色づく世界の明日から

IROZUKU SEKAI NO ASHITA KARA

ANIME

STATUS
COMPLETE
EPISODES
13
RELEASE
December 29, 2018
LENGTH
24 min

DESCRIPTION

Hitomi Tsukishiro may be the child of a family of witches, but after losing her ability to see color, she also lost her sense of magic. Nothing has been able to help her regain that gift — nothing until Hitomi’s grandmother, that is, sends Hitomi back in time to the year 2018! There Hitomi meets her grandmother’s younger self. She also discovers fascinating drawings of a young man named Yuito Aoi. The moment Hitomi lays eyes on his work, colors flood back into view. But why do his drawings have this effect on Hitomi, and for what purpose has her grandmother sent her so far back in time? As Hitomi’s feelings for Yuito grow, she finds herself poised on the cusp of personal transformation, color and magic returning as she blossoms into the young woman she’s meant to be.

(Source: Sentai Filmworks)

CAST

Hitomi Tsukishiro
Kaori Ishihara
Kohaku Tsukishiro
Kaede Hondo
Yuito Aoi
Shouya Chiba
Asagi Kazano
Kana Ichinose
Kurumi Kawai
Nao Touyama
Chigusa Fukazawa
Ayumu Murase
Shou Yamabuki
Seiji Maeda
Ruri Tsukishiro
Sayaka Oohara

EPISODES

Dubbed

| | |

Not available on crunchyroll

REVIEWS

OttoVonBismarck
80/100
Better than expected, though not a show for everybody.
The first time when I started watching anime, I was noting more than a 13 year old kid. The happiness and the excitement for the unknown was something that made so many of us so attached to this medium. As years went by and we all got older, we started to forget what was it about anime that made us skip a beat in anticipation for the next episode. While everybody is different and common opinions are not always the case, there is that one show that comes once in a long time that hits way too close to home. Some may like a show, some may completely dislike it, some may see it as mediocre while others will see it as the best thing ever. For me IRODUKU: The World in Colors was one of those shows in which I went in completely blind and came out with a bittersweet smile. If I were to describe this show in the simplest terms, it would go with something along the lines of ''teenage life, coming of age and magic mixed in for full effect''. This is not a show for everybody and the blandness of its initial episodes may drive off many people. But that's exactly it! This show doesn't try to go over the top and doesn't try to add in unnecessary drama to move the plot ahead. If you take away the magic and time traveling aspect of it, you're left with the lives of our group of friends as they try to deal with their teenage ordeals. Tough, the plot mostly orbits around our protagonist [ Hitomi](https://anilist.co/character/128075/Hitomi-Tsukishiro), the show takes short breaks to give some screen time to the other characters in the group. Unfortunately, none of them get enough development. They don't feel like blank states, they are somewhat relatable but at the end of the day they all feel like missed opportunities. For what is worth, P.A. Works tried hard enough to cram as much as possible into a small screen time of only 13 episodes. The only one that really got a fairer treatment was our protagonist's grandmother, [Kohaku](https://anilist.co/character/128077/Kohaku-Tsukishiro), which felt the most human from the whole show. As much as I wanted to like and emphasize with Hitomi, for me at least, she often felt bland and uninteresting. The main love interest, [Yuito](https://anilist.co/character/128080/Yuito-Aoi), was just a few centimeters more interesting than those dense ecchi protagonists. In this department, their relationship felt like a frustrating lost cause.
Spoiler about the ending:
The ending was undoubtedly a tearjerker. Though it felt rushed. Also all this buildup for a relationship that never came to be was also a big disappointment. I expected to at least have Yuito travel to the future with Hitomi and start a new life with her there, but no... screw you, viewer.
I didn't bother to research this series in detail, but I'm amazed they managed to pull off this show without any source material. The audio was meh-ok, but nothing to remember. You usually have at least the OP or ED songs that you listen to each episode, but in IRODUKO both are skippable. The visuals are surprisingly good, though not something I would call amazing. I don't even know if I should recommend this show or not because it highly depends on the personality of the viewer. It can either turn you off quickly or make you go to the flow, hoping to see what will happen next. For what is worth, it is an enjoyable and pretty chill watch for the weekend. I didn't expect anything when I started watching it and finished it decently satisfied.
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CaninnTurtle
81/100
While clearly gorgeous, Irozuku's mature character conflicts and charming atmosphere distinguish it from the rest.
Irozuku is a show that I added to my watch list the moment it got announced. Artistic, beautiful shows really work for me, so Irozuku seemed like a natural addition to my planning list. And as I came to see, my assumption was correct. Irozuku really stands out to me in the world of magical slice of life shows, just with the way certain themes and situations are written and examined. I don't think Irozuku is going to make any of my all time lists, but I certainly loved watching it and relating to certain character struggles. It's just an example of using the world and symbolism to create a compelling narrative, which reeled me in and had me hooked after the first episode.

