“The Colors Within” Review

There’s a dreamy quality to how The Colors Within meanders around, inevitably arriving at a musical cresendo. Some Japanese animated films start with this pleasant sensation, but oftentimes veers off to find more conflict and urgency. This film, however, is one where the worst problem for three teenagers is lying to their parents about their passion or feeling uncertain about their interest in music. There’s never any central issue that makes these problems boil and it always feels like these problems fade in and out with a natural rhythm. That gentle nature keeps this film intriguing enough to follow through its light and fluffy story to match its narrative.

I was mildly surprised that the film chose not to lean too heavily into the central character of Totsuko Higurashi and her ability to see people’s auras. It’s never fully explained why she can witness such colors, nor is a firm explanation given. All Totsuko does is go with the flow and trip out to the most sensational of colors that she can witness. Her ability certainly makes her the oddest of students at her Christian high school, but never to the point of being a bullied target. Even if she were, Totsuko seems so lost in her world that I doubt she’d take notice, more keen to trip out on images of the solar system than worry about a crush.

Friendship, however, does enter the equation when Totsuko encounters Kimi, a student who was recently kicked out of school. Tracking her down to a bookstore, Totsuko notices Kimi’s guitar and tries to boast about playing the piano (she doesn’t). Their conversation is overheard by the teenager Rui, somebody who frequents the store and happens to know how to play the theremin. Totsuko instantly suggests they should start a band, and the three easily agree. The pieces just seem to fall into place for them, almost as if the universe is rewarding them for the trust they have placed. Totsuko admits early on to Kim that she doesn’t know much of the piano. Kim doesn’t mind, passively telling her new friend that she’s also a beginner. With persistence, it isn’t long before they have some songs ready to play for a big community event.

There’s a tenderness to how this film settles into its slice-of-life warmth. Rarely is there a moment of great contention for the three teenagers. A secret sleepover Totsuko hosts with Kim is adorable because Totsuko sneaks her into the dorm room for a night of reading manga, listening to music, and painting nails. Rui’s shame about his family wanting him to be a doctor is kept at a safe enough distance that he can spend more time impressing his new friends with his newly acquired tech. Totsuko even has the support of a nun who offers support so reaffirming that it’s no shock to learn later she used to be in a band herself.

The film was directed by Naoko Yamada; her previous works include A Silent Voice and Liz and the Blue Bird. Comparatively, The Colors Within is a much more divergent production for favoring a wondrous approach that is lighter on the conflict. Considering how many anime movies for young adults have sprung up in the past decade, I was delighted to view this more as a refreshing break from all the trauma and struggles that pepper the animated teens. Not every day of youth has to be a complex challenge of emotional mountains and this film embraces what will certainly be a highlight for these characters, looking back years from now with glossy eyes at the simpler days of sleepovers and playing music.

There’s a coziness to how The Colors Within coats its musical drama with sugary gentleness. There’s an honesty present, but it is approached with more of an easy-going nature. There are problems for these teenagers, but there’s enough love between them and their families that the stakes don’t feel so high. There’s an airiness to this world where someone like Totsuko can start up a band, get music advice from a nun, or just trip out on the colorful auras in her day-to-day life. It’s that whimsy that makes the impressive ending music number such a joy to experience, earned more out of fondness for the characters than a simplistic drive of work ethic. Sometimes all a film needs is a cuteness to carry it and there’s enough here to hold this freewheeling anime through to its heartfelt conclusion.