Totsukuni no Shoujo (2022)

This review contains 4 major aspects: Characters, Plot, Art, and Impact which I’ll follow up on after with my overall conclusion. First off this was a great movie it was very enjoyable and definitely worth the short 1hr 10min runtime. I’ll be diving in to each category and discussing the positives and negatives displayed in each aspect of this piece of media.

Characters

The two man characters are a little girl and a “cursed” man. The relationship between them is heartwarming and shows how you can care about someone despite struggling to care about yourself. A theme reflected in our lives when we get so caught up ... in other people we often forget about ourselves. The side cast is minimal allowing the major focus of the runtime to be on the co-protagonists. They play little role beyond creating situations to elevate the development in the co-protagonists relationship. The girl is heartwarming, innocent and overall enjoyable to watch her earnestly learn and connect with the “cursed” man. And the “cursed” man while having lost much of himself finds meaning in the joy of connecting with the girl. He learns to care in a world that for him has been made empty. More could’ve been done with the side characters as they do very little but the main cast was great and obviously only so much development can happen in a movie.

8/10 (Great)

Plot

The plot is relatively straightforward. Essentially the girl is being protected by the “cursed” man from the others who’ve been cursed. I didn’t get quite why some things happened to them as some parts were “shown” rather than explained in detail. While some watchers may prefer this I know I didn’t pick up on everything this movie had to offer as a result. I love the slice of life parts with the co-protagonists and I truly think it’s the best part of this movie. Watching them connect and grow is really heartwarming and fun. Not much happens to make the plot gripping or tense it is really laid back but it still creates depth but that’s mainly just a result of the characters. It is also well paced for the runtime but the ending felt somewhat unresolved to me.

6/10 (Decent)

Art

The art was fabulous through this movie. The use of a unique dull yet very textured color palette was a great choice in my opinion. Any time there is vibrant color it pops against the dull background and characters. That’s not to say that the dull colors are bad, they are very pleasing to look at and mesh well to take a back seat when they aren’t the focal point. In a medium that often suffers from over-saturation of color and overdone bright flashes watching this move is akin to seeing a moving painting that flows well and isn’t desperate to keep you locked in from dopamine rushes as a result of bright intense art. The animation was very clean aesthetically and the character design was simple yet efficient. The art displayed much exceeded my expectations with beautiful landscapes and clean design despite the short runtime.

10/10 (Masterpiece)

Impact

This movie was very enjoyable and also had a solid message of accepting oneself and the value of finding joy in another person. Unfortunately there wasn’t much beyond the simple messages displayed as we didn’t get to fully dive into the characters backstories or possible futures. I think it’s memorable mainly for the art and beyond the man themes wasn’t extensively impactful.

6/10 (Decent)

Overall

In conclusion I definitely recommend this movie if you’re a slice of life, drama, or fantasy enjoyer. Or if you just really like creative and unique art. I would definitely watch again in spite of its simple plot and meaning. The characters are great to watch over this 1hr 10min experience.

8+6+10+6=30/40

Final Score: 7.5/10

More aesthetic than anything, is all I have to say about this movie, but upon trying to publish I was held by the neck by MAL until I further elaborate. I watched the movie two or three years ago so my memory of specific scenes are hazy but I’m certain of the impression it left: the story is unremarkable, the art heavily influenced by those nostalgic Western fairy tales where an oppressive dark undertone is set against a whimsical, surreal backdrop. Whatever philosophy this movie had, if it ever had one, is lost to me – something I’d be willing to discuss, on that note.

Maybe it's because I'm getting old, I can't understand what Totsukuni no Shoujo or The Girl From the Other Side trying to convey. Yes, you might say the general idea of pain and acceptance is there. But when a short anime that leans too hard on vague mystery and disconnected storytelling, it's never gonna end well.

There are two main characters in this OVA, a beast-man and a young girl, nothing that we haven't seen before. And honestly, the man's development feels too rush while the girl is flat out one-dimensional. This combine with the blurry story make the movie longer than it actually is.

The ... only positive thing is the strange artstyle and some catchy melancholic OSTs. So overall, The Girl From the Other Side is not something I would recommend even just for an hour break.