I don't think telling you about how beautiful Irozuku is will do it any justice. It'll be far easier to just show you how incredible it looks.

Above is my personal favorite frame from all of Irozuku, but there is just so much beauty in this show that I have to show more.

There's a lot more I could say about the visuals of Irozuku, but I think it's time to move on to the audio. All of the music selections are lovely and fit the calm melancholy of the show quite nicely. The low key piano melodies are perfect support for the atmosphere that the show exudes. I liked the opening, maybe not as much as the ending, but it was still really solid. I quite like the ending, it's really intense and kind of sad, in a way. I've linked it here if you're interested.

Favorite Character: Hitomi Tsukishiro

I understand that Kohaku, or Granny as she is better known, was all the rage of this show, but I can't deny Hitomi my best girl award. Maybe it's the white hair, maybe its the cute girl aspect, I don't know. Hitomi just swooped in and stole my heart from the get-go. I think a lot of it has to do with the sympathy that I garnered for her so early on. I understand people finding her boring, but to me, I really empathized with her insecurity, which really aided my interest in her story. It was a pleasure watching her grow for twelve episodes, from a shy girl who barely talked or emoted in any way, to a quiet, yet kind and sociable girl. In my opinion, she really completed the best character arc of all the characters. Also, here's another frame from the show because why not?

Irozuku's atmosphere is most definitely the highlight of the show for me. It's so laid back and relaxing that you can't help but feel an odd attachment to the quaint little world that has come to life on the screen before you. There's far more to like about Irozuku though. The cast of characters and their interactions and conflicts are wonderfully mature, keeping you from the frustration of having to watch idiotic characters fail to communicate their feelings properly. It's really refreshing, actually watching a character man up and pursue the girl he likes, then accept his rejection like a proper adult. Honestly, I didn't even like that character, but respect.

There's a lot to like about Irozuku, but there's also some shortcomings that will be sure to keep the more casual viewer away. First off, it's not particularly engaging. There isn't some heavy overarching plot to Irozuku, unless you count the time travel aspect to be that. In my opinion, it's more of a plot device than a real story. You may as well consider Irozuku to be a pointless slice of life with magical themes because that leads me into my next point against it. That point would be the lack of resolution in the 'story'. There really isn't an ending. Hitomi just kinda returns to the present and nothing changes because of it, there's no conclusion for her romance or any of her relationships with her friends. Hell, there's no resolution for anyone. It makes the whole experience feel rather cheap, since we watched the club bond and go through bits of strife and moments of sweet victory. But there's nothing. It just....ends. Don't get me wrong, I still liked the show for what it was, but the lack of conclusion to any of the plot points besides who Hitomi's grandfather is rather disappointing.

Even for those negatives, I'd say that Irozuku is still very much worth the watch, even if just for the beautiful visuals and pleasant music. Even if you don't love the characters, or don't connect to a single one, you can still find some enjoyment in the group dynamic and themes that certain characters represent. I wouldn't stretch so far as to say that there's something for everyone, but there certainly is a lot to love in Irozuku, even if it isn't quite the heart-poundingly addictive show that it had the potential to be.
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bitchassdarius
60/100
Convoluted structures for a simple concept
The theme of transience is often expressed in Japanese culture as mono no aware. For the uninitiated, mono no aware is roughly translated as "the pathos of things," a Zen mood essential to several Japanese traditions, such as hanami (cherry blossom viewing). Both Ozu and Shinkai heavily transmit the concept, but one of my favourite examples of mono no aware in cinema is in Edward Yang's Yi Yi. There's a part in which NJ, the father of the Jian family on whom the film focuses, spends a whole 24 hours exploring Tokyo with his ex-lover during a business trip. They walk through a shrine, by the beach, on the streets, all the while catching each other up on their lives since they had last been together and, eventually, talking over their past romance, its dissolution, and the resulting emotional trauma. It's a brilliant illustration of mono no aware, as even though the two reflect on the past, they are portrayed in this time as their selves, in the current, in their respective lives, having grown apart. Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara attempts to arouse this same wistful projection of the past onto the moment of the now in a very strange, roundabout manner.

