When I finished this show, I looked for reviews about it; but, to be honest, I haven't found any reviews of my interest. So, I decided to write one, for myself and for all the other people who want to talk a little bit more about the movie. I hope you can enjoy this, let's begin.
Goodbye, Don Glees!
First of all, I have to say that I watched this movie with two of my friends, so I was able to speak with them about it. And this is a crucial point to me, because the talk with one of them in particular changed my overall opinion, somehow.
But first things first.
The anime movie is from the A place further than the Universe 's authors and the entire team has made a great job again. If you have seen both of them, you'll agree that the two works have traits in common; but this time the team developed the story in a different way, maybe "darker" than before.
I want to focus on the trio, the main cast of the movie; they play an important role for the themes we're going to talk about, and they do an excellent work with it.
You can easily empathize with Rouma or Toto, the two "friends for life" presented there. They have their good moments, both as solo and as a pair; in general, they are good characters.
Drop has a different role, instead. He is the character who shakes the souls of those around him, he is the "spark" from which everything starts -well, at least it seems so, but in the end we find out that the story starts, accidentally by no one but the two friends we've talked before.
The entire story takes place by mistake, a twist of fate, indeed. Drop will return in Japan, and there he'll become friends with Rouma, and from that point the start, and the end, of their adventure.
It's not very common to see an "all-male" trio, and it's even more uncommon for it to work so well.
I've really appreciated the direction, always combined with a great and careful photography; I've loved the colour palette, and to be honest, it's why I wanted to watch the movie in the first place.
Also the OSTs are good to listen to, and they are integrated very well with the story -I'm referring especially at the ones with lyrics. Well, we're talking about an anime produced by MadHouse, they know their stuff.
It's time to focus on the themes of the movie, and what's left at the end of it.
The movie lasts about 90 minutes, and even if it's not much, it conveys several teachings.
First of all we can -and we have to- talk about the grieving process, and about how death can happen anytime.
Drop knew his health issues obviously, but he tried to live his last moment to the fullest, with a smile. He gave to his fellow travelers some hints, but they didn't get them until it was too late, how it's likely to happen.
It's beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time to see Drop crying when the trio is at a dead end, with part of the forest totally flooded. Drop really wanted to experience one last adventure with his dear friends, and just the thought of having ruined their last two days must have felt horrible. Thanks to Rouma, he'll be able to return to smile, once again.
An other theme, that Drop -and sometimes even Toto- teaches us, and that Rouma explicitly says on the final, is about courage. We must have the courage to go one step further and leap, we must be brave enough to change, ourself and the world around us. It's a theme I'm particularly attached to, and it is often treated "not-very-well" by many shows, especially by shonen manga.
Talking about the themese of changes and self-improvements, I can't fail to mention my favourite anime about this theme, Neon Genesis Evangelion, from the genius pen of Hideaki Anno. He was really careful in exploring this theme, and it gets clear in the Rebuilds.
But I have to say that Goodbye, Don Glees! holds up very well.
While Rouma and Toto have to face changes during the movie, Drop has already done that "off-screen", he has been forced to "mature" before time for his health problem, and now he tries to convey a message of bravery to his friends:
"What regrets would you have if the world ended tomorrow?"
Live without regrets. It's really hard, and maybe Drop knows this best than everyone else. That's why he cares about his dear friends, his _"treasure"_.
Last but not least, the trip to Iceland.
For Rouma and Toto, this trip symbolises their own "step further" to overcome that "grief" for the loss of their precious buddy. Only by visiting the place so much praised by Drop, Rouma and Toto will be able to find peace and start a new path of their life.
The phone box's ring is the final element that closes the circle.
If it had not rung, the guys wouldn't have seen it, and in this scenario they would have never found out that everything started by their initial mistake. Why does the phone box ring? Who knows, but what does it really matter?
"All it takes is a little courage to leap and see things you missed before.The treasure you'd been reaching for would be right there by youw own feet."