I am the type of person who pays a lot of attention to, and is generally more interested in, the supporting cast or background characters in anime. So when i had reached a short way into this movie, I became drawn to the best friends of the two lead characters, Muge and Hinode, who were Yori and Isami respectively, and constantly looked forward to any scene that they appeared in. At about the point in the film when the four characters were eating lunch on the roof together, smiling and making eachother laugh, an industrial revolution began to occur in my head. I saw a barren wasteland of an island in my mind, and next to it was a prosperous and beautiful island full of resorts, expensive materials, and exotic fruits and animals. This island was named Hino-Muge island, and it’s ports were lined with cruisers bringing in tourists from around the globe. The island I was on, however, was nothing but sand, stone, and driftwood. But regardless of that, I felt a fire burn in my soul, and from nothingness, I crafted a measly little dingy, far too fragile to even be called a ship, to make my island more prosperous. It was a tenuous journey, and for a long time, I had nothing to show for it. I was almost starved when I finally found some sustenance, at about the same time Isami asked Yori if she wanted to go to a cafe during the summer festival. But this only left me with a greater desire. Unfortunately, I sailed on and on in my tiny worn-down ship until the movie was over, and I succumbed to despair. Was this my fate? To be lost in this wide sea forever after trying so hard to reach my dream? But then, at that moment, I was blessed with what could only be described as a miracle. During the credits, when even then I remained vigilant and alert for any sign of relief, I was saved. I saw Yori and Isami walking to school together and Muge teasing them about being a couple, after which an annoyed Yori vehemently denied it. It was nothing, really. It was a meaningless glimmer with no substance whatsoever. But still, it was enough. Enough to remind me of my dream and lead me back to my tiny little island, where I could freely dream again forevermore.
This was my experience with A Whisker Away. At some point I completely lost interest in the plot of the movie and became solely focused on the possibility of an extremely minor romantic subplot between two characters with barely any screen time together. I dare say I’ve never shipped anything so hard in my life. And I warn anyone going into this movie that in order to properly enjoy it, they must have the mental fortitude to withstand the intrigue that I did not have the strength to resist.