Anime Review: Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko

Fortune Favors Girl Nikuko is a extremely distinctive movie as it’s one which I imagine can solely be instructed via the anime movie medium. Whereas the narrative being instructed isn’t a grandiose one, it’s one which’s intimately centered on its characters and, consequently, supplies a heartwarming viewing expertise. 

Nikuko & Kikuko

The movie begins with a narrative about its titular character Nikuko, a lady who sadly has not had a easy life as she’s been cheated by nearly each man she’s met and needed to transfer from one place to a different together with her daughter Kikuko. Kikuko is definitely named after her mom, who’s nicknamed Nikuo (“The Meat Girl”) as a result of her boisterous nature, large dimension, and her love for meat (therefore the “Niku” that means meat in her title). Her nearly too carefree nature usually embarrasses her younger daughter, who’s simply making an attempt to dwell a standard life in grade college. 

The movie intricately tells the story of the mother-daughter duo by displaying the essential moments of their lives, be it Nikuo’s checkered previous or the brand new experiences younger Kikuko lives via each day. No second within the movie feels ineffective or included for the sake of it, as every occasion we see them dwell via builds their character extra and varieties a novel bond with the viewers. 

Youth & Expertise 

Within the first half of the movie have been proven Kikuko’s day by day life as a standard grade-schooler. She offers with on a regular basis issues and experiences like coping with battle amongst classmates, combating and making up with buddies, and even discovering a brand new crush. These little moments reach highlighting the easy, harmless, but usually turbulent moments of youth. In a while, nonetheless, we’re then proven a contrasting story about Nikuo’s previous and the character surrounding Kikuko’s start which, in comparison with the sooner a part of the movie, tells a extra gritty, grownup, and uncooked story. It additionally shows an unlucky facet of maturity that some folks, particularly girls, sadly should dwell via. 

These tales are blended so effectively into the story regardless of its 90 minute screening time that you could’t assist however really feel drawn to the characters regardless of their easy nature, as the truth that they’re easy, extremely likable characters residing easy lives makes them that rather more endearing. The movie doesn’t characteristic any central narrative or fascinatingly deep plot, which admittedly could deter some filmgoers. Nonetheless, in the event you’re like me, you’ll discover the movie extremely pleasant because it supplies an intimate and entertaining story that simply enables you to flip your mind off for ninety minutes.

The Signature Manufacturing Type

One other ingredient of the movie that’s arguably its most engaging facet, if not its greatest facet, is the animation. Studio 4°C did a wonderful job presenting the attractive picturesque scenes of a windy ocean-locked island, with extremely detailed backgrounds and character designs paying homage to Ghibli movies (together with Ghibli references) due to character designer and supervising animation director Kenichi Konishi, who labored for the studio on The Story of Princess Kaguya, but the movie nonetheless has its their very own distinctive aesthetic. A core facet or ingredient within the studio’s movies is their near-obsession with water, which comes throughout fairly effectively on this movie. The animation of this ingredient, whereas not distinguished all through, at all times evokes a sense of serenity when displayed. The movie’s soundtrack additionally considerably provides to this sense as, once more, whereas used sparsely, efficiently provides to the expertise. 

The one facet of the movie that hinders the expertise is that some elements of the plot, which you’d count on to be wrapped up neatly on the finish, are left as much as the viewer’s interpretation, almost certainly as a result of time constraints on the movie. Whereas these ignored plot factors aren’t jarring sufficient to negatively have an effect on the viewing expertise, it’s price stating regardless. 

Remaining Ideas 

General, Fortune Favors Girl Nikuko, whereas not providing something distinctive when it comes to storytelling, continues to be a well-crafted, well-produced movie that evokes a myriad of emotions in its viewers that may comprise of nearly anybody of any age. 

Fortune Favors Girl Nikuko begins screening in theatres June 3. A screener of this movie was supplied by GKIDS for this assessment.

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