The Colors Within
There’s a line in Naoko Yamada’s “The Colors Within” that really resonated with me. The main character is a young woman who’s going to a Catholic school. With a friend at the school who has dropped out, and another person they meet at a bookstore, she forms a band. At one point, she is talking to one of the sister’s at the school about a song she is writing. The sister says, “If the music celebrates the good, the beautiful, or the truthful, it could be considered a hymn.” The sister’s perspective on music speaks to the main character, and inspires her to create.
When I was in music history at Georgia State, one of the first places our studies started was with gregorian chants and masses. Music and faith has always been interconnected. Part of the reason that line I quoted earlier resonated with me is that it shows that there are people who find value in secular music as part of a religious life, but because it leads with the heart, and showcases beauty (or sorrow, which the sister also says could be akin to a hymn) in the world. The songs that all three characters write in this film, and will play at the end when they play at the school’s St. Valentine’s gathering, all reflect that value in their own ways. They may be rooted in the styles of contemporary music, but the emotions, and stories, and rooted in the respective spirituality of the characters. kensuke ushio’s music plays a central part to the story in “The Colors Within,” and it is an important one.
Yamada’s approach to form in this film is compelling. Her main character, Totsuko, has a condition which allows her to see the “colors” other people emit. As such, the look of the animation feels very distinctive. There’s a haziness to the overall look of the film that is lovely and evocative, like experience life through the perspective of someone who sees the film differently. She also uses rack focuses and editing techniques at times that make for a fascinating visual experience. We also have plenty of moments where the color in Totsuko’s experiences is hewed towards and pinks. At one point in the film, she tells Kimi- her friend- and Rui- the boy they meet at the book store- her gift, and what colors they give off. Rui asks what her color is- she does not know. In her visual style, Yamada seems to tell us.
This was just a beautiful film experience to watch. I find myself, at the end of 2024 (when I watched it) appreciating films about connection, celebrating art and creativity just a bit more than I have in the past. But Naoko Yamada’s film is one that would have resonated with me at any time, in any year. It captured my attention as an appreciator of film with its artistry, but it captured my heart with its story. Even if you are not a regular watcher of anime, this is worth checking out.
