Welcome to the third, and for this yr, closing set up of Animated Film August. This specific movie is… technically not a movie. Whoops. Just like the Clouds, Just like the Wind was initially launched as a TV Particular, again within the yr 1990. It was launched on DVD and packaged as a made-for-TV-movie in America so I’m counting it anyway.
The entire motive it even received on my radar is as a result of I used to be truly looking for a very completely different title. I’m unsure why my key phrase searches in my library system saved glitching and this movie would pop up. I received’t deny myself my curiosity after it popping up so many occasions, so right here we’re.
The nation is Sokan, which has not too long ago headed into turmoil. The reigning emperor immediately died, and his crown prince must discover a bride and quick to safe the throne. Thus, the seek for an empress (and different consorts) begins! Ginga is one such hopeful from the countryside, whose been lured in by the story that the empress merely eats and sleeps all day. Her earnest however inquisitive nature earns the ire and admiration of the remaining courtroom of the dominion. However will that vigorous nature be sufficient to avoid wasting a kingdom threatened inside and outdoors of the palace partitions? (Based mostly on novel “Koukyu Shosetsu” or “Inside Palace Novel” by Kenichi Sakemi)
Historic fictional although is often not my jam. My common data is fairly good I’d say, but when it will get too technical I get misplaced. I used to be stunned that Just like the Clouds, Just like the Wind actually caught to it’s animated naming. There was simply sufficient context the place the story labored, and you can infer rather a lot appropriately if you happen to’ve ever been uncovered to East Asian historic fiction earlier than. I by no means received bored, and never as soon as did it get too dense to comply with. I’ll acknowledge that this optimistic for me, is perhaps a damaging for others’ although.
The very first thing that struck me after the story itself, was that the character designs seemed awfully acquainted. That suspicion was unwarranted as they have been achieved by Katsuya Kondo, a personality designer who works usually with Studio Ghibi. This time, he was recruited by Studio Pierrot for this specific undertaking.
Studio Pierrot doing a implausible job for the dimensions of the undertaking. There’s an actual sense of weight to the animation as an entire. The combat scenes are dynamic, even when they’re quick and fast. Each character has a special presence on display, with particular person mannerisms and quirks that make them partaking to look at regardless of the occasional dialogue heavy scenes. I discovered it attention-grabbing that such a singular forged of characters nonetheless got here throughout as cohesive and of the identical undertaking. It was actually easy.
The pacing for the way a lot of the story was coated, was fairly spectacular too. It’s solely round eighty minutes, however it positive doesn’t really feel that method with how a lot floor was coated. There’s a fair break up between Sokan the dominion, and Ginga’s story which ties collectively properly simply when it ought to. I’m throughly impressed with the crew’s narrative selections and execution.
On the finish of all of it although, Just like the Clouds, Just like the Wind does fairly make an impression post-watch. I’m penning this up just a few hours post-watch, and I’m struggling to place extra into this overview. It’s an attractive made for TV film that’s good to look at, inoffensive for passing the time, however not rather more then that.