The premise of Irozuku is convoluted in the sense that it combines two frameworks, time traveling and school life, as a means to a telos not commonly seen in either. The two employ elements already at odds with each other. Time travel imbues a story with dramatic irony and direction by establishing an ending inherent in the beginning: the audience knows the time traveler must inevitably return to their timeline. School anime tend to be slice of life comedies, which is a genre known for being relaxed and intentionally aimless. Perhaps, when watching Irozuku, you might wonder: "Where is this going?" For most of its run, the show does indeed feel directionless, to the point where the thematic components seem haphazardly stitched together, but by the final episode, it's made apparent that the colour motif, the magical time travel setup, and the aimless pacing all serve a purpose.

Colours, or the concept of, are undoubtedly the selling point of the show as they are the root of Hitomi's internal conflict. With such seemingly obvious symbolism, the gut reaction is immediately to decode it. However, Irozuku is a little shrewd, and the most obvious readings (depression, emotions, love, etc.) are red herrings on closer inspection. Colours don't really represent anything in particular; they serve as a visual cue to the audience that Hitomi is unable to experience, full stop. Her complete achromatopsia severs her from experiencing the phenomenon of the moment. She's so wrapped up in her own preconceptions of her relationships with others that she is unable to see colour (and by extension, she is also unable to produce magic, which is viewed in this universe as a means to help, and thereby connect with, other people). It's a dramatic manifestation of her psyche, but intelligible nonetheless. Theoretically, this show wouldn't have worked as a book, since the visual euphemism is so crucial. During scenes in which we see through Hitomi's eyes, the contrast of the vibrant palette against the monochromatic world enhances the exuberance of the moment by sucking the audience into the graphic instant.

The knowledge that Hitomi must return to the future by the end is kind of a wink to the audience about the ephemerality of youth. We know that Hitomi's time with the Magic Photography Arts Club is limited, which makes the experience much more somber. Yet she ultimately finds meaning in her time with the club, and the fruits of her time traveling emerge in the final episode in which she and her elderly grandmother Kohaku "reminisce" about their shared school days. This uncanny, almost bizarre scene conflates Hitomi's past and present self quite literally; the 60-year-old photos of Hitomi with the Magic Photography Arts Club are skimmed by present day Hitomi, who has only aged a couple of weeks since then. The juxtaposition of Kohaku's genuine nostalgia against Hitomi's newfound awareness for her own "present" evokes plaintive rumination in a manner suggestive of the mono no aware of the aforementioned scene from Yi Yi.

The endgame of catharsis you expect from a show like this isn't really the point, rather the point is that the individual moments matter even though you know there will eventually be an end to them, as youth is in fact fleeting. That's why the banal, slice of life events that actually happen in the show seem like they weren't "going anywhere": they weren't. The romances, the hangouts, the club affairs, none of it really matters in regard to building up to a narrative climax. What matters is that they actually happened so Hitomi had something to look back at sentimentally and feel like she truly enjoyed experiencing.

Unfortunately, the stories comprising Hitomi's experiences in the past aren't very engaging, or at the very least, I'm unable to recall most of them. There were a couple of memorable moments, like the scene in which the club runs across a bridge in an attempt for a photo op with a night cruise, or even some of the mundane shots of some of the characters walking and talking against the streetlit night. But these glimpses into transient youth were few and far between. Most of the vignettes were too goal-oriented and relied too much on tired school cliches, which is a poor decision when the bulk of the narrative relies on such moments. Maybe Irozuku's aimlessness would have felt more justified had it more moments of genuine humanity.
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