Kimagure Orange☆Road: Ano Hi ni Kaeritai

This right here is the real deal, the end of innocence, the end of the easy days, the garish bubble of 1980s positivity is popped, your soul is crushed and you can never go back. What is Kimagure Orange Road(KOR)? It was a long running romantic comedy series about a love triangle between a spineless goody-goody male lead, Kyousuke, the alluring high-school delinquent Madoka, and the bright-eyed always cheerful Hikaru. It was a huge hit at the time, not just in Japan, but in many European countries, especially Italy. Despite that, it fell down the memory hole at some point, and all that remained was a small cult following of superfans from back in the day. It is the most 80s Anime ever created, the opposite of timeless, something totally rooted in 1980s Japan. If you think the 80s died for a reason, this is pure torture. However, there is something very nostalgic about it for me, even though I wasn’t alive back then. 1980s Japan was one of the last times in the West when a generally positive or even utopian attitude about the future was still present, where the future was still possible. With the 90s, the economic recession, and The End of History, all this would die. Of course, the 80s were a pipe dream induced by neoliberalism, but at the time, people really did believe in it. The series had it all, cheesy, energetic pop music, discos, skateboards, soda cans, aerobics, extravagant outfits, youth gangs, warm summer nights at the beach, skiing trips, totally confident in its decadence. Back when it aired, this was just a reflection of the perceived reality, but today it is a melancholic time capsule. What was then simply anytown is now a very specific setting, the 80s Japanese suburb. I love that each episode ended with a zoom out into a photo. I love the super stylish intros, some of the best in all of Anime. The soundtrack in general is excellent. And I love the character designs and dreamy artwork done by Akemi Takada, like the poster for this movie, she also worked on Patlabor and Urusei Yatsura. But after all, the 80s did die for a reason, and something that looks awesome in a vaporwave music video might not be as awesome to actually watch. Even if you ignore all the sexism of that period which KOR is full of, the 80s were also a time when Anime could just run forever. Excess was all the rage, and we have all the time in the world, baby. With 48 episodes KOR was even tame in that regard, Maison Ikkoku lasted 96 episodes, Urusei Yatsura 195 episodes. At some point, the plot in KOR ground to a halt and it lost itself in episodic nothingness. The love triangle became very stale as the same situations are repeated again and again. The series always teased you with some resolution, but never delivered, the status quo was always restored by the end of the episode, no matter how contrived, sometimes with literal magic powers. Thus, what first appears to be a simple, cute and nostalgic romance about youth and growing up is eventually suffocated in endless filler and shitty pervert comedy. The characters really outstay their welcome after such a long time(I never want to hear “Daaarrrling!” again ), and even when you power through to the end, the central issue remains unresolved. And this is where the movie “I Want to Return to That Day” comes in. It is the conclusion which was always meant to be, presented with an emotional brutality totally contrary to the easygoing nature of the series. There is nothing cute in this film, nothing funny, no fantastic power to save the day, it’s true to life, and it hurts in the soul. The characters are full of subtle sorrow and display their deepest vulnerabilities. They are pathetic, egoistic, and thus completely human. This film does not hold back, a choice has to be made that will have terrible consequences either way, and these consequences are displayed without mercy. Ultimately, it is a story about accepting that things can’t be the way they were. While the movie also takes place in the 80s, they are very different from the bubblegum 80s of the series. The music still has a certain cheese factor, but it is much more somber and less energetic. The two songs “I Love You” and “Embrace That Sky” by Kanako Wada, who is a J-Pop singer referenced in the movie itself, are particularly beautiful. Many scenes take place in total silence, always an effective choice. Shots focus on the fleeting things, ice cream in the summer heat, birds flying away, the direction is placid, allowing us to really soak in the emotional turmoil of the characters, there is an Oshii quality to it. As with many productions of the time, the background art is beautiful and atmospheric, the evening star in the orange sunset sky, nightly cityscapes with the red blinking position lights, lakes shimmering in the sun. I really don’t understand people who call this look dated, do they even have eyes? This is a film in which relationships start and end, accordingly, there is always some couple in the background of a scene, telephone booths are plastered in pornographic adverts, radio and TV full of romantic advice, when you have a breakup it seems everyone wants to remind you of it. The most interesting background detail is that we see the ugly side of the achiever society, as if the emotional turmoil our characters and many teenagers go through isn’t enough, it is also the time in their lives when they become firmly embedded in a bureaucratic machine which doesn’t care about them. As one character jokingly remarks “Why do the college entrance exams have to be right when we’re hitting our sexual peaks?” Madoka and Kyousuke, all grown up, attend a special summer school just to succeed at those exams. This school is a depressing environment, where you don’t learn for your own sake, but just to pass a test. When Madoka and Kyousuke in one scene quiz each other, all they do is spout historic dates and the events that happened then, a meaningless exercise in memorization. While the cicadas chirp in the summer heat, they lock themselves into their rooms to study, have others bring them food, can’t even attend the town festival. All that will ultimately decide their future are two numbers on a board among hundreds of others. Hikaru is still in school, but in a similar situation. She wants to be an actor in a school play done by a famous director, and the casting process is analogue to the college entrance exams, anonymizing and merciless. The director seems devoid of any empathy, we never see his face, just that he always taps his hand with the script impatiently. The intense external stress imposed on the characters serves as a backdrop to the internal emotional conflict. FULL SPOILERS BELOW------------ In a way, this film gives us the conclusion we all wanted. In the series, Kyousuke was really in love with Madoka, and she with him, and it was always clear they would end up together. He kept dating Hikaru because he didn’t want to break her heart, maybe also because she was a “safe” alternative. As mentioned above, this dynamic never changed which became increasingly frustrating as the series went on, he would have to tell Hikaru the truth at some point, and the longer he waited the worse he would hurt her. This movie finally is that conclusion, but there is no sense of achievement, only raw sadness, because what we wished for was ultimately a crushing breakup story, and that is what we got. Most powerful is how the film treats Hikaru. In the series, she became nothing but an annoying plot device, someone to keep Kyousuke from Madoka to artificially extend the show’s lifetime, her screeching voice certainly didn’t help, it was someone you just wanted to do away with. But here she is the most interesting and sympathetic character. After all, it is her heart that is broken and ground into dust, because Kyousuke does break up with her. Not only that, he shuts off all contact completely. But she doesn’t let go, calls him day after day, vi…

