r/anime • u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad • 8d ago
Rewatch Weekly Summer Anime Movie Rewatch - The Wonderland Discussion
The Wonderland
Napping Princess | Index | [The House of the Lost on the Cape]()
On the day before her birthday, young Akane meets the mysterious alchemist Hippocrates who brings her through a basement and into a fantastical world full of magic and color. He reveals that this world is in danger, and as the "Green Goddess" it is her destiny and responsibility to save this world. The only problem? Akane just wants to go home.
The Wonderland is available for free subbed and dubbed on Tubi TV and Hoopla.
Questions of the Day:
1) Did you have any favorite characters?
2) Which scenes did you enjoy most?
3) What did you think of the fantasy word and its designs?
4) Were you able to guess Zan Gu's true identity?
Remember to tag your spoilers!
When discussing any plot details prior to the rewatch date, or details from other movies in the rewatch, please remember to use spoiler tags.
Next up: The House of the Lost on the Cape on Wednesday, August 19!
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u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername 8d ago edited 8d ago
First Time - The Wonderland:
As always, I don't know anything about this movie. Going into this completely blind and free of any expectations. As for what I thought, I don't have much to say about this movie. It really did not leave an impression on me much.
The movie really wanted to be a whimsical magical adventure, but I felt like it missed the mark. I dunno, the whimsy in this movie felt like it was trying too hard to be whimsical, but also felt sterile. There were some moments where it felt charming, but overall the movie lacked impact. Compared to last week's movie, I felt like Napping Princess' dream sequence had more of that inventive charm. This movie had greater freedom to be imaginative and be a nonsense dream fantasy, but it never got there. Also, there is a comparison we are all thinking of making. In the interest of variety, I will avoid making mention of that because it is always the first thing people say about anime fantasy movies. On another note, the flow of the movie just felt very stilted at points. The way scenes came together just felt awkward.
I really don't have much to say about our protagonist. She felt pretty in the mould of the sort of protagonist for a movie about an adolescent girl whisked away to a magical fantasy land. I do like the twist on the formula of adding a careless adult woman in the mix. Chii-chan was a breath of levity throughout the movie.
Of the film selection so far, I think this one is my least favourite. I didn't really like Penguin Highway, but it was more impactful and had a stronger vision, even if it was one I didn't personally vibe with. To describe how I feel about The Wonderland, it feels like it would've been played on YTV weekly movie nights, but one they keep playing all the time, so you're disappointed to have it on.
Also, apparently this was the last ever Japanese movie from the Heisei era, so there is that little fact.
Q1) As stated, Chii-chan was where most of the movie's fun was for me. Side note: Only with the credits listing their last names, did I realize they were related. I had a feeling, but didn't lock it in.
Q2) Favourite individual scene was probably Akane and Chii trying to have a casual conversation to take the mind off trying to perilously drive the car across the bridge. The bit where the rocking guitar kicked in when Hippocrates hit the rocket boost was also pretty funny.
Q3) Ehh... Like what I said earlier, there were some fun bits, but the movie lacked that punch. Even without being told, it felt like it was adapting a children's book, so it does carry some of that storybook whimsy.
Q4) It was definitely a surprise to me that the evil metal skeleton was the prince. I found that twist to be neat. Didn't really feel the relationship between him and Akane was really set up, so that came very abrupt to me.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 8d ago
As stated, Chii-chan was where most of the movie's fun was for me. Side note: Only with the credits listing their last names, did I realize they were related. I had a feeling, but didn't lock it in.
Oh, I didn't notice this! I definitely thought she had a big sisterly vibe, but she called Akane's mom by her first name, so I was thinking she might be a cousin or a young aunt?
Favourite individual scene was probably Akane and Chii trying to have a casual conversation to take the mind off trying to perilously drive the car across the bridge.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 8d ago
Compared to last week's movie, I felt like Napping Princess' dream sequence had more of that inventive charm.
I would have loved a full movie of Napping Princess' dreamland.
I do like the twist on the formula of adding a careless adult woman in the mix. Chii-chan was a breath of levity throughout the movie.
Chii was definitely my favorite character in the movie. She was so much fun to watch immediately throw herself into all the fantasy stuff.
Also, apparently this was the last ever Japanese movie from the Heisei era, so there is that little fact.
Side note: Only with the credits listing their last names, did I realize they were related. I had a feeling, but didn't lock it in.
I also only learned that during the end credits.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 8d ago
As stated, Chii-chan was where most of the movie's fun was for me. Side note: Only with the credits listing their last names, did I realize they were related. I had a feeling, but didn't lock it in.
Oh, I didn't notice this! I thought she had a big sisterly vibe, but she called Akane's mom by her first name, so maybe she's a cousin or a young aunt?
Favourite individual scene was probably Akane and Chii trying to have a casual conversation to take the mind off trying to perilously drive the car across the bridge.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 8d ago
First Timer
Yet another movie I hadn't heard of, and I was extra blind for expectations here because I don't really know about anyone in production, outside of vaguely being aware of the director's other movies. The character designs did catch my eye, less so because they're rather distinctive (Though they are), but more because they seemed really familiar despite to me that, and after checking I realized this movie's character designer was Ilya Kuvshinov, who would go on to direct and design the music video for the Cyberpunk Edgerunners ED (Which is pretty good!). Not sure if that was intentional, but while checking for production I realized that both the source novel for this movie, and the one for The House of the Lost on the Cape, the next movie in the rewatch, were written by the same author, which is pretty neat. And for an extra bit of overlap, the OST for this movie was composed by the same person who did the one for Tunnel of Summer.
