#Atsuko Ishizuka

[tales-from-the-frame]

Goodbye, DonGlees! by Atsuko Ishizuka (2022)

[moviemosaics]

Goodbye, Don Glees!

directed by Atsuko Ishizuka, 2022

[gottdeswill]

[sir-klauz]

toto mitarai in and out of crossdress can step on me he is such a goddess, smh to roma for taking the mick outta him bleaching his hair as well

[rookie-critic]

Goodbye, Don Glees! (2022, dir. Atsuko Ishizuka) - review by Rookie-Critic

Goodbye, Don Glees! really sneaked up on me. As you can probably tell, I've kind of made it a habit over the past year to go see anything and everything that even kind of interests me. So, when I saw ads for the very limited Fathom Events showing of this unassuming anime film, I just decided to go for it. No trailer, no plot synopsis, just a poster and a title, and I am so glad I did. Goodbye, Don Glees! follows three friends (Roma, Toto, and Drop, three incredibly anime names) during their first summer as high schoolers. Through a few different misadventures, they find themselves trekking off into the deep woods surrounding their rural Japanese hometown to find a drone that flew way off course. Now, a drone isn't a dead body, and there are only three of them, but you can tell this film is heavily inspired by Stand by Me and other childhood adventure films of that time period, and it wears those inspirations well. The first half of the film is entertaining and fun, and sets up its trio of protagonists slowly. Letting their interactions do the talking, and allowing the interpersonal relationships between all three kids to build up their characters and backstories naturally and evenly.

There is a fairly predictable plot point in the movie that seems like something that normally would have been kept more secret until the third act of any other movie, but by the time all the puzzle pieces start to slide into place you hardly care about how predictable or unsurprising anything is because you realize that isn't really important. The point was never the reveal, but what that specific thing means to the character it's pertinent to, and how that in turn affects his companions. This film is emotionally vulnerable, and finds ways to tug at your heartstrings in the third act that, while you may have seen coming, still hit you like a freight train when the needle finally drops, and I will admit to crying a good amount in the film's final moments. I feel a little bad devoting so little text to this review while my review for a film like Clerks III reads like a research paper, but I had a lot of different and complicated thoughts on Clerks. That's not to say that Goodbye, Don Glees! isn't a film worthy of deep critical analysis, but the thing is this; falling in love with Goodbye, Don Glees! was easy. The humor worked, the emotional parts worked, the characters worked, everything about this film simply just worked. It's an amazingly moving film that currently sits as my favorite animated film of 2022, and it has set the bar pretty damn high.

Score: 10/10

Currently available to rent or purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.) and to pre-order on DVD & Blu-ray through Shout Factory.

[newsintheshell]

Altro acquisto d'eccezione per Anime Factory, che presto porterà in Italia anche GOODBYE, DONGLEES!

L'originale film d’animazione targato studio MADHOUSE (Overlord, Police in a Pod), uscito in Giappone lo scorso febbraio, è scritto e diretto da Atsuko Ishizuka, che nel 2018 ci ha regalato quel piccolo gioiello di A PLACE FURTHER THAN THE UNIVERSE. 

Se volete recuperarvi la serie tv, la potete trovare sottotitolata in streaming su Crunchyroll. 

[cultfaction]

Preview- Goodbye, Don Glees! (Bluray)

Preview- Goodbye, Don Glees! (Bluray)

Teen misfits Roma, Toto, and Drop call themselves the “Don Glees,” an informal name for their backyard adventures. One day, when the trio gets blamed for a nearby forest fire, they set off into the woods to prove their innocence. As disaster strikes their expedition, tensions flare between the friends as they realize that growing up has taken them on wildly different paths in life. Director…

[otakunoculture]

No Need To Cry. Goodbye, Don Glees! You're Still Alive After Fantasia 2022

No Need To Cry. Goodbye, Don Glees! You’re Still Alive After Fantasia 2022

GKIDS Screened at Anime Expo and Fantasia 2022 Coming to theatres this Fall! If the title of Madhouse’s latest animated film isn’t too telling, then what we learn from Goodbye, Don Glees! (グッバイ、ドン・グリーズ!) is that we should never let life pass you by. This heartwarming and sentimental film about two boys—Rōma (Natsuki Hanae) and Toto (Yûki Kaji)—enjoying the dog days of summer isn’t too…

[arbitrarygreay]

