Animation Appreciation Thread #12

We're back from exile in /carcom/

Previous thread, #11: http://dis.4chan.org/read/carcom/1362594875

The Sakuga Wiki [JP] - http://www18.atwiki.jp/sakuga/
Good Animation Blog - http://www.pelleas.net/aniTOP/
Other websites: http://pastebin.com/r2Vcy4b2

Animation on Twitter, Tumblr and Youtube:
http://pastebin.com/CQa8wU3q

Older Threads: http://pastebin.com/JWqfty5j

>>46
Some light spoilers ahead, so be warned.

I mean, everything revolves around reminiscing for the past, talking about how time passes and stuff comes to an end, and "living your life to the fullest because it's short". Stuff you can see in a lot of anime to some degree. The story takes that basic idea and develops it over different areas, like the village going away and being replaced by modern stuff, the fireflies and all the romanticism around them, the memory losing plot point, and the backstories of the two leads. They all revolve around letting go and moving ahead, while maintaining a sort of melancholy for the past. Even the final written message relates to this topic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_no_aware
I'd have guessed most people are familiar with the concept, but whatever.

Yes, it was well directed. I'd say the storyboard was in service of the animation, with wide pans and static shots that made use of animated expression. It was all very succint, and maybe a bit cheesy in some parts, but nothing really wrong with it. The main appeal of the movie is still the animation, of course.