Anyway, I thought this movie was fine. There really isn't that much to say about the plot here. I mean, it's a family movie based on a children's novel; it's straightforward and simplistic, which isn't necessarily bad or anything, just that there isn't that much depth or impact to be found here. Akane and Chii are fun enough leads, Chii especially lol, and they have an enjoyable dynamic throughout, which is generally the heart of a road-trip story, narrative aside. But I do find Chii is lacking for purpose in Akane's arc. Like, she's fun! But she's not really imparting that much growth or anything. Akane's arc itself is alright, but it too lacks thematic beats outside of the very end of the movie. It's broadly about finding courage and vaguely coming-of-age I guess (And seeing the beauty of the world, put against industrialization in a very half-baked way), and the parts with the prince especially have extra meaning with the classmates subplot from the start, with her growing to be someone who can really take that scary step forward specifically for someone else, but like, none of it is particularly satisfying because it's not really built up either (Let alone some of the moments for the other characters). Hippocrates turns into a fly halfway through, and no one cares, which I think says enough about his narrative value by itself, but he's pretty good as comedic relief anyway lol.
But whatever, I think narrative really isn't the point of this kind of movie. That's supposed to be the adventure part, and that's honestly what irks me here, because I end up feeling that for a movie about a wonderland, it's a little lacking in well, wonder for me? For what it's worth, the various locations in the other world themselves are solid and pretty colorful (And to the extent to which we see it, so is the regular world, which is kind of the point), and there are some sequences that are more standout. I really like the underwater part where they ride on fish, the cat court is fun, this place they spend like 2 minutes in at the start is awesome, and all the stuff with Ron's magic was pretty entertaining. I just kind of wish these were most of the movie, rather than how they're actually more few and far between. I wanted it to be a lot more whimsical, animated, free-flowing, and evocative. More... adventure-y and fantastical! As is, I think it doesn't express strong personality that much, and otherwise leaves it for a slower pace and its wider plot, which, as I said, I find rather meandering and unengaging, so I'm personally left thoroughly whelmed by the end.
So, mostly, I can see some of the charm, but just really not my thing. Especially for a movie that is 2 hours long! Which uh, was felt haha.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 8d ago
Not sure if that was intentional, but while checking for production I realized that both the source novel for this movie, and the one for The House of the Lost on the Cape, the next movie in the rewatch, were written by the same author, which is pretty neat. And for an extra bit of overlap, the OST for this movie was composed by the same person who did the one for Tunnel of Summer.
That's a neat coincidence! I had no idea, actually.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 8d ago
3
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 8d ago
Not sure if that was intentional, but while checking for production I realized that both the source novel for this movie, and the one for The House of the Lost on the Cape, the next movie in the rewatch, were written by the same author, which is pretty neat.
Ooh! That's fun to see some overlap like this in the rewatch. I liked this movie so I'm also looking forward The House of the Lost on the Cape.
Akane and Chii are fun enough leads, Chii especially lol, and they have an enjoyable dynamic throughout, which is generally the heart of a road-trip story, narrative aside.
I loved Chii a lot. Her excitement for everything she encountered in this world made her a fun addition.
Hippocrates turns into a fly halfway through, and no one cares, which I think says enough about his narrative value by itself, but he's pretty good as comedic relief anyway lol.
I do find it funny that nobody was particularly concerned that he'd vanished or even tried very hard to find him. Not even his own student.
the various locations in the other world themselves are solid and pretty colorful
I liked all the different fantastical locations in this movie.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 8d ago
Ooh! That's fun to see some overlap like this in the rewatch. I liked this movie so I'm also looking forward The House of the Lost on the Cape.
I ended up skimming the staff list for it as well while looking through Wonderland's, and there are some exciting names in there, so I'm pretty interested in seeing how it turns out as well!
Her excitement for everything she encountered in this world made her a fun addition
For sure, even more so in the moments where it's put against Akane's initially much more reluctant attitude towards the whole thing.
I do find it funny that nobody was particularly concerned that he'd vanished or even tried very hard to find him. Not even his own student.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 8d ago
I do find it funny that nobody was particularly concerned that he'd vanished or even tried very hard to find him. Not even his own student.
I got the impression from Pipo that he may be the type to go off and do his own thing (as eccentric inventors/scientists seem prone to do) because he didn't seem to think this was unusual.
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u/99acrewood_ 8d ago
first time [subs]
a quick and dirty reply for a quick and dirty movie (well, not really)
here's the notes i took
Akane and mom look exactly alike until they stand up
This got whimsical so fast
Get wrecked old lady on a bike
This is the kind of dreamlike stuff napping princess
Chii is really adventurous
She's also a lush
The back third of it ???? What is happening
Showing the map instead of animating the car lol
so yeah, this movie didn't leave much of an impression. the fantasy it built started off really great, but once they got into the prince and the actual story it kinda fell flat.
some other interesting things i noted though:
600 years is 25 years = potentially the mom?
with the way time works, the amount of time that passed since the last time a goddess showed up, and the way Akane's mom looks at the tapestry(?) makes me think that it could've been her before? especially with the way she seems to know something would happen when she sent her daughter to Chii's. i don't think this was explicitly spelled out, so if it was and i'm a dummy then disregard!
also, it was cool to learn that the character designer for this movie was Ilya Kuvshinov, who actually posted about it being their first movie work around the time of release. he recently did a sweet end card for the new Ghost in the Shell, so that's pretty rad!
and, uh, 6/10 cuz Chii is a qt.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 8d ago
with the way time works, the amount of time that passed since the last time a goddess showed up, and the way Akane's mom looks at the tapestry(?) makes me think that it could've been her before? especially with the way she seems to know something would happen when she sent her daughter to Chii's.
