“Perhaps I’ve spent 17 years waiting to be needed by you. Just like cherry blossoms wait for spring!” - Sakura Yamauchi

I had so many expectation going into this film, so I was very nervous about what to expect. In the end though, I had come to understand why this film was loved and talked about often. The simple and beautiful art style was one that put emphasis on the surrounding environment, enabling you to appreciate those special moments even more. With a storyline that we all may already be familiar with, it had still managed to make it into something that could still touch our hearts. I especially appreciated how the art had so much of an impact upon the storyline. Many emotional moments were given the proper amount of attention, and even day-to-day activities had appealed to the eye. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas had a message to send of what it meant to live, and how important human relationship were. It beautifully told this through the characters themselves, and the experiences they had together. The chemistry between the two were both entertaining and touching to watch because you could empathize with the events. Nothing ever felt forced, and the pacing was very comfortable despite the amount of things that had occurred. Despite its odd ending, I could say that it was somewhat fitting for the message of the movie. It had added to the importance and meaning of the title, and highlighted the value of relationships. Without further ado, here’s my scoring!

Art and Animation: 9.6/10

• I really loved the art style from the beginning. The character designs were simple and yet full of expression when the time came for it. The unique environments of the urban surroundings had accurately depicted what it would feel like to actually be there. From a common stroll through a sidewalk under a canopy of cherry blossoms, to a hotel overlooking the city, the art quality was just beautiful. When it came to animation, there really wasn’t anything wrong with it at all. No excessive camera angles, no choppy character animations, and no voice-sync slip ups. I really enjoyed how much thought and attention went into the facial expressions, because this made the emotions THAT much more real. You started to really feel all the emotion that the characters had in themselves, and it made many events a lot easier to connect with. The lighting especially was very effective in adding a rich feel to the environment, and added a vibrancy to the already colorful palette.

Character Progression and Storyline: 9.3/10

• Even though the characters themselves weren’t anything new (antisocial guy catches the eye of popular energetic girl), their interactions throughout the storyline were what really made this movie stand out. You could almost feel the progression that both of them were making by just being around one another and interacting. There were many moments that went from being fun and light, to then having a serious reality check that tested their bond with one another. Just the short amount of time it took for them to develop was such a surprise for me, because I was able to connect with the characters effectively when critical moments occurred. The only character I didn’t really connect with was Sakuras friend, which I felt didn’t appear enough unless she was there to pick a fight with our main protagonist. The storyline itself had held my attention throughout, and things that you’d think would be expected soon take an even more unexpected turn. I personally didn’t feel the tears coming until one critical moment that just broke me, which was when I realized that the storyline was being built up for it in the first place. Sakuras message of the value of human relationships had grown in even more value by the end of the movie. And the meaning of the title was made clear, in which those of us who’ve seen this movie can say that despite its odd title, the meaning behind it is much deeper than you’d expect. The end credits scene ties together this message, and the closure you receive may or may not be to your liking.

Soundtrack and Audio: 8.6/10

• I will have to admit, I wish there was a little more emphasis on the soundtrack. While it wasn’t bad, it never really stood out to me at all during the entire movie. Yes, there were moments of musicality that made these events even more special. But these were your typical events where anyone should enter a soundtrack during an emotional moment. I felt like they were just so close on a lot of parts where they could’ve gone all out to really blow me away and make that “magical moment”. So while the soundtrack overall didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the movie, it’s definitely one that you’d watch expecting a higher quality of musicality. As far as audio went, I really don’t have any complaints. The voice actors were very talented and a joy to listen to. The emotional moments felt authentic and sincere, and they all had played their parts very well in fitting into their characters. The sound effects used were appropriate, and I couldn’t make out any overly generic or poor quality sound effects being used.

When it came down to it, I was far from disappointed. This movie had really lived up to all the praise that I kept on hearing about it, despite how conflicted many feel about the ending. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas had effectively told the message that it wanted to send, and really delivered some high quality art/animation. It’s a movie that you could easily get emotional over because of how authentic the character interactions are. Both this and the development played a HUGE part in allowing the audience to really connect with the storyline. My only personal opinions that I had were on the supporting cast. I felt like they weren’t really needed in the storyline in order for the main message to come across. They just didn’t get enough development for me to personally connect with them and care about their point of view. Other than that, all my expectations of this movie were well met, and I could confidently give this one a score of 9.1/10. I’m really glad that this movie didn’t end up disappointing me, since expectations almost always ruin the experience. Until the next one, thank so much for reading!