A lot of people are knocking Wonderful Days because of it's fairly conventional story content. While I agree that it would of been a bolder choice to go for something a little more adventurous, and follow the examples set by writers such as Kazinori Ito (Ghost in the Shell, Avalon), you've got to remember that this film was a big risk because of it's budget. The story had to be kept straightforward in order to be appreciable to the largest possible audience. Korea basically wanted to put themselves firmly at the forefront of the anime market in terms of technology, and although wonderful days' plot feels a little basic, it really doesn't stop this film from striking a chord emotionally (helped by the incredible score), as well as wowing the viewer with it's technical brilliance.
I'd also like to mention that the film's background architecture and location shots are achieved primarily by shooting miniatures through a motion-control camera. An earlier review (think it was Mike M), mentions the "over" use of CGI, but never once concentrates on the miniature work that was used far more frequently than computer effects. Just thought I would mention this as the blending of the miniature models and cell animation is so well integrated that all the backgrounds could indeed be mistaken for CGI to the casual viewer. The only scenes that were 100% CG elements afaik were the Ecoban motorcycle scenes. It's really nice to see traditional anime-style mixed with CGI elements and also miniatures in such a perfect balance, and nothing ever looks out of place in Wonderful Days.
I loved Wonderful Days. It was genuinely beautiful to watch, had a fantastic epic score, and despite the simple story it still manages to hold the attention throughout. The production company (Tin House) really pulled out all the stops with the visuals, and I just hope this film does well in the global market. Hopefully then, we will start to see more high quality Korean anime with stronger plot and narrative. Great movie.
I'd also like to mention that the film's background architecture and location shots are achieved primarily by shooting miniatures through a motion-control camera. An earlier review (think it was Mike M), mentions the "over" use of CGI, but never once concentrates on the miniature work that was used far more frequently than computer effects. Just thought I would mention this as the blending of the miniature models and cell animation is so well integrated that all the backgrounds could indeed be mistaken for CGI to the casual viewer. The only scenes that were 100% CG elements afaik were the Ecoban motorcycle scenes. It's really nice to see traditional anime-style mixed with CGI elements and also miniatures in such a perfect balance, and nothing ever looks out of place in Wonderful Days.
I loved Wonderful Days. It was genuinely beautiful to watch, had a fantastic epic score, and despite the simple story it still manages to hold the attention throughout. The production company (Tin House) really pulled out all the stops with the visuals, and I just hope this film does well in the global market. Hopefully then, we will start to see more high quality Korean anime with stronger plot and narrative. Great movie.