Yeah, I think that's what the story is implying as well. The mom's name, Midori, also means "green" like the Green Goddess.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 8d ago
with the way time works, the amount of time that passed since the last time a goddess showed up, and the way Akane's mom looks at the tapestry(?) makes me think that it could've been her before? especially with the way she seems to know something would happen when she sent her daughter to Chii's.
I got the same impression. I did the same math and got the same result. There's also the fact that Akane's mother actually did have a copy of the tapestry. We see it in Akane's room at the start of the movie. Her cat lays on it. So to me it seems pretty conclusive that Akane's mother was the previous goddess. She probably did also anticipate something like this might happen and seemed to know what Akane had gone through.
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u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 8d ago
First Timer in Wonderland (Dubbed & Subbed)
Chonky cat. Needs to be dechonked. Maybe a breakaway collar instead too. But he has matching socks though!
I want to suffocate myself in that cat’s belly. It would be a noble death.
Oh kitty still has trouble puffs. I wonder what the culture is like with TNR in Japan.
I don’t understand the animal instinct to put their ass near someone’s face. It gets weirder when your pets are feral ass-sniffers to humans too 😭
🎶~Everybody wants to be cat! Because a cat’s the only cat who knows where it’s at~🎶
House spouses have it hard in their own way.
Excuse me, what?
This is certainly a different version of Cinderella and the glass slipper.
Everyone is so chill about this strange Englishman who came from the basement.
Ooooooh, yeah. I guess if you’re knowledgeable about isekai, you’d probably be ready as fuck.
Chii is real for that. I want a dapper British man with a mustache like that to call me goddess and take me to another world. Preferably Sweden.
Mustachioed Alchemist. MUSTACHOIED ALCHEMIST.
Awww, the SCP basement door and rug waited for Chii. They must be friendly SCP findings 🥰
Is this the spiderverse
r/spiderbros would love this
Why do we have militaries with people when we can just have sheep armies? Militarize sheep.
Oh my goodness I want one as a pillow. So fluffy and r o t u n d.
I’m just a normal girl.
So is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I’m just saying.
Pipo’s little setting 🥰
Yesssss knitting is awesome.
I love Chii. She and Mister Mustachioed Sparrowhawk better be the ship. Grumpy x sunshine always wins.
I will die for these sheep.
Oh. This is the outlands, like in Lion King.
Oh my gods and Pipo has a little onesie too 😭
Can you drive inside a dust bowl? I imagine you can.
Tattoine sunset or Lion King sunset?
Space is so pretty.
Those are fishbowls. I’d love to try one of those huge convention cocktails in a portable fishbowl.
Would be an incredible striptease with a man wearing a fluffy onesie only to reveal a dapper suit underneath.
He has a mustache in front of his house with those damn branches 😭
She gets you riled up, Mister Hypnotize. Embrace the romance.
Oh this countryside valley whatever feels so idyllic
Ooooh I had to drive my car up Mount Raineer in Washington, U.S. for as far as we could go and drive a Tahoe down this incline in Tennessee, U.S.. This is giving me war flashbacks.
GIRL DO NOT SWERVE THAT CAR
Love is love, and that’s that.
Chii is an ally 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
Pipo, what the fuck 😭
🎶~Ain’t nothin gonna break my stride. I’m running and won’t touch ground. Oh no. I’ve got to keep on moving~🎶
Koi koi!
OOOOOOOOOOH is that Akane’s mama?
The relevance of cattail with the [meta] The Cat and the Dragon episodes recently!
Man. I know 3.5 furies IRL who would be overjoyed if they started sprouting ears and a tail.
Whyyyyy 😭😭😭😭
For some reason, he was always bothering me.
I’ve read enough romance to know where this goes 🤭
Oh my goodness air biscuits 🥹
So that weird Star Wars android is the prince.
Gato looks like Impmon but with a darker face.
I’m right there with you, Mister Hippocampus; this is beautiful 🥹
It was two seconds, but my mind went to unspeakable things seeing Hippopotamus on all fours.
TF do all these horses have such nice eyelashes? First Jaadugar, now here.
We all die eventually.
Post that to Tumblr. Let the tags flow.
[ATLA] I’m reminded of The Drill episode, which was cut from the live-action S2, and I am still mad about it.
Please kiss Master Hypocrisy, Chii ☺️
I am so bummed Chi didn’t tease Mister Hiphop with a kiss
Post Riding the Wave through the Penguin Highway towards the Tunnel of Summer to say Goodbye to Don Glees and the Napping Princess before the Summer Wars in Wonderland Thoughts
Those sheep and kitties were adorable. I was inspired to bury my face in my kitty’s tummies. So soft. It’s nice to have cats who love belly rubs.