There comes a time in your life when you have to decide over something so painful. The goofing days are finally over. Kasuga and Ayukawa are finally graduating from high school and they're moving on. This is Kimagure Orange Road without the out-of-this-world Power, over-acting Hatta and Komatsu, and crazy time-travels. What's left in this movie is raw human emotion. This is the ultimate conclusion to the Kasuga-Ayukawa-Hikaru love triangle. Kasuga Kyosuke has to choose. I won't say who he chooses. But it's what the movie is all about. Before you watch this, think first. If you want to remain happy with Kimagure Orange Road's TV series conclusion, then don't ever watch this. The indecisive yet sensitive-to-others Kasuga is gone. The understanding Ayukawa is gone. The jolly and heartwarming Hikaru is gone. The Kasuga twins just make some brief appearances. Jingoro is turned into a passive cat. Hatta and Komatsu are still as horny as ever, but they're toned down, and perhaps are the only sources of humor in the movie (and they didn't do well). And for the first time since I started watching the franchise, I kind of missed the bozo Yuusaku. The falling leaves. The telephone talks. Secrets were finally revealed. Each scene was made with subtlety and utmost care so as to deliver to us what each character really feels. They were made more human. They run after who they love. All defenses put aside, they show their hidden sides and deepest doubts and fears. There are some parts that were totally silent except for the voices of the main characters, which was good, since it emphasized the movie's meanings more. The art, well, is still what it is: outdated. I can't really say I enjoyed the movie; it was too emotional. I was a bit shocked with its content; it was really a departure from the feel of the TV series. This is no romantic comedy, this is drama. You could feel the uneasiness, the uncertainty, the bitter parts of adolescence, embodied by Kasuga, Ayukawa and Hikaru. Even though it doesn't contain the same warmth of its prequel, the story could be looked at as something that is more reality-based. We have to grow up. We have to take separate roads. Still, with all the emotions surrounding it, this is a worthwhile work to watch and is as gripping as any movie, only it will leave you will a feeling of nostalgia and loss, and a bit of relief and bittersweet happiness, too. My suggestion: watch something jolly after this.

