Following her excellent work in the “Blue Literature” and “A Place Further than the Universe” series, it was about time for Atsuko Ishizuka to direct and pen a movie of her own, with “Goodbye Don Glees” being her first effort with both capacities. Animated by one of the top anime studios at the moment, Madhouse, and featuring an approach that moves somewhere between Miyazaki and “Stand By Me”, “Goodbye Don Glees” is definitely an interesting anime
Goodbye Don Glees is screening at Camera Japan
The story revolves around three boys. Roma is a farmer's son who is considered the bottom of his class's hierarchy, at least to the majority of his classmates, “because he smells of manure”. The only kid who seems fond of him is his best friend Toto, with the two actually being a “gang” calling themselves Don Glees and spending much time in their secret hideout in the forest. As the events of the main arc begin, Toto has just returned from a trip to Tokyo, with his parents forcing him to study more and more in order to become a doctor. Eventually they are joined by another misfit, Drop, who seems to be much younger but is actually of the same age, and is definitely the most enthusiastic young man they have ever met, despite the fact that he also seems to harbor a secret that torments him.
The Don Glees tend to have a fireworks festival on their own, and this time they have even bought a drone to record the whole thing. Alas, when the drone is carried by the wind, and a fire breaks in the nearby forest, they are accused of setting it on. In order to prove their innocence they begin a journey into the forest, in order to find their drone, which they believe has recorded evidence that will exonerate them. The trip, however, proves much more eventful than they actually anticipated and the appearance of a bear is just the beginning.
Atsuko Ishizuka directs essentially a coming-of-age film, focusing on three kids whose differences and common experiences force them to mature, with their adventure in the forest being the main medium of this approach. At the same time, themes regarding racism, the differences between the rich and the poor, and the way gossip works in small societies are also commented upon as much as how human intervention can harm nature intently.
At the same time, the movie is split into two parts, with the presence of the phone booth (a bit before actually) providing the dichotomy into a completely different setting, as sci-fi elements and some aspects of melodrama are also introduced. This however, is where the most major issue with the movie lies, with Ishizuka seeming to have an idea in her head that did not fit into the length of a feature (or would be better suited for a series if you prefer) resulting in a last part which feels forced and rushed, despite the fact that it is also the most crucial one in the story. The result is that the narrative as a whole does not work so well, despite the fact that the switching dynamics of the three and the well placed moments of comedy actually carry the movie for the majority of its duration, along with the aforementioned comments.
On the other hand, as expected from Madhouse, the animation is truly top notch, exceptionally highlighting Ayano Okamoto's art direction and Takahiro Yoshimatsu's character design, both of which are on a very high level. The prowess becomes rather evident in the attention to detail of the many different settings, with the village, the school, the tent, the forest and eventually Iceland presented in astonishing fashion, as much as the way the three protagonists react and interact in them, in the various adventures they face. The facial exaggeration is quite toned down here, in a definite tick in the pros column, and the combination of realism with sci-fi elements is definitely well handled. Lastly, the overall depiction of the phone booth is definitely a highlight for the whole film.
Atsuko Ishizuka seems like an artist that has what it takes to move to the top of the movie industry considering her ideas, if, however, she manages to improve her writing, and particularly to adapt her ideas to the more condensed form of the feature movie.