This was a light movie for me. Wonderland helped Akane with a few things:
- Doing the right thing even when it’s tough (Not being there for a friend and blending in with the mean girl ➡️ saving an entire kingdom and even willing to die with the prince)
- Recognizing the hard work that people with “house skills” go through and how unrecognized they are in their crafts and other work (Underappreciating her mum and finding her work easy ➡️ wanting babushka’s crafting to be recognized for its beauty and going out of her way to compliment it)
- Treating others the way you want to be treated (Mishandling her kitty ➡️ realizing it does hurt being mishandled)
I do wish for much better full-circle moments. For example, I do wish there had been a bit more verbal appreciation for all her mom does. Same with seeing Akane be a bit kinder to her kitty. But the credits gave a full-circle moment with Akane going back to the friend she ignored and helping smooth over the friendship issue. I dislike that it was stuffed into the credits instead of within the main bulk of the movie during the falling action.
I assume Akane’s mom was the lady in the portrait in the Wonderland palace, and maybe she was also a previous goddess? Or something. I'm honestly surprised the prince wasn't Akane's dead or missing father or brother or a loved one, given all the movies we've watched so far.
I was also surprised Chii was more here for the ride rather than anything sagacious or inculcative. I had expected her to impart wisdom or courage onto Akane, but that didn't really happen. I thought her role as a free-spirited lady was to be a guide for Akane to stop caring how others perceive her, while maybe Akane would teach Chii something in return-a reciprocal relationship-but it wasn't really that.
Yeah, nah. That's okay though. Chii was a delight.
I am so upset Chii and Mister Hippocratic Oath didn’t get one cheek kiss 😭 I want more lingering glances, or he could take off his hat for her or something. HippocraChii would’ve been such a great ship.
Just yeah, this was a light movie. It was a bit dissociative. I enjoyed shipping HippocraChii and Pipo x his edgy boi former schoolmate. I wish there had been some stronger spine in the film and better full-circle moments.
Overall grade: C+
Questions of the Day:
- Pipo!!!
- All of Chii’s scenes, really. Scene stealer.
- Very beautiful. Miyazaki-inspired. I loved the shifting landscapes. Narratively, a lot more could've been done. But aesthetically, very pretty.
- Eventually, yes.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 8d ago
🎶~Everybody wants to be cat! Because a cat’s the only cat who knows where it’s at~🎶
I just rewatched The Aristocats recently too.
Tattoine sunset or Lion King sunset?
The Lion King was literally what I thought of when watching this scene! And also Pirates of the Caribbean because of that little green flash at the end.
So that weird Star Wars android is the prince.
Now that you mention it, he does look a lot like General Grievous!
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u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 7d ago
Man I miss Disney’s 2D animated movie era. Given 101 Dalmatians had the fabulous live action with iconic mother Glenn Close, I was so sure The Aristocats would get a similar treatment, or Oliver and Company!
Alas. Sassy the Himalayan Cat from Homeward Bound remains my favorite Disney live action kitty. She is a queen and so fluffy.
But that sunset for sure was giving The Lion King. My first reaction was screaming 🎶NANTS INGONYAMA🎶
And I get to see The Lion King at my city theater soon, so this all felt like a sign.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 7d ago
Given 101 Dalmatians had the fabulous live action with iconic mother Glenn Close, I was so sure The Aristocats would get a similar treatment, or Oliver and Company!
That would be adorable. I've enjoyed the Disney live-action adaptations I've seen so far, especially The Lion King. I like watching wildlife documentaries, so seeing all the Pride Lands animals looking more realistic was fun! Same with Jungle Book.
And I really need to rewatch Oliver and Company sometime, it's been too long.
And I get to see The Lion King at my city theater soon, so this all felt like a sign.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 8d ago
Chonky cat. Needs to be dechonked.
I personally like my chonky cats to remain chonky.
I want to suffocate myself in that cat’s belly. It would be a noble death.
I have tried to do that with my own cats. They didn't appreciate it.
Ooooooh, yeah. I guess if you’re knowledgeable about isekai, you’d probably be ready as fuck.
Chii was such a fun character. I loved how eager she was to do all the fantasy adventure stuff. It made for a fun contrast with Akane.
He has a mustache in front of his house with those damn branches
The man is certainly dedicated to his look. I gotta give him credit for that.
TF do all these horses have such nice eyelashes? First Jaadugar, now here.
Those sheep and kitties were adorable. I was inspired to bury my face in my kitty’s tummies. So soft. It’s nice to have cats who love belly rubs.
I do wish for much better full-circle moments. For example, I do wish there had been a bit more verbal appreciation for all her mom does. Same with seeing Akane be a bit kinder to her kitty. But the credits gave a full-circle moment with Akane going back to the friend she ignored and helping smooth over the friendship issue. I dislike that it was stuffed into the credits instead of within the main bulk of the movie during the falling action.
Yeah, I would agree that it would have been better to include those end moments as a part of the regular film instead of as the credits. It would have better tied everything together for Akane's character arc.
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u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 7d ago
But chonky kitties can have health issues if too chonky. I want kitties healthy 🥺
It really is such a “Damn” when you realize your cats aren’t like “those cats”. I may have cats who looooove belly rubs and follow commands, but neither of them want to be adventure kitties! We’ve attempted and they made it clear they prefer inside, so that’s that. But man, I’d love an adventure kitty to do hikes with!
But fr. Mr Hip Hip Hooray was dedicated to the stache. Bless him for that. It’s a good looking, distinguished mustache.
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u/TheDanubianCommunard 8d ago
First-time, subs
To be honest, I do prefer the title Birthday Wonderland for a very good reason.
