Reviews for Modern Love Tokyo: He's Playing Our Song

This is one of those "Niche and heavily underrated anime film for 2022". I have watched this anime movie last year when it was still not yet available via MAL. It premiered via Amazon Prime. This anime is the inspired adaptation/based off a Japanese Drama with the same name and have launched in the same year. Certainly this had caught me off guard on how good the story and the presentation. The good thing about the film? it has that happy ending. The anime is about a woman (Tamami) who is struggling in her adult life. While drinking in a bar she then hears a rock songthat she used to listen in her youth. During her younger years, she met Rin (an aloft guy that plays piano alone in the school gym). The film is the retelling of their past and what happens after they met in the present day.

The animation is unique but you can never really say "its one of its own". However, it has done a great job on that department.

The only downside I felt worth mentioning is the "length" of the movie. For 30 minutes, I felt like this should have been 1 hour to fully flesh out the story. Rather it felt rushed and some plot holes left unexplained. Nonetheless there is nothing that made me feel like confused.

If you really wanted a good romance anime film - this is certainly a good recommendation.

Minor spoilers ahead. Modern Love Tokyo tells the story of a 32 yo office clerk that lives frustrated with her job and the lack of meaning in her life. She drowns her sorrows in alcohol and doesn't really know herself. One night after finishing her work day, she seats at her usual bar when a specific song comes on the record player and she is immediately transported to her high school days. This is the story of the protagonist's self (re)discovery, as she remembers her past love and her dreams of becoming an artist and doing something meaningful with her life. Although this short is only 30 minuteslong, there was a nice development of the protagonist and we get to know her qualities, flaws, wishes and fears. She is an introverted yet rather interesting woman with some hidden talents and she actually comes to believe in herself and put those talents to good use. As for her love interest, his love for her is portrayed as always being there and he wants her to be happy.

The soundtrack is also really good, especially the songs played on the piano. It complements the plot in a nice way.

As for the art, it uses a very light style with smooth colors and clean lines, very pleasing to the eye. The animation is also excellent with almost movie-like quality.

All in all, this was an heartwarming slow-burning romance and I recommend it to everyone that enjoys light movies.

In all my years of watching anime, I have never thought of the possibility of stumbling upon an anime movie which is 30 minutes long. What's more startling, is the fact that even a 30-minute movie could be one of the best movies one has ever seen. The way anyone can easily relate to the protagonist and the way the characters' feelings were portrayed completely drew me in. Their moments together were so short yet so sweet, and the way they disappeared from each others' lives was simply heartbreaking- and felt very real. But even after such a long time apart, they were reunited, andall it took was a tiny little bit of courage. Just that. It is magnificent how a tiny step forward can slowly but surely, take you as far as your heart desires.

And the soundtracks- oh the MUSIC. It isn't hard at all to imagine myself listening to that song and crying. Last but not least, I absolutely adored the animation. The animation was amazing and so were those little illustrations, intricately designed and simply beautiful. All in all, I think it was a wonderful anime movie, and I believe it will be worth your time.

This was a really nice watch overall, the somewhat melancholic story is good with nice to look at - if fairly generic - animation. Naoko Yamada is back to a very familiar 'modern / high school with socially awkward characters' with a relatively straightforward story and a minimal set of characters - which is where I believe her strengths as a director lie, as results have been a lot more mixed Very conventional and takes no risks, although as I believe it's based on an existing story, scope to do so is probably limited in this regard. Avoids trying to juggle complex narratives, and an over-relianceon melodrama, tonal shifts and cliches which has been present in her work at times - notably The Heike Story.

In short: a simple story, that although plays to Yamada's strengths as a director, results in a very good - if amazingly under-watched - piece of work.

I'm really glad I took the time to watch this anime. It’s a charming and cozy experience, packed with heartwarming moments and delightful music, making it one of the most enjoyable 30 minutes I’ve had all year. The art style is impressive for a short film, featuring a unique yet wonderfully appealing design that stands out. The music, simply put, is a perfect 10/10 and complements the story flawlessly. Speaking of the story, it’s a feel-good narrative that’s sure to bring a smile to your face. All in all, this is a wonderfully crafted short that’s well worth your time. I highly recommend giving it a watch!