When you think of auras in anime, you think of the many Shonen shows from Dragon Ball to One Piece that have used the colorful auras to visualize the power of a character. However, the latest film from A Silent Voice director Naoko Yamada does not represent anyone’s aura as a sense of power, but as what does it say about one’s connection with someone else.
Written by Reiko Yoshida, The Colors Within centers on high school student Totsuko (Sayu Suzukawa), who has the ability to see people as colors, and is particularly fascinated with the color she sees in her classmate, Kimi (Akari Takaishi). Following a sequence in which she follows a cat, clearly lifted from Whisper of the Heart, Totsuko finds Kimi working in a used bookstore, where Totsuko accidentally implies she can play piano, leading to her joining a band with Kimi, who can play guitar, and Rui (Taisei Kido), a boy who collects musical equipment and plays the theremin.
There are countless anime about Japanese teenagers forming a band from Kids on the Slope to Bocchi the Rock!; even this film’s director and screenwriter worked on K-On!, one of the most acclaimed shows from this subgenre. In terms of its depiction of a young band, the way The Colors Within approaches their formation in a rather convoluted fashion with the three leads who might as well be strangers, despite the two girls briefly knowing each other at school. As much as you do see these three practicing their instruments whilst coming up with songs of their own, but the script is pulled in multiple directions to the point of meandering.
While there isn’t a drop of melodrama, each of the three leads are going through their own dilemma. Being the least conflicted of the trio, Totsuko who is defined more by her projective synesthesia and quirky personality, is torn between her duties in her Christian school and her newfound friendships through this band. However, Kimi is the most compelling in her internal conflict since she dropped out of school, but remains to keep it as a secret for her grandmother who is her only guardian. Through the perspective of these two girls, there is never an attempt to criticize religious faith. As for Rui, he has a similar situation as Kimi’s, but falls short with the lack of development towards his arc.
While the narrative as a whole struggles throughout a hundred-minute running time where it does drag, The Colors Within finds its strength through individual scenes. Known for their unconventional techniques on hand-drawn animation with a bold use of color, Science Saru makes every frame a thing of beauty, as well as bringing a touch of surrealism to visual Totsuko’s quirk, which pays off a huge way towards the end. Although Kensuke Ushio’s score is predominately piano melodies, the use of rock and electric music gives the film a lively energy, especially when Ushio does his own cover of Underworld’s “Born Slippy Nuxx”, which will delight those who were introduced to that song when watching Trainspotting.
