes to the opposite direction... while the past is part who made us who we are, we should NOT be tied to it. This is relevant to not only Hitomi, but Yuito as well. Sure their romance may not have ended happily, BUT the message the show gets across is the correct one. I sure as hell would take that over the exact opposite that happened in Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

As for Uchiage Hanabi, the supernatural elements took the forefront for what is supposed to be a fairly run of the mill coming of age story (if they went closer to the original) or a regular romance (if they wanted to put in more). BUT NO, they decided to make it full Kimi no na Wa and have the stupid crystal with it's myriad of effects play a significant part in the runtime. In here, the supernatural aspect is very much on the background. Sure magic exists, but people just treat it as if it's another scientific technology. A lot of people are flabbergasted at the cast's rather subdued reaction to Hitomi's time travel, but personally I absolutely LOVE they just swept it under the rug and focused instead on the story.

Overall, Irozuku takes my favourite anime of the cour. It beats Boarding School Juliet because of impressive visuals, while it beats Bunny Sempai because the pace, if at times slow, was otherwise perfect. Sure it has a bittersweet story and the side romances aren't fully explored (I'll take the subtle nod the show gives that Asagi/Sho and Kurumi/Chigusa got together), but the writing is on point and the message is correct. Plus, if anything, Irozuku gave me my waifu of the year in Kohaku.

But good enough to take a spot in my top 3 of 2018? Just short IMO, as B The Beginning's villian is the best I've seen since 2012's Squealer, Planet With subverts A TON of shonen battle tropes with an amazing story/message to boot, and there's no way I can bump off Hi Score Girl off at third because I'm very biased to such stories.

Still, Irozuku earns the honorable mention, and would have been #3 if we go by anime originals. A welcome one too, since after the disappointment of Tada-kun, I thought anime original romances are destined to be die off. Hopefully studios don't shy from making such stories, even though it doesn't make as much money as say, another idol anime, cute girls doing cute things anime, or whatever.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

First thing, yep, right on the money that Hitomi was the one who sent herself back in time. Also, right on the money that Hitomi is the one sending herself to the future, as young Kohaku wasn't the one who sent her back. I really REALLY enjoy stories that properly foreshadow their stories even as early as episode 3, and the 'unconscious self casting' was amazing as a clue.

Hitomi wasn't the one who send herself to the past nor did she send herself back to the future either. Older Kohaku sent her to the past, and she set it so the magic would wear off at a certain point (once Hitomi "cured" herself, most likely). Young Kohaku realized her own ritual turned out to be useless and she still had a long way to go until she could become a great magician, swearing she would get the time magic ready in sixty years.

[somajo]

Originally Posted by Frontier

Y'know, I wondered for a second if that glasses guy at the book store might actually be Hitomi's grandfather and Kohaku's constant trips to the book store to learn more about (presumably) time travel magic led to their relationship and a stable time loop of sorts .

You were right
___________________________________________

May be even if Irozuku doesn't seem the strongest PA show by itself, it still has its charm and I liked it very much. It was touching. It was kind. It was beautiful (same for the story and for the visual).

Characters say good things and always help each other out. Good example of how people's meeting, geniune support and wishing good to each other, liking each other can help to overcome issues and make you feel happy. I can believe and understand things they are troubled by which I think is important for the genre.
Even though for me it was too sad they had to part. Hitomi returning the joy of life was the point but still I personally would like to know what happened to the others. And if Hitomi met her mother, and what about Aoi's father. It feels incomplete to me.
Though may be it was the concept to concentrate on Hitomi only and for us not to know what happened after she left to remember everything as it was then.
Overall it was very nice show for me.

P.S. If I lived in a world like that I would definetly do magic at least at some level. If I wouldn't been able to use it I may be could become lust for it like

Spoiler for different show:

Midoriya in Boku no Hero Academia.

Special thanks to the authors for the idea of getting into the picture. It appealed to me and I liked that picture as well. To draw some interesting place and go for a walk there would be wonderful if it was possible.

[kuudererules]

Blu-Ray Box Vol. 2

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[Infinite Zenith]

I had a chance to listen to the Iroduku soundtrack today. While nothing revolutionary, it is excellent incidental music that captures the atmosphere of the series, and it's also superbly relaxing.

