The Colors Within

If you could see your own colour, what kind of colour would it be? For Totsuko, a vivid and religious high school student, this question lingers in her mind as she navigates life at her Catholic boarding school. Gifted with the ability to see the 'colours' of others, she is captivated by Kimi, a classmate whose blue colour is unparalleled. But when Kimi drops out of school, a chance encounter at a secondhand bookstore leads the two girls to form an inpromptu band with Rui, a reserved dreamer and theremin player whose mother expects him to become a doctor. As the trio practices in an old, abandoned church, their shared musical and emotional journey lets them find freedom, joy, and love.

In her first feature film for Science SARU, the anime studio known for the films of Masaaki Yuasa, director Naoko Yamada continues her lyrical exploration of youth. Reuniting with screenwriter Reiko Yoshida and composer Kensuke Ushio - with whom she made A Silent Voice and Liz and the Blue Bird - she crafts a musically inspired coming-of-age tale about the complex road to self-discovery. As in her previous work, Yamada favours a mix of realistic and impressionistic animations with gentle and detailed character designs.

The Colors Within is a contemplative portrait of adolescence, finding harmony in both music and friendship. As the final performance of Totsuko, Kimi and Rui crescendos into one of the year's most heartfelt third acts, Yamada leaves us with an afterthought - one that will echo long after the last note fades: what colour lives inside your heart?