Anime: Ai no Utagoe o Kikasete

If you're one of those people that thinks you're going to have Terminator style robots wandering about doing your bidding and generally making your life a bed of roses then you'll like this. If you're one of those people that thinks wind farms and solar panels will save the planet then you'll like this. If you're one of those people that thinks machines are alive then you'll like this. If you're one of those people that thinks "AI" exists or will ever exist then you'll like this. In short, if you're one of those people that thinks man "walked on the moon" or that your computer "understands what you're saying" then you'll like this. On the other hand, if you're one of those people that actually knows anything at all about how computers and other machines work then you'll only be irritated by this. It jumps the shark so many times that even the Fonz and War Games would blush. "She uploaded herself to the internet." LOL. "The natural language processor evolved." LOLA. "She's an 'AI'." ROFL. Of course, it's probably just me, and if you want a school setting computer related story with a little bit of romance then this will most likely float your boat. There's nothing at all wrong with it except that it's about as realistic as Star Trek, the "moon landings" or any other Fantasy Island thing - but hey, even Star Trek is entertaining sometimes.

First international premiere of this year’s Scotland Loves Animation 2021.
After hearing it being compared to Glee or High School Musical by the jury members, I was a little afraid that it will be just an eye + ear-candy without any real content. Then Jonathan said it’s like a mix of GitS and Glee, which already put my hopes much higher. After seeing this movie, I realized most of it was just trolling. This has as much in common with HSM as does Hellsing OVA with Twilight… So, first important thing to say is: Don’t get discouraged by the name or entry image which might make it seem like some school life musical with nothing much to offer. In reality, it offers so much more than you could have ever imagined.

Art, Animation:
Character designs reminded me of my anime golden era 00s, not sure if it was intentional but, in my eyes, they paid homage to some of the legendary school anime. I also really appreciated that the creators kept the character looks rooted in reality. All of them look Japanese, no crazy height, physical traits or rainbowy hair colors, which fortunately doesn’t make the girls any less cute. The backgrounds were sometimes a little slacked, but not where it mattered. Every scene with the sky – be it day or night is simply amazing. Regarding animation, I don’t have anything to reproach. Character movement was perfectly fluid whether they walk, run or ride a vehicle. The scene where she makes the whole company light up and the roof scene with solar panels and fireworks are some of the most beautifully animated moments I’ve ever seen. My friend commented that they positioned the reflection of the moon incorrectly, but I was honestly so stunned that I had no time to notice that. I personally loved both art and animation to the maximum, but I cannot deny that it could be done even better.

Sound:
Despite the name, there is not THAT much singing, but whenever there is a singing scene, it’s impossible to not grin from ear to ear and be genuinely happy about it. I cannot believe Tao Tsuchiya is officially not a singer. Not only her sweet voice, but the ability to start singing in the middle of talking and even fluently switch between those two makes just confirm she has a natural talent for it. I admit that sound/music is usually the element I pay least attention to during an anime, but this time, it was kind of unavoidable and I really liked every single Shion’s song. Otherwise, I realize only background music in some of the key moments, which was also perfectly fitting and emphasized the right moments when needed.

Story:
Up to ¾, it was a solidly written school romance with some slight drama, bits of delightful comedy and extra element of a very human-like robot, who was mostly used for funny and cute moments. Then comes the big drama, where you start realizing how much you were already rooting for the main characters and then comes one of the most genius twists ever, which, at leas in my eyes, catapulted this movie to the very top, amongst the most ‘BIG-BRAIN’ titles like Madoka, Evangelion or GitS – it basically work with a very similar idea as GitS, but does it so much more relatable and therefore so much better imo. From there, it’s just an uphill ride and exploration what could be possible if AI was like this. I cannot say much more without spoiling, but I believe each viewer will form a very strong bond and will possibly cry in the end, even if it’s not a sad one.

Character:
Shion might just be the most cheerful and positive character ever. And she doesn’t keep it to herself, she does everything in her power (pun intended) to make everyone around her happy. What’s more, she does it in such a unique, elegant way and she isn’t even a tiny bit annoying like you would normally expect.
Satomi is a wallflower, but also far from your typical one. She is not this way because she wanted to or has trouble with expressing herself. She just wanted to save someone she loved and now feels like she has to bear the responsibility for it, even if she doesn’t. In other words, she has the kindest heart, is modest and don’t want to bother anyone. She is very rational and basically the one who holds everyone together and keeps the whole situation from collapsing (until it unavoidably does).
Touma is portrayed as a typical geek computer freak and we don’t learn as much about him as we would like to, but he still plays absolutely key role in the superb twist I was talking about before. One of the best comparisons that comes to my mind is young Nikola Tesla. Yeah, he’s exactly that absolute genius who invents something incredible without even realizing it and just goes on with his ordinary life. It’s also amazing how unfazed he is about people treating him like a nerd/looser.
Gocchan and Aya are not so important themselves, but at the same time critically important for the movie to work as a whole. They are the characters balancing an otherwise group of wierdos with their ‘normal’ perspective on life and issues. Gocchan is actually a little deeper with his understanding of social status and being strongly against any discrimination. Aya is the one faulty character who is annoying at first, but after properly ‘treated’ by Shion, she becomes a sweetie and a great character as well.
Last but not Least, Thunder, he is the one who usually brings comedy when you already have forgotten that this movie also about that. He is also the one who is there to remind us all that we should never give up our goals, no matter what, and we will eventually reach them, or at least come much closer to that. I also fully respect that he was in love with Shion, even though it was revealed she is AI at the very beginning. It resulted into many not only funny scenes, but also a bit of wholesomeness

Value:
I can imagine myself watching Sing a Bit of Harmony 5 times, at least, and still be in awe. I believe that with every bad situation and with every Shion’s song fixing that situation, you can find something more with each watch, be it in the translated lyrics, original Japanese lyrics or simply noticing more about what Shion is actually doing during that or what is happening around her. And that is just the first half. Second one is a serious brain food. Although it’s very easy to understand on the first watch, there certainly are parts open for interpretation and I also believe this is something you’ll want to return to just because you forgot a small part of it.

Enjoyment:
I watched it cinema and the feeling during it was obviously great. I don’t realize any weaker part where my attention would drop down by even a bit, but on the other hand, I only remember two moments where I had my mouth open and was absolutely absorbed into it as opposed to a few movies where I had many more moments like that. It’s not a title that completely stuns you when you watch it, it’s one where you will feel the impact many many weeks after watching it and you will have that feeling of almost happy crying just by remembering it. That is my case at least.

In conclusion, this is one of the best, most complex stand-alone (pun intended) movies ever made, and I will forever stand by that.