Life is filled with "Colorful"

"Colorful" as an Anime Movie

The story is: "Me" died and found himself on the other side. He met a spirit named Pura-Pura. It suddenly said: "Congratulations! You've won our lottery! You may be one who died with a great sin, but we're going to give you a second chance, you lucky soul!" 

Pura-Pura explained that "Me" has committed a great sin which he doesn't remember in his former life. It also said that his mission, back on a reincaneted life, is to find out what is his "sin and mistake" in his former life before his time limit. The outcome will determine whether or not he wil be given a real new life.

"Me" suddenly wakes up in the body of a 14-years old student named Makoto Kobayashi who committed suicide and miraculously brings him back to life. Pura-Pura gave "Me" a number of other lesser duties he must complete, such as understanding what led Makoto to commit suicide in the first place and learning how to enjoy his second chance at life.

Pura-Pura and Makoto

"Me"'s new life as Makoto's one was pretty easy at first, but then it became hard because "Me" understood why Makoto had chosen to commit suicide. He had struggled a lot of troubles and betrayals in his former life. For instance, Makoto's mother has an affair with a dancing teacher. Makoto's classmate Hiroka, whom he has deeply fancied, has engaged in prostitution to earn money to buy.

"Me" hated his second life soon as well as Makoto and forced to deal with the confusing eccentricities of his family and friends. However, he eventually begins to think about the true meaning behind this challenge...

"Colorful" as a Novel

"Colorful" is a sensitive, delicate story with storngly evoking messages: "A life is wonderful because it filled with many aspects such as delight, anger, sorrow and pleasure as well as colors" I storngly recommend you read the novel and watch the anime firm.

The director is Keiichi Hara, who directed series of anime movie of Crayon Shin-chan such as ”The Storm Called: The Adult Empire Strikes Back". It was screend in Japan on lat summer. I watched it with my family and got  a bitter feeling from a first half story. For instance, "Me" as Makoto was so hard against his mother not forgiving her love affair. I know her guilt was not good but my wife, daughter and me synchronized her sorrow. However, thank to its bitter first half, we felt comforted at the second half story and finally reached heart-warming move at the ending. 

According to Anime News Network, it was screened on last December in Lithuania, Anime Days OTAKA Film Festival. So I think the anime firm with English subtitle is screened somewhere. In fact I found its trailar with English sub on Youtube.