Kimagure Orange Road: I want to Return to That Day

Original Title: きまぐれオレンジ★ロード あの日にかえりたい
Romanized: Kimagure Orange Road: Ano Hi ni Kaeritai
Literal:

Plot Synopsis

It is the last summer before Kyosuke and Madoka enter college. As he walks toward the entrance exam scores, Kyosuke remembers the days leading up to the exams. This is the summer when Kyosuke finally had to make that inevitable choice between Madoka and Hikaru. Even if he can make his true feelings known, how will either of the girls react to his decision?

Quick Review

Rating: 4.5 / 5
Reviewer: Marc
Review Date: 2008-02-22

In I want to Return to That Day, the characters of Kimagure Orange Road are about to make the jump to college and the implied plunge into adulthood that accompanies it. The feel and theme has abruptly grown up with them, addressing the end of innocent romance in a raw, unflinching manner. The psychic shenanigans and humor of the series are completely absent, as are all of the characters save the main trio; while a huge change of pace, this is a suitable finale since what made the KOR series memorable was the hints of realism. Realistically, the breakup would be painful, and this movie captures that exquisitely, and excruciatingly, with the point driven home since they are characters we have come to know as being "fun."

Another significant change is that Kyosuke's narration is sparse; we are moved to the perspective of bystander to interpret his actions--which are realistic given his age and inexperience--though our own eyes rather than his. The cast is up to the added drama, in particular Hara Eriko (Hikaru), who turns in an impressive performance without changing Hikaru's personality or distinctive voice. Aside from the slow pace--evocative of the lazy days of summer and awkward silences of the characters--the movie's only flaw is that its treatment of Hikaru and Madoka's friendship, as well as the future of the supporting cast, are not addressed, but the second movie covers that territory.

I Want to Return to That Day is one of the finest anime character dramas ever made. While it won't appeal to many, and might not even appeal to some fans of the series, no punches are pulled in the breakup of the Kimagure Orange Road love triangle and the young love it embodies. Fans of the series will find it painful to watch, but it comes highly recommended. The second KOR movie, however, is a required follow up to this one; it simply isn't complete without it.

US DVD Review

The DVD is solid but minimal; it includes a decent video transfer and crisp 2-channel Japanese audio. On the down side, the video is interlaced and letterboxed, but since the movie was only filmed in a "slight" widescreen format, you're not losing that much resolution to the black bars. On the positive side, you get your choice of full, partial, or no English subtitles. There are a couple of minor extras: An art gallery, and the trailers that originally advertised a couple of the OAVs. Oh, and for those wondering why the disc comes in a case with the extra flippy thing to hold a second DVD, it's a kindness for fans who bought the set that included two OAV discs, but wanted to save space by compressing it down to two cases instead of three.

Content Guide

Generally mature themes and a lot of raw emotional pain, but nothing overt; AnimEigo calls it 13+, which if anything is rather stiff.

Violence: 1 - A couple of arguments, but most of the "violence" is emotional.

Nudity: 1 - Nothing noteworthy.

Sex/Mature Themes: 1 - General themes, but little else.

Language: 1 - Nothing in particular.

Notes and Trivia

This movie hit theaters shortly after the TV series ended and before the OAVs went on sale. Chronologically, however, it takes place after the OAV series (which covers the high school years).

As always, AnimEigo has their extensive liner notes available on their KOR page, either as a large web page or a downloadable PDF (down at the bottom of that page).

Availability

Looking to buy? Try these stores: RightStuf (search) | AnimeNation | Akemi's a(nime)Store