I don't have much of an idea on what this is about, but I believe it's quite a sad film.
I'll set the start date as 21/11 and the end date as 28/11 to avoid clashing with Ergo Proxy, I anticipate I will personally watch this either tomorrow or Monday, but people should not feel rushed into doing so.
I'd love to hear from people that are joining, I suppose I can reasonably assume those who voted are likely to watch it?
I'm definitely in and will be re-watching tomorrow if all goes to plan. Unsurprisingly, I quite enjoyed it the first time, with some suspension of disbelief regarding the implausibilities, as I found the central relationship quite sweet.
I will join the fun, first time watch as well.. And I just bought Ergo Proxy in the eerily timed deal of the week so I'll probably join in for a first time watch for that one too..
Hugely looking forward to watching Pancreas again. I haven't seen it since it was on at Scotland Loves Anime in 20whenever. The UK Blu-ray rights were a very (pleasantly) surprising acquisition for the former Manga Entertainment.
I'm just going to kind of say stuff as I see it here, so my thoughts might be a little all over the shop, but I'd love to hear feedback from others as well on what they thought. I have probably got some more points to make but I will add them later on after we get more replies.
First of all, I would call this a kind of Your Lie in April lite edition, and I will spoiler tag why to avoid spoiling YLIA for people that haven't seen it yet (seriously - if you're reading this and you haven't seen YLIA yet and you liked this, give it a go! )
Both of these have the same type of theme, genki girl with a terminal illness putting on a bit of a front so people don't take pity on them, and both of them explore that scenario and how that can change your perspective and make you want to do whatever you can to make the most of the time left to them.
With that out of the way onto the movie itself. I thought the art was good in the film, it wasn't Shinkai level amazing, but on the whole I thought it was nicely animated and the studio clearly put a lot of work into it, there is a good level of attention to detail in every aspect of the film. I disliked the name of it on a personal level, maybe they could have named it better, but it doesn't detract from the film itself.
The way we are shown how she dies right away and then we see how we get to that point is interesting, and takes any doubt out of your mind as to where the film is heading.
On the whole I didn't really find the dynamic between the MC and Sakura all that believable, the two never really seemed to gel for genuine reasons, I actually kind of got the impression she was using him a little bit rather than it being two equals on the same footing. I found the MC a little bit too clueless, if that is the right way to describe him here, it's like he rolled off the factory line and is waiting for his personality to be imprinted!
The thing missing here the most is time for these characters to properly develop things in a natural way. I think partly because it's a film rather than episodes, they just don't have the time to flesh out the relationship these two could have had, instead we get glimpses of how they interact.
I thought the actual film itself covered some interesting topics (and I thought the same thing about YLIA) but what got me sad was more the circumstances than any attachment I had to the characters who were experiencing them.
I thought with the hotel bit done, and how MC was kind of clueless, that he was at least acting like a bit of a gent and not taking advantage of Sakura. But no, it turns out that he was a half-step away from taking things too far, and she was just as bad for provoking him into it a few seconds earlier as a joke. Apparently no apologies needed really from either party, at least with any sincerity.
The side characters in particular were really poorly fleshed out. The friend was overprotective and didn't really seem to stop to gain intel. The ex-boyfriend was just there to say a few words, punch MC, and then act the martyr. Really this was a two character show with some extras thrown in when it was convenient to add them.
In the end I think I liked the film (even if what I've written here may make you think otherwise on reading it) but I think it could certainly have been better, and actually I think I may have liked this more if it was made into a 12 episode series instead of a film, because then we could spend a few episodes at least trying to make the character dynamics work better.
Dumb things:
Dude she's dying, she has asked you to read one short book, you read books all the time, and instead of reading it you're putting it onto the shelf for later because it doesn't follow your process, even though she could die any time soon. She should go all tsundere on you and shout baka until you agree to read it ASAP.