Anime Elitism Superbowl

Comments/musings on the bracket 11 watched, 5 partially watched. Giving half-points for the partials, that's 42% completion. There are a fair number of those that I don't intend to watch, though. In the bracket, there are 2 Ikuharas, 2 Shafts, 3 Yuasas, 2 Dezakis, 5 Gainax. The only eligible Kon. No Urobuchi, no KyoAni/Yamada, no Tachikawa, no Watanabe (1 Manglobe), no Okada, no Trigger, no ufotable, possibly no Brains Base? Do you even auteur theory bruh 7 from Madhouse! One thing, though, that stood out, was how some of these did have lower-brow appeal. SZS, Monogatari, and most of the Gainax stuff had plenty of otaku stuff and arguably moeshit. The likes of SZS, Monogatari, FLCL, and NHK certainly directly commented on otaku sexuality a lot. I guess there is still a sizeable "I like these shows in the correct elitist way unlike the small-brain plebs" fanbase for all of these. Gankutsuou stands out as like the only fujoshit. Rakugo would qualify on content, but not so much on audience reception. And now kvetching over how this bracket is still basic as all get-out! From my "your elitism is basic" list, only two entries are in this bracket! Only 10 in this bracket appeared in the top 32 eligible entries of 2013 Animetacritic. Only 3 in this bracket aired after 2013. There's no Yamamoto Sayo, Matsumoto Rie, or Ishizuka Atsuko (nor aforementioned Yamada Naoko or Okada Mari), so this bracket CERTIFIED PROBUHLEIMATEEKAY!!!1!11!

[beneaththetangles]

Review: Goodbye, Don Glees!

If the world ended tomorrow, would you have any regrets?

Well, yes, plenty—so thinks Roma, a shy, farmer’s son who let the girl of his dreams slip away. His best friend, Toto, seems to feel the same way despite moving to the big city for school and attaining high achievements. The one asking the question is Drop, the newest and youngest member of “Don Glees”, as they call their group of misfits. You see, Drop is seeking a treasure—”something irreplaceable that will give your life a happy ending.”

A group of unlikely friends becoming heroes or finding “treasure” isn’t at all unusual in anime, but there’s something unique about Goodbye, Don Glees, the latest Madhouse production to be released in the U.S. by GKIDS. What makes it more than just another boy’s adventure story is how unusual, winding, and thoughtful their journey is, at once loud and full of sentiment, and yet often quiet, exuding an authenticity that is recognizable to anyone who has come of age, while speaking particularly to the adventurous and tender hearts of adolescent boys.

Another distinctive feature of the film is that it begins after the boys’ club has basically fallen apart. Toto returns for the summer after a year away, during which he has seemingly matured beyond Don Glees. Meanwhile, Roma’s love interest has moved away and he’s faced an entire year of ridicule from classmates without his ally Toto. Drop is a brand-new addition, and quickly becomes the subject of Toto’s scorn.

Things get worse when the boys are blamed for a forest fire that erupts during a fireworks celebration. To clear their names, they go on an expedition to find a drone that filmed the fireworks and presumably shows that they weren’t involved in the fire. And thus begins the trio’s adventure, one that certainly challenges the boys physically, but more significantly, leads them to face the reality that they are growing up—and that they may have to say goodbye to Don Glees, in whatever ways that may mean.

Director Atsuko Ishizuka’s first original feature film shares core themes and a great many other qualities with her acclaimed series, A Place Further Than the Universe. While the film inverts the series in some ways, with boys instead of girls and journeys in the northern hemisphere rather than the southern, the two works feature the same mix of loud and humorous energy with moments of contemplative quietness, and a character whose secretive nature isn’t fully revealed until near the end.

These similarities are mostly a good thing. Ishizuka imbues her characters with youthful and even obnoxious energy and quirkiness, but also shows them often worrying; they are between worlds, no longer children but not yet adults. Through this journey, Roma, Toto, and Drop are learning about themselves while revealing sometimes uneasy truths to one another.

Unfortunately, Ishizuka doesn’t have a full season to develop her characters and their relationships. We as viewers are asked to buy into their bond in just an hour or so of the 90-minute film’s screentime; indeed we must if we’re to be fully invested in a powerful ending. However, the scenes move a bit too fast, often feeling like they’re cobbled together rather than flowing naturally.

Even so, although it is a bit clunky, the film reminded me of taking similar (albeit shorter) journeys as a teenager, exploring my world like Don Glees and even getting lost while searching for a waterfall! And in recalling these trips, I remembered that it doesn’t take much time for young men to bond during a physically demanding and emotional excursion, especially at that age.

