Entertainment

Review: In ‘Fireworks,’ Second Chances, but No Magic

Marketed as a project from a producer of “Your Name” — Japan’s highest-grossing film of 2016 — “Fireworks,” as animé features go, plays more like a slot-filler than a movie destined to set the sky ablaze. (The movie credits two directors in different capacities: Akiyuki Shinbo as chief director and Nobuyuki Takeuchi as director.) Though the premise is taken from a live-action television film, the story seems well suited to the free-form possibilities of animation. The unrealized potential makes the rote line style and stagnant backdrops seem all the blander.

Posted Updated

By
Ben Kenigsberg
, New York Times

Marketed as a project from a producer of “Your Name” — Japan’s highest-grossing film of 2016 — “Fireworks,” as animé features go, plays more like a slot-filler than a movie destined to set the sky ablaze. (The movie credits two directors in different capacities: Akiyuki Shinbo as chief director and Nobuyuki Takeuchi as director.) Though the premise is taken from a live-action television film, the story seems well suited to the free-form possibilities of animation. The unrealized potential makes the rote line style and stagnant backdrops seem all the blander.

The plot is as old as junior high school: Two schoolboy friends, Norimichi (Masaki Suda) and Yusuke (Mamoru Miyano), have a crush on the same girl, Nazuna (Suzu Hirose). She asks Yusuke on a date but ends up spending time with Norimichi when Yusuke stands her up.

The pair’s time together is disrupted, though, and could never last long, anyway: Nazuna is about to move away. But at the beach, she has found a magic orb (described in the subtitled version as a ball, though it looks like a marble at first). Norimichi discovers that if he throws it and makes a wish, he can turn back time to earlier in the day to relive events with improved outcomes.

But “Fireworks” doesn’t turn into “Groundhog Day.” After a few second chances, the couple begin to appreciate the time they have and perhaps recognize the importance of perspective in defining how we see the world. Both morals are too trite to qualify as revelations.

“Fireworks”
Not rated. In Japanese, with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

Copyright 2024 New York Times News Service. All rights reserved.