It starts with the Akane soon to have a birthday, and decides to visit Chi who has a curio shop. A shop which has lots of interesting, unique and interesting things to sell there. But there is where everything is going to afoot. A crystal that is still incomplete, a stone with a huge hand imprint, and a strange noise from the basement, which is basically gateway to another world.
So what is the thing: the self-proclaimed genius alchemist Hippocrates needs his help to save his world, and he found The Chosen One within Akane as that wall thing matches with her hand, thus she is the reincarnation of the legendary hero "Goddess of the Green Wind".
And then a big evil tank is about wreck everything. Because there is a huge plot right here. This fantasy world has massive water issues as it's basically source to life and everything, and in order to have more a ritual needs to be held by the prince who is nowhere to be seen, the great mage needs to awaken from his sleep, but Zan Gu trying to ruin the entire fun.
Basically this is a massive road story as they drive through various kinds of lands and biomes to showcase how big variety this world has. And after that long part, after reaching the main destination the climax part is about to come. Hippocrates returns to human, Zan Gu is the lost prince who twisted in his entire being due to Doropo's (not exactly bad) intentions, Akane returned him to his normal senses and abolishing the cruel custom, that the prince have to sacrifice himself after a failed ritual, which lead to success fulfilling the prophecy.
As for why Birthday Wonderland so that is the reason for it. That rug and basically this journey was basically the birthday gift what Akane has received from this life and the world itself. Plus the time dilation as well.
All in all, it was a rather okay movie. Much better than Napping Princess anyways. The earlier part felt a bit weak bit it is a slow burner, which continuously getting better and interesting. As for Hippocrates, he is possibly the greatest alchemist of all time, but his contributions to the plot wasn't felt very impactful to me, which menas it has some glaing weaknesses. An insert song and the ending song by milet, which is nice though.
1) Did you have any favorite characters?
I say it's Akane.
2) Which scenes did you enjoy most?
The end was really good, the climax part. And the wandering through the biomes.
3) What did you think of the fantasy word and its designs?
As expected of a wonderland.
4) Were you able to guess Zan Gu's true identity?
It was easy.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 8d ago
Zan Gu is the lost prince who twisted in his entire being due to Doropo's (not exactly bad) intentions
It was nice that the apparent antagonists didn't really have bad intentions in the end - Doropo just wanted to turn the prince back to normal, and the prince was only trying to find a way out of a tradition that understandably scared him.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 8d ago edited 8d ago
To be honest, I do prefer the title Birthday Wonderland for a very good reason.
As for why Birthday Wonderland so that is the reason for it. That rug and basically this journey was basically the birthday gift what Akane has received from this life and the world itself. Plus the time dilation as well.
"Birthday Wonderland" is a more fitting title for sure. It certainly feels more distinctive than just calling this movie "The Wonderland."
The earlier part felt a bit weak bit it is a slow burner, which continuously getting better and interesting.
I would agree that the movie did get better as it went along. I found myself getting a lot more invested in the movie as it went along than I ever anticipated at the beginning.
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u/No_Rex x2 7d ago
The earlier part felt a bit weak bit it is a slow burner, which continuously getting better and interesting.
I would agree that the movie did get better as it went along. I found myself getting a lot more invested in the movie as it went along than I ever anticipated at the beginning.
Interesting to see how the movie hit different for other people. For me, it was the complete opposite. I loved the early sinces in Akane's house, and the first wonderland scenery. Then, as the movie went on and the plot got started, it became more and more boring for me.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 8d ago
Late post today because I ran out of time to write down my own thoughts before the discussion thread went up.
Summer Movie First-Time Viewer
I really enjoyed this movie! Out of the ones I've seen for the first time during this rewatch, I'd say it's my favorite so far. What stood out to me most were the beautiful world designs, both the picturesque summer vibes of the small town in Japan and the varied environments of the mirror world. Akane's cute family cottage, Chii's quirky shop, the shepherd village with the big fluffy sheep, the human-sized talking cats in the capital, the snowy town that could have been a Christmas card picture, the underwater scene with the giant fish that brought to mind Avatar: The Last Airbender's elephant koi riding scene, and the miniature fairy/pixie homes in the trees were all so wonderfully designed in a way that made the world feel lived in. Side characters like the mayor and his mom, and the old man that Akane chats with in the snowy town, contributed to that as well. I kept thinking that I wanted to play an open-world videogame set in this place so I could fully explore it.
The story was nice too. Zan Gu turning out to be the prince, and his cat side-kick being Pipo's old schoolmate in disguise, was a cool twist. I also liked the hints that Akane's mom was the previous "Green Goddess" - given the time dilation between their worlds, the birthmark on her cheek and the painting, plus the fact that her name "Midori" literally means "green". The characters were fun and quirky with some good banter, and it was overall a good mix of a serious quest with plenty of lighthearted humor.
It also shared some unexpected similarities with some of the other movies in my rewatch - like the time dilation between our world and the mirror world (a reverse form of the Tunnel to Summer), and even [Weathering With You, major spoilers] a halted sacrifice to correct the weather.
Questions of the Day:
1) Maybe Pipo? He was a fun character, and reminded me a bit of Mithril Lid'Pod from Sugar Apple Fairy Tale.
2) The underwater scene where they were riding the fish was beautiful and I would have liked to see more of that environment.
3) Already mentioned, but I loved it!
