I never had a chance to see Rascal Does Not Dream Of A Dreaming Girl, while it was in theaters this past fall. It was only shown for a few nights. However, this past weekend I was able to see it, thanks to Funimation making it available, for streaming just this past weekend only on Funimation Now. So, what did I think of Rascal Does Not Dream Of A Dreaming Girl? Here’s my impressions.
Have You Watched The Anime?
This movie follows the first season of Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai, or as it is known in Japan “Seishun Buta Yaro, and even shorter as “Aobuta.” This is a 13 episode series and I actually have not seen it yet! Let me know, in the comments below, if you’ve seen it and your impressions of the anime.
The anime series, surrounds a boy with a bad reputation, Sakuta, who meets a child/teenage actress, Mai, who is on hiatus from acting. Not everyone can see Mai, and this phenomenon is called “Adolescence Syndrome.” While getting to know Mai, and meeting other girls with this syndrome, Sakuta decides to solve the mystery of it all.
It’s an interesting premiss and one that had me confused a little when I began watching the movie, because as I’ve mentioned I had not seen the series, which I have begun to remedy, having watched episode 1 after watching the movie.
The Dreaming Girl
The movie seems to follow along with the plot of the show, and reveals some unseen plot twists. The dreaming girl is Shoko, who is a young elementary girl with a disease. Her heart is weakened and does not have long to live without a donor. She also is a victim of Adolescence Syndome. Whereas Mai could not be seen by most people, Shoko seems to have an older self appear at times.
Shoko, hospital bound at this point, and Sakuta have a close bond and later we find they have a closer bond than thought. Mai, her syndrome apparently solved, is back to her acting career and a college student. Mai a bit jealous of Shoko in regards to Sakuta and keeps a close watch on the older Shoko.
I won’t go into too much detail about the plot, because knowing me I’ll say too much and spoil something.
The Character Designs and Animation
I love the animation and especially the character designs. Everything is top notch here. Cloverworks, under the direction of Soichi Masui have done a wonderful job.
All of the female characters are cute and likeable, but not over the top at all. The male characters are designed well and appear to be believable and reliable.
The backgrounds and surrounding world are also done well. They are nothing like what you’d find in Makoto Shinkai’s works, but no one compares to those!
Are The Voice Actors Believable?
For the most part, the voice acting was very well done from what I could tell with my ears. I felt the voices used for each character fit that characters personality, or was it the voice acting that made the personalities? It’s always hard to tell.
When there was anger or sadness you could feel it. When the scene was cute or comedic, you giggled or laughed. And when a discussion was tense, you knew it.
For me, when it comes to sibtitled, or dubbed, I generally prefer dubbed, as it allows me to get more immesered in the show. When I’m reading subtitles, I usually do not get invested in the show as much. That is partly because I will pause to make sure I did not miss anything or misread something.
However, I will say the subtitles and localization were excellent.
My Impressions Were Positive!
Even though I was confused with what was going on in the beginning, mainly because I did not know the story or watch the 1st season of the anime, I did really enjoy the movie. Quite a bit actually. I’ve begun watching the series now, even though I have a rough idea how things play out now.
This movie does get emotional, so expect a few, or alot, of tears. But, it also has it’s lighthearted and comedic moments too. Also, it has a few intense and surprising moments that will have your jaw drop I think.
If you plan to watch this movie, I really do suggest watching the series first! That way you will follow along right from the beginning! You can stream the series on Funimation, Crunchyroll, or Hulu. Or if you want to own it for yourself you can find the blurays here.
I think the majority of you will really like this movie just like I did!!! Enjoy!