“The Colors Within” is directed by Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice: The Movie, K-On!) and stars Akari Takaishi (Watashi no Ichiban Saiakuna Tomodachi, Baby Assassins), Sayu Suzukawa (Cool Doji Danshi, Falling high school girl and Irresponsible teacher), Taisei Kido (First Love, Yuria-sensei no Akai Ito), and Yui Aragaki (Digimon Data Squad, Mixed Doubles). This film centers around a girl named Totsuko. She is in a band and can see the colors of other people.

January has been a very slow month for me in terms of movies. Granted, it is typically a slow month for movies in general. There really is not a lot coming out this month that caught my genuine interest. Although “The Colors Within” was an exception. The concept sounded rather intriguing, particularly in regards to how the movie seems to handle its protagonist. While the protagonist’s life could be ordinary, their extraordinary trait certainly stood out to me, particularly their ability to see color. Or, more accurately, to see color in a way that most people do not. I think that could make for not only an interesting story, but one that is visually inviting.

As expected, the animation style for “The Colors Within” is pleasant to the naked eye. Is it the best I have ever seen? No. However, it is still a style that pops and maintains a consistent bright palette to it. It is a welcoming look considering the movie, despite having occasional drama, always maintains a sense of lightheartedness. By the end of this movie, I left with a smile, and part of it may have been due to looking at something that appeared rather heavenly at times.

Color-wise, the movie tends to live up to its name, but I have to be frank. If I were to judge “The Colors Within” by its cover so to speak, I have to say that the concept at times feels gimmicky. When the movie tells its audience about its main character’s ability to see color, it sounds intriguing. But I feel like the movie minimizes its chances to show such an aspect in a visually stunning manner. Granted, I enjoyed seeing our main character use her unique trait as a point of inspiration in making music. In fact, if I had to name a favorite part of the movie, it would be getting to see a few artists coming together to get creative. “The Colors Within” reminds me of “Sing Sing,” which, spoiler, I think is a better movie. It is a movie about a bunch of people expressing themselves through art, and how art lets people forget their troubles. Again, going back to the animation of the film, I do think it looks nice. But I think the film’s animation barely enhances the story. Looking back, it barely feels different than if I were to see something more traditional within the anime medium. Does the film effectively convey the protagonist’s “power” so to speak? You could say that, yes. But it really does not add much to the overall experience if you ask me.

The film also features a list of original songs, all of which are at minimum, fun to listen to. There is one in particular that is repeated during the film that became rather catchy by the end. Also, as a piece of music, it was nice to see this one song evolve from a simple idea to something much bigger. It reminds me of some of my own projects. There was a short film that I created in college that I thought of based on one of my own weird interests. I made it with a couple other people who had their own ideas that they built on top of it. It was amazing to see this small idea develop. Seeing Totsuko brainstorm her own song and have it come to life kind of reminded me of the process of creating my own art.

This film mainly revolves around three main characters. Totsuko, Kimi, and Rui. The three come together to make music. I love seeing them all in the same room. Not only do they come off as genuine friends, but seeing them together allows each one to unleash the deepest part of themselves. That is when they are most honest about how they feel, what is going on in their lives. It allows for some of the film’s most emotionally hypnotic scenes. We find out not only do they enjoy making music, but how such a passion interferes with their personal lives.

We find out Rui loves making music, but his family expects him to become a doctor and take the next step in the family business. I think a good amount of people can relate to Rui’s dilemma. Rui seems so concerned with impressing his parents that he is having trouble accepting what he really wants to do. I am all the more invested in a character knowing not only is he having fun doing what he is doing, but he is feeling perhaps the freest he has felt in his life.

Kimi also has a problem where if she were to be honest about it, she could end up disappointing her own family. We find out Kimi dropped out of school and has yet to tell her grandmother about it. The film’s characters seem to share the commonality of holding something back, hiding their true thoughts, and maybe not being their full selves. When we see them make music however, that changes. We see them at their happiest, their liveliest. That happiness leaps off the screen to the point where I too am smiling.

To be real with you, while most of the movie revolves around Totsuko, I admittedly found myself latching more to the supporting characters in terms of their backstory. I found their presence to be more compelling. This is not to say Totsuko is a horribly written character. I do not hate her. Again, I think the “colors” aspect was not as well established as it could have been. It had potential, but I do not think all of it was unleashed properly. But I think Totsuko is a pleasant center to the film as she sees her two bandmates flesh themselves out.

In the end, “The Colors Within” is just plain fun. It took me awhile to take the anime medium seriously as someone who watches a lot of movies. While I never outright hated it, it was always hard to find a gateway to watching more of it. I am glad watching films like “Belle” a few years back have opened my eyes because it has allowed me to seek out great projects like this. If you are a creative individual, I highly recommend this film. I will be real, 2025 is off to a crazy start between the Los Angeles wildfires, the political division, the recent plane and helicopter collision in Washington, DC… I said earlier that this film highlights art’s abilities to make you forget your troubles. I think there is a case to be made that while “The Colors Within” will not make your problems in life disappear, they will be left in the background for sometime. I left this movie feeling giddy, and excited to watch it again at some point. I think some of you reading this review will feel the same way if you were to seek this movie out. I already watched this film in the Japanese language, and I am eager to check out the English dub when I get the chance. I am going to give “The Colors Within” a 7/10.

“The Colors Within” is now playing in theaters. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next reviews are going to be for “Dog Man” and “Love Me.” Stay tuned! If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “The Colors Within?” What did you think about it? Or, what is a movie that you enjoy about artistic expression? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!