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[blakstealth]

What a bittersweet ending.

There are so many questions I have, but it might be better if they're not explained. I would've liked to know more about the family dynamic of the Tsukishiro family, though. Like what was it like between Kohaku and her daughter (Hitomi's mom) since she was born with no magic. Why did she leave? Where did she go? Did she die? Was it the grave of her mother that Hitomi was visiting? It's clear now that Kohaku wanted to make everyone happy with magic and has failed in some respect with that.

As far as relationships go, it seems like Kohaku married the used bookstore guy. And the two high school girls from the future are grandchildren of Asagi and Kurumi, which is very sweet. And the club is still going strong. I wonder who those two girls got together with! Ugh, I just wanna know. I was hoping to see the old club members as elders, but we didn't. And Kohaku level 77 didn't mention them either. Ugh, I wanna know!!!!

I enjoyed the series. Definitely better than Glasslip.

[kuudererules]

Blu-Ray Box Vol. 3 / Final

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[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by blakstealth

What a bittersweet ending.

There are so many questions I have, but it might be better if they're not explained. I would've liked to know more about the family dynamic of the Tsukishiro family, though. Like what was it like between Kohaku and her daughter (Hitomi's mom) since she was born with no magic. Why did she leave? Where did she go? Did she die? Was it the grave of her mother that Hitomi was visiting? It's clear now that Kohaku wanted to make everyone happy with magic and has failed in some respect with that.

I was immediately reminded of Hitomi's mother as I was adapting this video documentary into text. It's about the "johatsu" phenomenon in Japan.

Here are some key points:

1) As many as 85,000 people went missing in 2017 in Japan. Most of them were subsequently found, but about 11,000 remain missing. Experts believe the actual number of disappearances is much higher, because families are often too ashamed to register their loved ones as missing.

2) "Johatsu" means to "evaporate". The term first became widely used in the 1970s, and was associated with achieving personal freedom from troublesome human relationships.

3) There is actually a semi-underground industry known as "night movers" that literally help people to disappear overnight. It started as a way to help people escape their debts, but is also used today to also help some, especially women, flee from domestic violence.

4) As expected, the pressure of keeping up appearances in Japan is one of reasons why some people simply give up, and decide to escape from it all. But for many others, there is no obvious motive. They simply want to disappear.

5) There's an example of a man who was the heir to a business empire in the Kansai region. But the business was failing, and he just wasn't able to keep it afloat. So, he gave up, and fled one night, leaving his wife and children behind. The man said it was hard to leave behind his children but, at the same time, he is too ashamed to return home, because he has selfishly chosen to abandon them. He hopes his children will one day be able to forgive him.

6) Under Japanese law, a person can be declared dead seven years after he has gone missing. But of course, not all families are willing to do this. They continue clinging on to the hope that, some day, they'll finally find some closure, some definitive proof of whether their loved one is dead or alive.


Point 6, I thought, is particularly relevant to the case of Hitomi's missing mother. She may or may not actually be dead, but after having been missing for so long, her family, ie, Kohaku, may have decided that it was time to move on, however painfully, and declare her daughter legally dead.

This was also the scenario in Hyouka, as those of you who've watched it would recall, where an uncle of one of the characters inexplicably went missing after travelling abroad, and the time had finally come for her family to decide whether to declare him officially dead.

[VTHokiePride]

Finally had some time to binge watch this and I loved it. I know some people disagree about there not being a couple at the end, but honestly there wouldn't be since she time traveled. Also if the grave is Hitomi's mother, fine. I would've felt terrible if it was Yuito.

Was Kohaku's husband really the bookstore guy? How can people tell? Is it the glasses? I wished we could've had a moment where everyone in the club was there at the end to greet Hitomi on her return to the future. Are the 2 girls supposed to be the grandchildren of Asagi and Kurumi? They look similar to me.

[kuudererules]

New illustration to commemorate the first anniversary of TV anime Iroduku

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by kuudererules

New illustration to commemorate the first anniversary of TV anime Iroduku

This series really had some gorgeous art and character design .

[Infinite Zenith]

Finished doing a location hunt for The World in Colours: Nagasaki was a ways trickier than something like Yuru Camp, since in the former, all the locations are urban, but in the end, enough spots were located to show how detailed this series was with respect to the settings.