I found killing her by other means unnecessary, she was already going to die, why did we need to have her get stabbed to death? seems like just because it became a more convenient way to end the film.
MC sat next to his friend Sakura. playing games: "I don't have any friends". MC you are literally sat next to one. baka!
So I think this was my third watch and as before I did enjoy it again, mainly down to the bubbly Sakura genki-but-not-genki girl, the protagonists' interactions in the background of a terminal illness, and the visual quality.
The colour palette was bright and pretty with some nice animation touches, in particular in relation to the character movements and actions (my favourite part being the bossy friend trying to get a hold of genki-boy in the hospital room). Though the animation doesn't come up to the levels of Kyoani nor the backgrounds to Shinkai quality, the visuals are nonetheless an accomplished effort.
On to the characters. Sakura unsurprisingly holds the movie together and is its core. She is just the right balance of annoyingly boisterous and lovable. Her interactions with Haruki do make him more interesting as well, especially in the first half where I felt their chats generally had quite poignant points. I could certainly believe someone in her position being suffocated by the constant sympathy and pity for her predicament, and hence finding solace in just being treated normally enough to be able to enjoy life without the constant reminder of the grim reaper. I think with the limited runtime of a movie the central relationship was developed nicely. The awkwardness and tension of crushing teens was certainly palpable in the hotel, as was the fear of death with Haruki realising Sakura really was ill (though who could blame anyone for thinking otherwise given how well she looks heh). It felt more like a two character play with the side characters not really having much time to be developed, though I felt it was the right choice to focus the runtime on the protagonists. You could certainly appreciate how close bossy girl was to Sakura. Her ex served no useful purpose due to being so two dimensional. I really liked the innocent friendliness of chewing-gum boy (quite the relentless ice breaker technique heh) and wish we had more of him.
The characters and animation aside, there were a whole lot of tropes & random plot device use. The red flag signal just shoved in about a random murderer earlier on, and it's use, felt tacked on just for the purpose of having a twist where I don't think one was necessary. Or maybe they were trying to emulate The Wire with the off screen demise of a central character in a thoroughly unexpected and anticlimactic manner to demonstrate how little reverence death has for anyone and everyone. I need to consult @Dai's manual for anime diseases that are terminal without any impact on fitness levels. Genki boy has lived seventeen years without having a single friend? Thank goodness for Sakura otherwise we'd have another Gendo Ikari on our hands with a penchant for human puddles. The Little Prince book was referenced but apart from some colourful imagery at the end, it wasn't really used effectively to link to the themes of human connections, behaviours and predilections I felt. While I really liked that Sakura could rightly find an escape from her condition with Haruki, for her to completely leave her family and best friends out wasn't really in character for her I thought. Lastly, the music seemed an odd fit at times, with the opening credits almost going the energetic way of Your Name's, were it not for the funeral scene at the start! But that was probably intentional, to reflect breaking away from the gloom of inevitable death to live life to the fullest whilst you can. Still seemed discordant to me.
That is exactly what I categorised this as when I first saw it and is probably the best way to describe it in a nutshell heh. Certainly can't live up to that in terms of depth and music though. And I'd definitely second that recommendation, Your Lie is my second favourite anime after Evangelion.
I thought the art was good in the film, it wasn't Shinkai level amazing, but on the whole I thought it was nicely animated and the studio clearly put a lot of work into it, there is a good level of attention to detail in every aspect of the film. I disliked the name of it on a personal level, maybe they could have named it better, but it doesn't detract from the film itself.
Couldn't agree more. And the name did seem more along the lines of a light novel once though I believe the source is the manga only (which it follows to the tee if I remember correctly) unless I'm mistaken?
But no, it turns out that he was a half-step away from taking things too far, and she was just as bad for provoking him into it a few seconds earlier as a joke. Apparently no apologies needed really from either party, at least with any sincerity.