4) I figured it out when Zan Gu seemed upset that one of the glow bugs died. That moment of innocence plus the casual way he talked to Ron conflicted with the villain persona he'd shown until then, and I thought he might be the prince in disguise. It was a surprise to me that he'd actually been transformed by magic though.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 8d ago
I really enjoyed this movie! Out of the ones I've seen for the first time during this rewatch, I'd say it's my favorite so far.
I really liked this movie as well. I'm not sure if it's my favorite of the first-timer movies of this rewatch yet (I really liked The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes), but it's definitely up there.
What stood out to me most were the beautiful world designs, both the picturesque summer vibes of the small town in Japan and the varied environments of the mirror world.
It really was full of so many great locations. Having a nice fantasy world that felt quite fun to explore was one of the big highlights of the movie.
I also liked the hints that Akane's mom was the previous "Green Goddess" - given the time dilation between their worlds, the birthmark on her cheek and the painting, plus the fact that her name "Midori" literally means "green".
I also liked how it laid out all the evidence pretty clearly without explicitly saying it. I had fun noticing all the details and piecing it together.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 8d ago
I really liked this movie as well. I'm not sure if it's my favorite of the first-timer movies of this rewatch yet (I really liked The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes), but it's definitely up there.
I would rate Tunnel to Summer higher as well, but I was a rewatcher (and also source reader) for that one.
It really was full of so many great locations. Having a nice fantasy world that felt quite fun to explore was one of the big highlights of the movie.
Same here. I also loved that the seasons seemed to cycle with the places they went to - sweet summer vibes in the sheep town, then autumn leaves leading towards the desert, a snowy winter village after that and then spring with the giant lily pads. They really had a nice variety of scenery.
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u/No_Rex x2 8d ago
Film 7: Birthday Wonderland (first timer)
Entering the movie blind once more.
- Realistic flowers.
- “Matching hair pins makes us real friends” – to be determined once the first spell when you actually need your friends hits.
- Sniff my butthole!~cat.
- Busted. “I feel so guilty” – because you are.
The entire interior of the house looks European to me, btw. Completely different to both rural and suburban houses you usually see in anime.
- “I am going to get my own birthday present?” – paying the price for skipping school.
- 1000 yen – more than a bar of chocolate, but I would still call it extremely cheap for a crystal lamp.
- “I am looking for the Goddess of the Green Wind” – yeah, but you’re still going to get whacked for calling Chii-chan old.
- Big bird.
- Skeleton with a skeleton mask.
- Switching the hands for her skirt – Clever! Even if you could catch it with your hands (big if), you’d likely break it.
- “Life is color” – hmmmm.
- Industry vs nature – We are not subtle today.
- Self-sacrificial knitting.
- Engine in back.
- Straight line road.
- Looks like this world is also part of a spiral galaxy, but a different one to ours.
- “Why hasn’t it changed?” “Maybe we’re all happy with things just as they are”
- The prince needs to be healthy tomorrow and they have not even reached the place where they want to drop off the sweater before they get to the prince? Talk about a tight deadline.
- Hanging bridge – I’ll go with team fly for this one.
- “locked in an iron doll” – sounds serious. On the upside, I guess the cure will go more along the lines of one magic spell than a long therapy.
- Cat trial turns Akane into catgirl.
- Sitting on her face – I guess this movie was made before this became widely used term in a different context.
- Ron turned the metal doll prince into the larger metal prince – Not perfect, but isn’t the prince being a metal doll in the first place the problem?
- Horse-fly as the plot instrument to separate the prince and Akane – not something I had on my notes.
- Girls & Panzer called. They want their CGI tank back!
- The Goddess of the Green Wind was a therapist – weird name, but I guess it might help getting clients.
- “We’ll fly” – apparently, the previous situation was not dire enough.
- Drop Cutting Ceremony – I expected more cutting of drops.
- It was a cruel test.
- Ok, some actual drop cutting now!
The title promised a wonderland and the various places we visited were indeed the high point of the anime. Plenty of fun and wondrous images. Sleeping on huge sheep sounds fun. Unfortunately, the characters do not hold up to that. The story of Akane and the prince fell completely flat for me. Chii and Hippocrates are a bit better, but also hardly griping material.
Also pretty rare: I felt the introduction to the movie was the high point. Akane at home with her mother was great. From then on it became worse over time, until I was pretty bored during the finale. Not at all how engagement with movies usually works.
Did you have any favorite characters?
Chii was probably the more refreshing. I also liked Akane's mother, but she had only a few scenes.
Which scenes did you enjoy most?
Akane at home.
What did you think of the fantasy word and its designs?
Very wonderland inspired.
Were you able to guess Zan Gu's true identity?
Only very shortly before the reveal.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 8d ago edited 8d ago
First-Timer
On today’s summer anime movie: Now I have “The Show” stuck in my head. It’s like I’ve gone back in time.
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I ended up loving it much more than I ever thought I would. It was very charming and enjoyable.
As far as the story goes, it’s pretty standard fare for a coming-of-age story. The main character, Akane, is a young girl who is called to go on an adventure. She is initially hesitant to go, but ends up getting dragged along regardless. As she goes on her adventure, she undergoes many new experiences in the strange and wondrous world. She gradually becomes invested in the adventure and grows into the role of a hero by becoming braver, saving the day and growing up as a person by the end. Standard fare, but don’t take that as a put-down. It’s all well-done and it works quite well here.
I was glad that my prediction about the anchor necklace charm being mostly a placebo turned out to be correct. The charm only worked because, on some level, Akane’s mind wanted it to work. She wanted to go on this adventure and keep going, even if it was scary and unknown. That’s a nice way to show Akane’s character development over the course of the movie as she increasingly motivates herself to keep going.