I’m less likely, though, to give a pass to the magic realism of the film. Dream-like fantasy sequences are inserted into the story and play a major role in the movie’s resolution, but they ultimately feel out of place. I wanted to be convinced by what these elements represent by the end of the journey, but it didn’t happen. If there’s one thing I can criticize A Place Further Than the Universe about, it’s that Ishizuka goes for an emotional ending and doesn’t quite stick it, and it’s the same with Goodbye, Don Glees.

I was also taken out of the moment time and time again by the film’s music. Taking a cue from Makoto Shinkai’s partnership with Radwimps, this film—like so many other recent ones—features similar smooth, pleading anthems, which I typically enjoy, but Goodbye, Don Glees does something unexpected with the music by employing English lyrics. Though not inherently a problem, these specific lyrics are too simple and obvious, almost acting as a narration of exactly what’s happening on screen. They come across as elementary for English audiences.

The animation, too, is sometimes distracting. While Madhouse animates the film gorgeously, particularly when showing depth in the scenery, there’s a weird juxtaposition that happens as the movie flips back and forth between CGI and 2D animation, especially near the conclusion. Like the music and use of fantastical elements, this choice throws off the very scenes in the film that would otherwise be most powerful.

Despite these stumbles, Goodbye, Don Glees still presents a meaningful story through the eyes of its characters, particularly Roma. He (and all three boys) have more depth and authenticity to them than the typical “normal” or misfit kids of anime—their faults feel real, their growth is painful, and the results don’t come easy. They are seeking “treasure,” and yet they need plenty of help to recognize what that treasure is and how to find it.

In other words, Roma, Toto, and Drop are like all of us. The way they struggle to navigate the central question of the film rings true. And as a result, Goodbye, Don Glees ultimately succeeds in engaging us as viewers in that question too: If the world ended tomorrow, would you have any regrets?

A profound question to consider for just another boy’s adventure movie.

=====

Goodbye Don Glees is being shown theatrically on September 14th, 18th, and 20th. The film is released by GKIDS.

[tales-from-the-frame]

Goodbye, DonGlees! by Atsuko Ishizuka (2022)

Little red main character

[tctmp]

Animation  Adventure  Drama

[gonagaiworld]

Anime Factory distribuirà il film anime Goodbye, Don Glees! Il film della regista Atsuko Ishizuka è uscito in Giappone il 18 febbraio 2022. Info:--> https://www.gonagaiworld.com/anime-factory-distribuira-il-film-anime-goodbye-don-glees/?feed_id=334117&_unique_id=63bd41e619428 #AnimeFactory #AtsukoIshizuka #GoodbyeDonGlees #Madhouse

[rookie-critic]

Rookie-Critic's Top 25 Films of 2022: #9: Goodbye, Don Glees! (dir. Atsuko Ishizuka)

Childhood adventure, specifically childhood summer adventure, is magical. Some of my fondest memories from my childhood are of my friends and I running around the neighborhood. Sometimes with a mission, sometimes doing absolutely nothing at all, but regardless of intent, we were together and we were having fun. There is a mysticism to the finite nature of childhood summer that is inherently captivating, and its what makes films like Stand by Me and The Goonies work so well. Director Atsuko Ishizuka taps into that magical mysticism for Goodbye, Don Glees!, and puts a splash of her own emotionally resonant flair in there to round it out. Roma, Drop, and Toto (man, you gotta love those anime protagonist names) feel like boys you knew growing up, maybe you even were one of them. They just feel so full of life and wonder. You've got the one that's game for anything and everything, you've got the sensible one, that wants to fight the one that's game, but secretly enjoys the shenanigans, as well. Their motivations and reactions feel tactile and lifelike, and it causes the film to really stand out in the realm of modern anime, which often present their characters as so outlandish that, while cool, can make it hard to find an in or something to emotionally latch on to. All of these qualities make the film fun and provides a cast of characters and a setting that's easy to fall in love with, but what really sets Don Glees apart is a third act that whips you so hard with emotion and amazement it'll make your head spin. This is a film that, while still possibly more about the journey than the destination, makes the destination just as much a part of the journey as everything leading up to it, and leaves you sobbing with a payoff that is so worth it, any minor faults I had with the film prior to it's end just disintegrated before my eyes. This is one that I will be gladly and enthusiastically recommending to anyone and everyone for a good long while, and I'm so happy I took a chance on it.