It's not often I see an anime movie based on a series that's really worthwhile. Most of the time the movie just feels very generic and dull compared to the series, like it's something they created for the sole purpose of making money. I've been disappointed by the One Piece movies, Bleach movies, Ranma movies... They had their cool points, but were overall pretty bland. This movie is not like those movies. The animation wasn't really anything special; it was about the same quality as the series. I really wasn't expecting an Ushiko-Umao reference in the movie. It's been a while since I watched the series, so it was just a nice surprise and probably the only really funny part in the movie. Spoilers below, it's hard to talk about the movie without spoiling it since he makes his decision sorta early in the movie. It's based more on their feelings and how things go after that, not indecisiveness. Kyosuke finally tells Hikaru how he feels in this movie. It's pretty tough, but... well, it was always very one-sided from the start. She was always just pressuring and forcing him into stuff simply because she thought he looked cool the day he used his power to shoot a basketball through a hoop? I always thought Hikaru just seemed really shallow and stupid, so it's pretty easy to accept her defeat. The movie starts off in black and white as if to set a more serious tone... it also ends in black and white after the story is explained and it returns to the point where the intro ended. Something about this feels just feels kinda incomplete... It didn't just set a serious tone, it set a kinda depressing one, like all the fun's been sucked out since Hikaru's been turned down. Are Kyosuke and Madoka happy together? They sure didn't make it look like it. Did Hikaru accept reality? I dunno what the point of her "bang" at the end was. The black and white thing makes me feel like the two aren't happy and like Hikaru didn't move on... The movie gave the conclusion we were all waiting for, but it could've tied things up a little better, I think. It doesn't handle that very well by itself, but the second movie gives a more concrete ending.

I'll be the contrarian here, and say that I actually really liked this movie. My main complaint with the TV series was how repetitive it got and how it felt more like "comedy, with like one or two bits of romance thrown in there randomly". This movie, on the other hand, felt more like "romance, with like one or two jokes thrown in there to make it a little less serious". This is probably my favorite part of the movie. Maybe I'm committing heresy for saying this too, but I also really liked that this movie didn't focus on the side characters (the sisters, father, cousin, random punks on the street who're after Madoka, etc), or the paranormal aspect. I'd always felt, even during the series, that the whole "esper" thing took away so much from the character development and storyline that could've otherwise been devoted towards a proper ending. The characters in the movie seem like normal human beings, for once. Madoka isn't ridiculously arrogant, Hikaru isn't endlessly bubbly, and Kyosuke isn't indecisive or weak-willed in the slightest. Though while the characters are definitely toned down, they're not unrecognizable. They actually act their age, for once; and this, I feel, makes the movie completely worth watching. I'd almost recommend not watching the series before watching this movie, but I suppose for it to make sense you have to have watched at least the first five-or-so episodes. My only complaint about this movie is that it doesn't exactly feel very "finished" at the end. We have no real indication of what Madoka and Kyosuke think of each other at the end, no real indication of what standing Madoka and Hikaru are on at the end, and no mention of how the other characters feel about Kyosuke's abrupt turnaround. But maybe, this isn't such a bad thing. Overall, this film has a much more serious and angsty tone than the series, and I'd recommend it for anyone who either hasn't gotten too deep into the TV series, or anyone who wants a realistic romance story, really.

Everything ends eventually. I wasn't the biggest fan of Kimagure Orange Road, the series was nothing more than anime comfort food. Something to throw on late at night whenever I was too tired to focus on much else. The pastel colors, loveable characters, and occasional great episodes and moments kept me coming back to it despite the issues with its often soap opera-esque writing and questionable characterization. The thing that separates the film from the series that precedes it is the reality of the situation. It takes everything about the series, its silliness, and warmth, and just leaves behind its characters. It forces them to confront the deeply amoral and borderline abusive nature of their behavior. If Orange Road was a sitcom designed to go on forever, I Want to Return to That Day is what happens when a sitcom must end. Life does not have easy comforting solutions, and even its most intense moments are rarely cathartic. There are no dramatic music swells while characters scream at each other, there is only raw silence. The film almost borders on genuine slow cinema thanks to its crushing pace. Everything is minimal, there are few jump cuts, instead, the proverbial camera tends to linger, letting the audience take in the small things. There are no distractions. The show is over, life goes on. Kyosuke Kasuga may come from a family with supernatural powers, he may be a time traveler with whacky, scheming friends and a crush on a girl who wields guitar picks as weapons and dramatically plays the saxophone in the rain whenever she's sad. But at the end of the day, none of that was the point of Orange Road, it wasn't about the powers or the fights or the intrigue, it was about the people, about the moments with high school friends you don't talk to anymore. Everything ends eventually, it almost always hurts. But that's okay. Life goes on.

