‘The Colors Within’ Review: Finding One’s Color In The Tapestry Of Life

The Colors Within is a beautiful animated movie that skilfully combines striking visuals, profound themes, and compelling characters. The film is directed by Naoko Yamada, who is well-known for her earlier critically-acclaimed works such as A Silent Voice and Liz and the Blue Bird, which demonstrates her talent for fusing such intimate story with stunning animation. Yamada’s talent is evident as she creates a story that is both familiar in its exploration of adolescence in its creative presentation, which ultimately leaves us to ponder on captivating and encouraging to consider our own lives. Read our The Colors Within review below.

The film tells the story about three students that turned into friends by forming a band; Rui (Taisei Kido), Kimi (Akari Takaishi), and Totsuko (Sayu Suzukawa), each of whom is symbolized by a distinct color scheme. The most remarkable aspect of this film is the delicate layer of deep themes underlying a mere simple narrative. On one hand, it tells the story of three friends learning how to tackle the problems of growing up and coming to terms with who they really are. On another, deeper level, it visually glimpses at the search for identity and belonging amidst an overwhelming world.

From the very first shot of the film, it is clear that The Colors Within gives its best strength to visual brilliance. It is an extraordinary feature of the animation that flows with such richness in movement and painstaking attention to detail in each frame. Besides being bright and adventurous, the colors used in the film are basically symbolic in that they set the emotional tone for each scene and reveal elements of the characters’ personalities. The vibrancy of the colors as they change to reflect the mood of the story was such a hallmark of the film’s visuals. It was really great how each color gives each character not just their personalities but also how they have to be blended with the world around them.

The color palette of each character in The Colors Within serves as a metaphor for how their personalities change throughout the movie. Rui’s green, Kimi’s blue, and Totsuko’s pink provide the story with a deeper level of meaning on the way these colors were incorporated into the animation, going beyond being mere simple aesthetic preferences.

While its artistic finesse cannot be denied, the film’s restrained treatment of the implied romance between Kimi and Totsuko is a little bit disappointing. Although the film gently implies queer overtones in the first few moments of the film, constructing scenes that likely suggest that their relationship could be more than just friendship by showing us intimate moments between the two as the exchange glances at each other or supporting one another. But instead of delving deeply into these possibilities, the film emphasizes the camaraderie between the three and highlights friendship as the central theme of its story.

Even though this choice greatly enhances the film in several ways, allowing the story to focus on the theme of self-discovery and how it’s expressed through the lenses of creativity and friendship, it would have been better to actually give the story a more profound experience with regard to same-sex attraction and queer subtext, especially in the complexity of identity and love in youth.

The film, on the other hand, makes up for its neglect in romance with a deep understanding of friendship. The genuine portrayal of friendship between Rui, Kimi, and Totsuko shows how they constantly complement each other and work together towards discovering their true selves. it could easily fall into typical romance territory, and I still like this refreshingly different story that acknowledges the depth of platonic relationships and how they can affect our identities and journeys.

Another noteworthy aspect of the film is its playful score and soundtrack, which skilfully blends soothing piano arrangements with whimsical lead guitar pieces to create a varied yet unified score that highlights the film’s emotional rhythms. The film’s soundtrack perfectly captures the film’s fluctuating emotions as it moves from introspective to exuberantly youthful sequences. I especially liked how they used music as a narrative device rather than just background filler. The three primary songs featured during the trio’s concert at the end of the film, namely, “Apology Letter,” “Walk,” and “Amen, I’m Going Somewhere” perfectly matched the personalities of the three main characters.

Green, the color of Rui, depicts creativeness and analytical thinking. “Apology Letter” reveals this side of Rui’s personality with introspection and a clear sense of responsibility. He writes this apology not just toward others but mostly toward himself because he has not been so vocal or transparent with those around him. The song “Walk” is about Kimi and her lovely shade of blue. The song’s lyrics emphasize the importance of taking matters one step at a time which perfectly captures her sensation of serenity with its mellow beat and gentle tunes that enables her to function as a mediator between her two friends. Lastly, Totsuko, who embodies the color pink, represents gentleness and care. The song “Amen, I’m Going Somewhere” serves as a perfect backdrop to powerfully portray growth and acceptance of the unknown. The song’s engaging and energetic bold tempo perfectly captures Totsuko’s optimism and expressiveness.

In the course of the film itself, you will come to realize that the creative lives of the three main characters defy the pressures of societal expectations upon them; be it from their family duties, the educational system, or societal norms such that their final performance serves as the end of their individual journeys, each song is a testamental statement of the growth they have undergone throughout the film. It is in the music where they can escape to be themselves outside of the overwhelming world.

The Colors Within impressed me with its stunning visuals and exploration of friendship, creativity, and self-discovery. The skillful combination of color, animation, and music elevates the narrative beyond the usual coming-of-age tale. The primary message of the film highlights that embracing your creativity can result in personal growth. The Colors Within is a celebration of finding your color in the tapestry of life, of learning to express yourself and connect with others through the beauty of art and camaraderie.

The Colors Within is directed by Naoko Yamada and is written by Reiko Yoshida. The film stars Sayu Suzukawa, Akari Takaishi, Taisei Kido, and more.

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