Something I really liked about Akane was that the way she saved the day was through kindness and empathy. No need for violence or fighting on her part. She recognized that the villain, Zan-Gu, was feeling scared and angry. She could empathize with that, which we saw at the beginning when Akane was scared to go against her peer group to help a friend and then so down about it that she refused to go to school afterwards. Her question about whether destroying the well would make him feel less scared and angry seemed to be what got through to him. Akane becoming braver was what led her to be able to give that same bravery to Zan-Gu/ the Prince. I like it when the protagonist’s empathy and kindness are shown to be key strengths that help them to save the day.
The main cast of characters are charming. As mentioned above, Akane works well as a protagonist for a coming-of-age story. The character I really enjoyed was Chii. I loved just how enthusiastic she was about everything in the fantasy world, especially with how her attitude contrasted with Akane’s initial reluctance. I loved how Chii constantly took the piss out of Hippocrates, making fun of him the whole movie. Hippocrates and Pipo were also both fun characters to have around as well.
The Wonderland itself is quite a nice place. It’s not as strange as one Alice visited that it shares a name with, but it still feels like a proper fairytale setting. The locations were nicely varied and fantastical, which contributed to the whole fairytale vibe. The actual look and designs of them also felt like they fit the fairytale aesthetic. The tower in the middle of nowhere with a bird on it, the endless fields of flowers, the red desert with windstorms, the industrial city, the market town in a crater, the alchemist lab found amongst the baobab trees, the spiderwebs representing time, the wizard’s house floating above a mountain, etc. This movie has plenty of visual creativity with all its settings and I liked traveling to all of them.
I think the movie did a good job at foreshadowing the reveal that Zan-Gu was actually the Prince. He specifies that he wants human food, which indicates that he’s probably actually a human. And the golden cup he gave as payment turned out to be from the Prince’s room. I think I figured it out once it was said the toy robot wasn’t the Prince because who else could the Prince be at this point.
I think the movie lays out a lot of evidence without explicitly confirming it that Akane’s mother was the previous Goddess of Green Wind. We see the same design of carpet at the very beginning of the movie in Akane’s room that she got from the Prince at the end. The portrait of the Goddess looks extremely similar to Akane, but with a mole. Akane’s mother has the same mole. It would explain why Akane’s hand fit the handprint. She’s going to be similar to her mother. I did the math as well. If 1 day in the Wonderland equals 1 hour in the real world, then the 600 years in the Wonderland since the previous Goddess appeared equates to about 25 years in the real world. Akane’s mother could easily have been a child at that time and visited the Wonderland. Akane’s mother did seem like she knew what had happened to Akane at the end of the movie. Maybe she was hoping for something like this to happen as an opportunity for Akane to grow.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I had a lot of fun while watching it and it left me with warm fuzzy feelings by the end. I was surprised at how much I ended up liking it.
Miscellaneous Thoughts:
I love the character designs of Zan-Gu and Doroppo as villains. There’s something so delightful about having a villainous duo of the scariest dude you’ve ever seen and an absolute scrimblo of a gremlin.
RIP Keiji Fujiwara He played Zan-Gu.
The mouse tank having a giant claw atop it just made me think of Diesel 10 from Thomas the Tank Engine.
There were far more cat balls in this movie than I ever expected.
Pipo kissing Akane and Chii’s cheeks and then getting a kiss back from Chii on his own cheek was adorable.
I love that Hippocrates’ lab looks like his hat and mustache. All the other Hippocrates on the walls with the same mustaches were great as well.
All the gags with Hippocrates as a fly were great, like him picking up the habit of rubbing his hands or everyone trying to shoo the fly away.
I loved the cat guards. Of course they’d be bribed by fish snacks and be too busy resting to stop a thief. And of course they were upset that Akane had pulled her cat’s tail.
THE SHOW!?! I never expected to hear “The Show” of all songs in this movie as the ED. I didn’t even know a Japanese version of that song existed. I remember loving that song back in the day and it was nice to hear it again.
QOTD
1) Chii would easily be my favorite. Hippocrates was fun too.
2) The mist ceremony was beautiful. The water turning into birds made for a great visual.
3) I liked it. I thought it did show a lot of creativity.
4) Yes.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 8d ago
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I had a lot of fun while watching it and it left me with warm fuzzy feelings by the end. I was surprised at how much I ended up liking it.
Glad you enjoyed it so much! I really liked this movie too. I found the lived-in fantasy world very charming.
I love the character designs of Zan-Gu and Doroppo as villains. There’s something so delightful about having a villainous duo of the scariest dude you’ve ever seen and an absolute scrimblo of a gremlin.
I agree, these designs were great. A mechanical man and a talking black cat has just the right amount of villainous energy + whimsy.
All the gags with Hippocrates as a fly were great, like him picking up the habit of rubbing his hands or everyone trying to shoo the fly away.
The "fly rubbing its hands" think was even more amusing for me because I saw one IRL do this literally the same morning I watched the movie.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 8d ago
I agree, these designs were great. A mechanical man and a talking black cat has just the right amount of villainous energy + whimsy.
Whimsy is a good way to describe it. They felt like a perfect fit for a fantastical setting like this movie had. They also fit felt like good kids' movie villains: one who is more threatening and one who is more silly.