This is the first movie which could be called a spin-off because it's an original piece of work written by Kenji Tereda, the main scenario writer for the TV series rather than based off the original Manga. It takes on a more serious tone during the summer when Kyousuke is preparing for university entrance exams. There's no mention of supernatural powers nor are any used, just your slice-of-life romance. Kyousuke's originally kind indecisive character is changed to be more cold and decisive so it's no longer a romcom and can be quite bitter which is probably why it was ill-received. Even Izumi Matsumoto criticised the work, suggesting viewers took it as a parallel world story instead because of how harsh it was. The supernatural powers were partly what made the original TV series fun so with the sudden change in mood and powers left out, it just feels like your bland romance movie.

I have a long history with Kimagure Orange Road. I don't remember exactly when I started watching the anime, but I believe it was in 2018 or 2017. I never wanted to end it too quickly, as it was always a pleasure to be consumed slowly, as it is a 1988 anime after all. Today, I finished the film that ends the story. I had this promise to myself, that I would only finish the film when I graduated, and here I am, at this crucial moment trying to explain a little what this extremely individual experience I had was. The entire Kimagure (anime) has an episodic rhythm. Few episodic episodes have notable consequences in the following episodes, as is customary with anime at the time. However, the film takes us by surprise: there are no powers, there are not many visual effects to dictate the story, there is no repetition of history and there are no event cuts either. The characters have now grown up, they want to move their lives forward and to do so they need to be direct, as life moves on. I was very surprised by the content of the film and the decisions made by the characters, as they have a completely different scale from the animated series, and that really pleased me. Kimagure Orange Road is a lesson not only in storytelling but also in life. It probably took 6 or 7 years just to finish this series, and I can say it was worth every minute.

Have you ever sat back on a summer evening? Just when the fun is over? When the wind takes over? Have you ever felt a melancholy of sorts? The music is gone, the games have been forgotten, and you are all alone remembering... I think this movie is like standing up to the breeze on a summer evening: it's a slow-paced trip full of nostalgia about something that's gone, and an ode to those things that can't be anymore. I Want to Return to That Day is a movie that knows it can't be whimsical any longer. The indecisive nature of Kimagure Orange Road, which once gave us laughs, fun, and good times, evolves into a determined dramatic journey that is focused on giving our favorite characters, an impending conclusion. Hikaru is in her best moments throughout the film, because she's not playing the annoying character that gets on Kyosuke's way to being with Madoka, but rather a human being that's hurt, that wants to get what she wants but is unable to because the love of her life is simply not interested in her, and on top of it all, she knows, she's always known. Kyosuke and Madoka have been outgrowing Hikaru throughout the series, the more they realized they loved each other, but this could only mean that the ending is hopeful right? That since our favorite characters have accepted each other, they will live happily ever after... Right? Well, this movie opts for a more realistic approach to the characters and becomes as tough and as depressing as real-life can be. If anything, it truly depicts what losing something for another really means. It is still losing. And even though we would like Kyosuke and Madoka to enjoy their choice, we can't forget they're losing Hikaru on the way, Madoka's childhood friend, Kyosuke's source of those sweet memories in the previous year of his life (for as cliché as that sounds) I Want to Return to That Day openly wants to go back to those times where it was all blissful happiness, even if it wasn't gonna last forever, however, it knows the impossibility of doing that since the damage is still going to be done at some point, and as I said earlier, it is very determined to tell you that this tragedy like drama could not have been avoided. Once Kyosuke makes his choice, someone will suffer for that choice. The greatest thing the movie made was not to involve any of Kyosuke's powers, because as we learned in the show and the OVA, they ain't gonna help him when it comes to his decision of staying with either Hikaru or Madoka. Yes, the powers may help him in life-threatening situations, or in simple things such as getting to school on time, but when it comes to deciding who is your partner for life, yeah, there's not much telekinesis or mind control or even teleporting can do. It feels like it matured at some point in its development, knowing where it came from, and knowing where it would go. Nevertheless, it acknowledges that all the comedy it once used was strongly tethered to Kyosuke's nature of being unable to pick either Madoka or Hikaru, and now that we know he has resolved who he will choose, there isn't any space left for the light-hearted side the show used to have. The Orange Road will be whimsical no more, and even though it's for the better, the execution masterfully focuses on the sorrow of the now, which is why it felt real to me, real enough to love.