Currently available to rent/purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.) and on Blu-ray & DVD through Shout Factory & GKids (a disc of which I am a proud owner of).

You can read my original review of Goodbye, Don Glees! here.

[animeeveryday]

A Place Further than the Universe is a hit anime series released in 2018. The anime, which also has a manga adaptation written by Yorimoi, has original content. The anime, directed by Atsuko Ishizuka, was created by the famous Japanese anime studio Madhouse. Madhouse, who has actively brought manga and original stories to life since the early 2000s, is also known for animations such as No Guns Life and Boogiepop and Others in recent years. The studio has also proven itself by serving in anime such as Monster, Nana, Death Note, and One Punch Man. Licensed by Crunchyroll, A Place Further than the Universe, originally aired on AT-X, Tokyo MX, BS11, MBS channels from January 2, 2018, to March 27, 2018. After the first season, which consists of 13 episodes in total, fans wonder if there will be a second season. So, are there any signals for a new season after three years?1 What is the plotline of the anime?2 Will there be a second season of A Place Further than the Universe?2.1 Source material adequacy (Light novel & Manga)2.2 BluRay and DVD sales of the anime2.3 The general conclusion for the second season possibility3 When is the second season of the anime?What is the plotline of the anime?Shirase wants to go to the north pole even though she is in high school because her mother is lost in her mission to the north pole. But there are many obstacles, such as financial reasons. Mari is a little bored because she can’t find a youthful excitement for her. Mari finds the money that Shirase dropped on the road one day, and the next day she gives it to her at school. Thus, Mari becomes partners in Shirase’s dream of the north pole. Finding the youthful excitement she was looking for, Mari also wants to go to the north pole. In this process, they meet Hinata and Yuzuki, who will join them, so our group that will go on the north pole adventure is formed.The Picture: @Crunchyroll Collection / YouTubeSora yori mo Tooi Basho is a production with lots of youth excitement and friendship. But mostly on devotion. Because the task girls are trying to accomplish is not easy at all. But to achieve this, they are doing their best to overcome the obstacles that stand in their way. Their efforts to go to the North Pole, what happened to them after they left, and of course Shirase’s magnificent final scene…Will there be a second season of A Place Further than the Universe?As of August 2021, Madhouse or any related company has yet to renew the series for a second season. The first season of the anime aired in the spring of 2018, and we haven’t seen an OVA or a new season since. No official confirmation has been received for the second season so far. It can take years for anime to renew for a new season. However, it is possible to speculate on the second season based on some main factors.Source material adequacy (Light novel & Manga)As we mentioned before, anime has original content, and it is not adapted from any written work. The series has a manga adaptation written by Yorimoi, but it promises readers no more than the anime as a story. Therefore, if there is a second season, it will still have original content. If the producers want a script to be prepared for a second or third season, there is no obstacle based on source material adequacy.BluRay and DVD sales of the animeBluRay and DVD sales are essential things in the financial evaluation of the production. Generally, anime is expected to sell 4,000 discs to get a second season approval. If it stays below this figure, it is difficult to take a risk for a new season. Disc sales for A Place Further than the Universe were far above that threshold. In total, four volumes were sold, and on average, more than 10,000 discs were sold. In terms of disc sales, the anime is very promising for a second season.The general conclusion for the second season possibilitySo far, everything seems optimistic for the second season. However, one thing that should not be missed is how the story can continue. It seems like at the end of the first season, and everyone saw the story complete. After this stage, a second season cannot promise much to the audience. Obviously, this production was considered a single season, but perhaps it was not expected to be so popular. It has good views in Japan, if not all over the world.Despite all this, there is a strong audience waiting for the second season. After the series was re-aired on AT-X in Japan, searches for the second season on Google have increased since March 2020. In the last months, we see an increase again. At the end of the first season, we don’t think the creators had the idea for a second season, but financial returns and growing popularity could get them to create a second season.Searches on GoogleWhen is the second season of the anime?There is no confirmation yet for a second season of the series. However, as a result of the above assessment, we see the probability of a second season as 60%. Disc sales are well above average anime disc sales. Even if not on the plan, creators can take action for a second season. Also, because it is original content, the stock material adequacy will not be an obstacle. However, there is no renewal yet, and a construction period will be required. Considering the production time, if the anime is renewed for a new season, we can see a new season at the beginning of 2022.