I didn't think he intended to actually try anything and was just doing what he did to scare her in reproach but maybe that's an optimistic take. I do recall Sakura apologising for her actions, though yeah I don't think he did likewise.
Dude she's dying, she has asked you to read one short book, you read books all the time, and instead of reading it you're putting it onto the shelf for later because it doesn't follow your process, even though she could die any time soon.
One other thing I forgot to mention, I quite liked the decision to change the art style from the more cartoonish one in the manga to a more realistic one in the anime. The latter tends to be a better fit for dramas and the former for comedies generally.
Reading back my own post late last night I knew when writing it a lot of what I said was a little negative, but I will confirm on the whole I did enjoy the film, and a bit like Wolf Children, it was good, but it had some issues along the way. I don't think it stands up against things like Your Name or Silent Voice, or as well fleshed out as YLIA for the most direct comparison.
The red flag signal just shoved in about a random murderer earlier on, and it's use, felt tacked on just for the purpose of having a twist where I don't think one was necessary
Yeah and that lead to the whole dying by another method than the one you were going to die by thing as well, a bit too many conveniences adding up just to make the plot work out how they wanted.
Say what you will but I think if my only friend asks me to read a book or whatever before they are 100% going to die, I'd definitely make it a priority. It's a small thing in the scheme of things, normally a recommendation you could brush off if that were not the scenario.
I think on balance I stand by what I said, a longer runtime of like 12 episodes with some back story/focus on the other characters thrown in would have been welcome indeed to build up some sentiment towards them.
I wish we got to see a bit more about Sakura and how she wasn't just genki-fronted all the time, it gave us a small glimpse of it when she said she was scared, and with all of the medicine she had, but most of the time you're right, you couldn't tell anything was wrong with her.
"It's up to my imagination whether somebody likes me or hates me. As long as they don't hurt me, it doesn't matter whether someone likes me or not."
Looking back at my own past posts on this site, it seems that I've always struggled to properly put into words my fondness for this film, and nothing has changed with another viewing, so I won't even try beyond a couple of sentences.
With (to me at least) a relatable protagonist, a wonderful art style that stays on the right side of the animation/live-action divide, and a gut-wrenching plot twist, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas is, as I once wrote, "what anime is still capable of being when it abandons the otaku-pleasing box ticking."
Let my MAL score of 10 out of 10 speak for itself.
Conveying opinion I seem to increasingly struggle with; info, though, I can provide:
I Want to Eat Your Pancreas ... is a novel by the Japanese writer Yoru Sumino. Initially serialized as a web novel in the user-generated site Shōsetsuka ni Narō in 2014, the book was published in print in 2015 by Futabasha. A manga adaptation ran from 2016 to 2017. A live-action film titled Let Me Eat Your Pancreas premiered in 2017, and an anime film adaptation titled I Want to Eat Your Pancreas on September 1, 2018.
I agree with the sentiment at least of that message. If I am not bothering someone I prefer not to be bothered in turn, but I think it's a shame he doesn't have even one friend (before he meets Sakura anyway). I think everyone needs someone they can rely on.
The world of fiction is a great place to escape to, but it's not the only world within which we live.
Reading back my own post late last night I knew when writing it a lot of what I said was a little negative, but I will confirm on the whole I did enjoy the film
Looking back at my own past posts on this site, it seems that I've always struggled to properly put into words my fondness for this film, and nothing has changed with another viewing, so I won't even try beyond a couple of sentences.
I know exactly what both you mean and I felt the same way when trying to express the emotions evoked in words. I guess for me it comes down to it having a lot of heart and succeeding in getting that across, taking the technical aspects out of the equation. It's not flawless, so for me more at the 7/10 mark perhaps objectively-ish, though I know subjectively I like it more than that even if I can't explain why heh. I wouldn't say it's without Otaku-pleasing tropes with Haruki being the main one, with the portrayal of a seeming lack of personality, which is a trope I can certainly relate to and understand a character outside of social cliques feeling, though I still dislike it's excessive use in anime and feel it's a bit unfair to the characters and audience alike. You don't need to be in a clique to have self-respect and pride in yourself for who you are, regardless of others' impressions, or as I do agree is nicely shown here, what you yourself assume others think of you without actually having any proof or confirming your suspicions.