*SPOILERS AHEAD* "The wacky scenarios, drama, and misunderstandings would be non existent if Kasuga just told Hikaru that he wasn't in love with her and was in love with Ayukawa." (This is a quote from my previous review, Kimagure Orange Road.) Wow, this is embarrassing. That last review wasn't that good. Right after I finished writing my Orange Road review, I watched this movie and honestly I'm speechless. It fixes most of the problems I have with the show and Yuusaku isn't in it. Thank Kami-sama. That alone should give this movie a 10 out of 10. I'm not going to do that because I'm not that much of a joker. Kasuga is finally honest with his feelings and it only took a few years of waiting. By the way, the movie takes place a few years after the original show. He tells Hikaru that he wasn't in love with her and how he was always in love with Ayukawa. I want to say something real quickly. This is a very upsetting movie. I never thought I would say this, but I completely sympathize with Hikaru and she instantly became my favorite. Watching her fall apart like that was heartbreaking. I truly mean that. I was happy that Kasuga told Hikaru the truth, but after that, Kasuga becomes the biggest asshole on planet Earth. He ignores Hikaru like she doesn't even exist and is mad at her for being upset. I hate Kasuga. What did you expect!? Did you think that Hikaru was some kind of doll with no emotions!? All she wanted was an explanation! In this movie, Ayukawa is kind of a neutral party, watching everything from the sidelines. In the end, Kasuga and Ayukawa stop being friends with Hikaru. This left me with a sense of bittersweetness. If you've read my Kimagure Orange Road review I just want to clarify that I still think the show is bad. The show didn't fix it's own problems, the movie did. This movie was surprisingly good. There's not much I can say about it because it's just like the show, but with better writing. I hope I never get to see this movie ever again, it has such an uncomfortable ending. I did like the Touch cameo in the middle of the movie. Touch is a great series. This movie gets a 8 out of 10.

I'm not sure I can really describe it better than other have already done, but let's just say it is like a bandage on a hairy leg. You know it is going to hurt to pull it off, no matter what you do, but it is something that must be done. The inevitable confrontation looms near, and Kyosuke knows there will be collateral damage. If only he had made his feelings clear in the beginning, it wouldn't be so bad. I, for one, am glad the story takes a more serious tone, and tries to deal with the nagging problem head on. We all suffered through the TV and OVA episodes from his indecisiveness. But be prepared to shed some tears. There are a few scenes where the voice acting really stands out. The emotions carried in their voices went to "11" while the animation frankly took a back seat. Perhaps that was intentional, so as to make you focus on the dialog. But I wanted to add that for those of you in the United States, you can rent (or purchase) this movie on Amazon Video. The Amazon link on this site doesn't actually work - it just brings up a bunch of creepy unrelated products.

Before we begin, a quick but important note: make sure to stay tuned after the credits. There is a final 20-second scene that is essential to understanding the psychological closure of one of the three main characters. Skipping it might leave you with an incomplete or even mistaken impression of how their story ends.  The Orange Road movie serves as the definitive original series true ending, finally bringing closure to the love triangle from the original 46-episode series in a way that I thoroughly enjoyed. By leaning into the maturity of characters who are no longer teenagers, it elevates the mood of the original series in several ways. It feels grounded and straightforward, at times even raw, in its portrayal of relationships. The film makes no effort to force a happy, innocent tone just for the sake of it. Instead, it forcefully drives home the point that the days of indecision are over, and an adult life of tough choices and painful regrets now awaits them. The soundtrack is equally impactful, heightening a dramatic undertone that stands in stark contrast to the original series. A couple of tracks indeed, instantly reminded me of Maison Ikkoku, an excellent slice of life anime often compared to this one (despite some key differences I noted in my review of the original series).  For these reasons, I highly appreciated the film, even if it felt a bit too short. It delivers the exact leap in quality that, in my opinion, could have benefited the entire franchise. I often found myself thinking that the original series would have been far more compelling had the characters been older from the very beginning, much like in Maison Ikkoku. This would have possibly avoided the persistent innocence that occasionally stalled the plot, a flaw only worsened by the excessive number of filler episodes many viewers complain about. It goes without saying that this movie only makes sense if you have already watched the original series. That being said, I found it to be a very good film. Despite its brief runtime, it clearly showcases the director's strong determination and better maturity not just to tack on another couple of hours to the story, as was the case with the OVA, but to truly give the entire saga a remarkable extra gear, for how much it is just a short lasting one. Thanks for reading!