An Interesting Blend: Hirune Hime: Shiranai Watashi no Monogatari

Synopsis

Kokone is a simple high school girl who is making plans to enter into a university in Tokyo yet seems to have trouble staying awake. When asleep she dreams of another world with war machines and a possible secret to her family’s past. But while she deals with her strange dreams, it seems her father has his own problems and it all centers into his past and a single tablet.

The Good
When reading the premise, you would expect some sort of grand fantasy adventure with the world of dreams and reality somehow clashing with one another. Instead the film gives a heartfelt adventure story mixed in with a family story that takes on the different ways two men have coped with the loss of a loved one. From the way that the plot began with a fairy tale like story to a family tale, the overall structure of the plot was just highly interesting.

What made the plot work so well though was how smooth the art and animation was. Whether it be the little details that was placed in the background or the way that the vehicles and mechanics work, the film gave a great visual show. Then there is also the way that the dreams and reality shifted from one to the other, which added a nice touch to it. Overall the art and animation truly helped in making the film.

The biggest highlight for this writer however is towards the end of the film and after see Kokone with her father and grandfather. And that is being able to see a glimpse into the actual story between Kokone’s parents and how they fell in love.

The Bad

There was an interesting execution in terms of plot, but in terms of its presentation of the villain? While comical, did not turn out all that well. For the most part it was understandable on how he was portrayed given the film was almost laid out like a fairy tale. At the same time however, the degree of subtlety that was placed in connecting the dream world and real world could have been extended to the portrayal of the villain as well.

When looking at the entirety of the film, there were quite a few moments that toed the line of wackiness for humor. One example is when Kokone goes to retrieve the tablet and Joy from Watanabe or when she is hiding from him at her home. More than toeing the line of wackiness there is also the general reactions of the characters to certain, one way to describe it would be rather blase and far too accepting of things.

Generally there are just a few holes in the story such as how exactly Kokone’s dreams work or how exactly does it connect to the real world outside of showing an alternate storytelling of her parent’s story.

Conclusion

In terms of being a fantasy and family story it great. However, it can’t be denied that there is one or two holes to be found in the story, especially on the aspect of Kokone’s dreams. The film could have done much better in terms of its comedy and overall structure but the end result of the film was a rather heartwarming story. If not for the story, a viewer can easily enjoy the film for its art and animation.

Rating: 7.5/10