And on some points of comparison, Your Lie in April certainly does a better job of visualising the illness, while both referencing some unknown illness (which is probably best to keep something vague and nameless unless you are able to get medical experts' and patients' accounts of a particular illness) with the character noticeably getting a lot more frail and pale as time goes on, regardless of how much enthusiasm is mustered up. To counter, Pancreas does not quite have that luxury of time, though it's not impossible to portray somewhat regardless. Also it is implied the illness, though terminal (isn't all life itself by definition terminal as Sakura mentioned heh), isn't apparently imminently so (here the vagueness helps to act as plot device for however you want the illness to behave heh). Another aspect that I'm glad was touched on was the fear and trepidation one in Sakura's situation would probably be feeling & being reminded of endlessly, hence the welcome escape Haruki provided with a refreshingly unfazed attitude. Again Your Lie in April did this heartbreakingly beautifully and was why it was elevated from merely good to exceptional in my books.
Well there go my plans to stock up on chewing gum to make my miserable self appear more friendly in real life if everyone is just going to assume I'm hitting on them heheh.
Yeah and that lead to the whole dying by another method than the one you were going to die by thing as well, a bit too many conveniences adding up just to make the plot work out how they wanted.
See I liked this twist on my initial watches, especially in view of the story very clearly telling you from the start what the end would be (that I liked better than YLIA's clear and early death flags heh). It was very effective in rattling expectations with "oh look she's better, yaay!" to "uh oh, why is she not there yet?? Didn't they mention a murderer on the loose, oh noooo!!" However, on this watch I did feel that it just wasn't necessary to the emotional core of the story but for the purpose of having a twist delivered as a gut punch.
Say what you will but I think if my only friend asks me to read a book or whatever before they are 100% going to die, I'd definitely make it a priority.
I agree, but playing devil's advocate now I think ultimately it was another demonstration of Haruki's (non-viral) self-isolation for fear of human connection (as an Araragi very quaintly mentioned about weakening oneself by having friends or something along those lines). Haruki refuses to admit Sakura is his friend for a significant portion of the story, and refusing to read her book is just him maintaining that distance.
Another aspect that I'm glad was touched on was the fear and trepidation one in Sakura's situation would probably be feeling & being reminded of endlessly, hence the welcome escape Haruki provided with a refreshingly unfazed attitude
In some ways I definitely could understand why she would seek solace in someone she doesn't know that well, but in others it's a heavy burden to place onto some you don't know. I get it though, and I might feel the same. In a lot of ways it's easier to talk to strangers about problems than it is family or friends.
I agree, but playing devil's advocate now I think ultimately it was another demonstration of Haruki's (non-viral) self-isolation for fear of human connection
I probably should give it a rewatch to properly comment on the film, since it's been ages since I last saw it. I do recall having mixed feelings about it, and I see I'm not the only one on some points.
Overall I did end up liking the movie, but I think the pacing/build up was not ideal. There were a bit too many story beats to comfortably fit in the runtime. Like Lordhippos says, this could've been better fleshed out in a 12 episode series. Though I also think it could've worked as a film, had they cut some scenes and spend a bit more time on the essence.
One 'big' issue I had with the story was the dynamic between the main characters. With a romance plot, you do hope that the dynamic works to some extent, but Haruki just lacks personality. My interpretation is that Sakura wanted to hide her illness from everyone in order to be seen and treated normally, yet by doing so, creates a distance between her and others. In that sense, Haruki is the perfect fit, since he isn't fazed when discovering her illness, and still treats her like he would otherwise. Storytelling-wise I can understand this setup, but to make it more human and interesting, I did expect both to change and open up as the story progressed. Basically Sakura is still putting up a facade, even towards Haruki, but ends up showing her fears and doubts caused by her terminal illness. Haruki on the other hand didn't really seem to change, only a little bit, but that was often towards us, the viewer, and not so much towards Sakura.
But the biggest issue IMHO is how Sakura is murdered. This twist felt so out of place, and I still don't understand why it's in there? Initially I thought it was to avoid the predictable end of her (suddenly) dying of her illness. But in order for that to work, you'd first have to create some doubt about her end. I mean, every time they were about the meet up I was half expecting some turn for the worst. So the surprise wasn't so much an emotional one (bracing myself anyway), but a conceptual one, which I don't understand.
Then I thought, maybe it was done narratively to keep Sakura's illness a 'secret' from everyone. But that also doesn't really add much to the story. You can't pretend that the relationship between her and Haruki was unaffected by her illness, sure it might not have ended due to it, but from the start their actions were clearly influenced by it. Also, if that was the goal, she could've just died in a traffic accident, which would've been horrendous enough.
Without knowing why this twist was added, I can't defend it in any way. Since they omitted showing any of it, it didn't bother me too much while watching. In a way, she was bound to die, she died (off screen) and the story continued. But every time I think about the way she died, it's just too gruesome and ruins my enjoyment of the film.
Now the above is very negative even though I did enjoy the movie for the most part. But as time passed, this is effectively what I remember from it. If someone can explain why that twist is there, I might be able to appreciate what it tried to convey, but as things stand, I'm afraid it really drags it down.
I felt the twist a bit shoe-horned in for the sake of having a twist more than anything else really. Apart from that the only way I can rationalize it would be a demonstration of the unpredictability of inevitable death for all, and to therefore make the most of life whilst possible, given that we're all effectively terminal but that doesn't mean you can guarantee even making it to you use-by date!
Yeah I think that may be part of it, but I'm not convinced the message is sent in the best way. Actually think it would have been more of a shock if he died from being stabbed before she died from her illness!
Another side thing which I've not seen anyone mention yet, is that they caught the murderer as a result of her being stabbed, so I suppose in some ways her losing her life also lead to the killer being caught as a trade off, rather than her dying for nothing. We did see that she had a sense of justice when she confronted the guy who crashed his bike earlier on, where most people were happy to walk on by.
God this film is great. It's the 3rd time I've watched it (first in Spanish, then English and now in Spanish again) and its got better every time.
The journey he goes on from actively shunning any form of relationship to ending with him asking Sakuras bff if they might one day be friends is wonderfully realised. And the post credits scene showing hes actually made progress in life is just a really nice note to end on.
For me the purpose of the twist is to rob them of their goodbye. As much as he was starting to accept she would die the promise with the book meant it was something that couldnt happen yet, at least in his mind. I think that's why he didnt read the book, it would've been another step to accepting losing her and he wasn't ready for that.
The clincher is when he finally goes and reads her diary and sees that she had already said all her goodbyes and was already at peace. Through her letter hes finally able to process his feelings, feeling he'd spent his whole life actively surpressing, say his goodbyes and move on and become the man he always had the potential to be. A man he hid from himself and the world in books and fantasy.
Also if you want theres a subtext that can be read about toxic masculinity vs positive masculinity. The ex boyfriend is one dimensional view of toxic. We see him briefly but he displays anger, violence, selfishness and also tried to manipulate Sakura all in one fell swoop. At the other end we have a one dimensional view of the positive with chewing gum guy. Someone with no ulterior motive, who is genuinely nice and is a good big brother. In the middle we have the main character. He starts on the more toxic end- he wont show his emotions, cares only for himself, will lie to get his own way. And by the end becomes someone who can be emotionally honest not just with himself but with and in front of others. And can also see the value in others around him.
It's a nice message in my view. A great film. And I cry a lot during the diary goodbye.
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