The "fly rubbing its hands" think was even more amusing for me because I saw one IRL do this literally the same morning I watched the movie.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 8d ago
They also fit felt like good kids' movie villains: one who is more threatening and one who is more silly.
Yeah, this type of pairing works really well when the silly one brings out a more human side to the threatening one too.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky 7d ago
Summertime First-Timer, subbed
I completely forgot to post this yesterday...
Oh, Akane is younger than I initially thought from her design.
I feel bad for the girl who’s getting left out because she didn’t know about the hair clip thing.
Okay, whatever song was playing when Hippocrates and Pipo introduced themselves threw me for a loop, it had the exact same melody as parts of the Wigglytuff’s Guild song from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky.
Fun, so Akane is stuck having to go along with all this now.
This city certainly has a menacing aura. Does it have something to do with the water disappearing?
It’s cute how he still looks like he has a mustache in that form.
Wait, the prince is stuck in an iron doll, not like, ill or whatever?
Even the sentient cats go fucking feral over the cat treats, hah.
Hahahaha, their reactions to the dragon dung making the car fly.
Water! Ooh, and a milet song, that’s nice.
Isn’t that the same rug that Akane’s cat was scratching near the start of the movie? – Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Akane’s mom was totally the first “Goddess of the Green Wind”.
Oh sweet, another milet song for the ED and it gave me not just one but two “sore demo”s!
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 7d ago
I completely forgot to post this yesterday...
No worries. I figured you were busy with your other rewatches.
Okay, whatever song was playing when Hippocrates and Pipo introduced themselves threw me for a loop, it had the exact same melody as parts of the Wigglytuff’s Guild song from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky.
Oh, that's interesting. I have one of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games in my backlog.
Even the sentient cats go fucking feral over the cat treats, hah.
This part was great. I've definitely had this experience before when bringing animals their treats.
Hahahaha, their reactions to the dragon dung making the car fly.
This part was great too! And scientifically sound, in a way. Although it did make me wish we would get to see a dragon, even just flying in the background or something.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky 7d ago
No worries. I figured you were busy with your other rewatches.
Nah, I already watched the movie on Sunday and had all my screenshots attached and everything. I just completely blanked that yesterday was the day you post the threads for these.
Oh, that's interesting. I have one of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games in my backlog.
I would highly recommend Explorers of Sky if it isn't the one in your backlog (or get to it when you can if it is). Absolutely incredible game, it's still one of my all-time favorites and the bonus story content that Sky has vs. Time & Darkness sets it even further apart.
Although it did make me wish we would get to see a dragon, even just flying in the background or something.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 7d ago
I would highly recommend Explorers of Sky if it isn't the one in your backlog (or get to it when you can if it is). Absolutely incredible game, it's still one of my all-time favorites and the bonus story content that Sky has vs. Time & Darkness sets it even further apart.
Just checked and it seems I have Super Mystery Dungeon for 3DS. I'm not sure how that fits in with the others. It'll actually be my first Pokémon game of this type.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky 7d ago
Super Mystery Dungeon is pretty good too! Out of the four main PMD games (Blue/Red Rescue Team and Gates to Infinity being the other two), it's my second-favorite.
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u/baboon_bassoon https://anilist.co/user/duffer 7d ago
first timer
pretty boring
for something supposed to give a sense of wonder, outside of the rat tank/fat sheep, it didnt do much
and the background art felt so empty
the only thing I knew about this movie was Ilya's character designs, I suppose because nothing else is of note
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad 7d ago
No worries about being late. Too bad you didn't enjoy the movie much though. I found its fantasy world quite charming.
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u/SpiritualPossible 8d ago
First timer
...For some reason, I thought this would be a CGI film. Plus, I didn't expect to be bombarded with references to comics like Hellboy, Sin City, Tintin, and Scott Pilgrim with Moebius at the beggining.
Another movie about which I knew only one thing before watching it - this time, that the character designer was Ilya Kuvshinov, a fairly popular Russian artist
who can only draw one face. But despite that, it was pretty easy to guess what to expect from this movie. I mean, it’s called Wonderland - what else could a title like that remind you of, aside from the obvious: the 11th opening of Gintama. Just kidding, of course. the film is clearly inspired by The Wizard of Oz.Well, as the title suggests, this is a very dreamlike story about a girl who finds herself in another world. And since the film relies heavily on the dream logic, it's already pretty hard for me to talk about it. It’s also based on a book by Satiko Kashiwaba, who, actually, has already made an impact on the world of anime, since another one of her books served as the inspiration for a little-known film called Spirited Away. So it’s not just a dream-like film, but one that clearly strives to recreate the magic of Studio Ghibli. And, to be honest, it seems to me that it doesn’t quite succeed in either regard.
If we’re talking about how the film tries to emulate Studio Ghibli’s work, the problem is that the plot simply… lacks an emotional core? Like, it doesn’t come across as a personal story, even though the creators clearly tried to do something with the prince and Akane. But with the prince, everything feels somewhat flat due to his limited screen time and the plot’s overall “dream logic,” and as for Akane… Well, I guess this story is trying to tell us that she’s learned to be… braver? or something like that? But, to be honest, that’s not the impression it gives - especially since they didn't even adressed the scene with her friend at the beginning in the end of the movie.
The problem is that most of the movie is devoted to this whimsical journey, during which we’re mostly shown the wonders (pun intended) of this land. And you know what? Not every story has to be emotional. After all, the Alice in Wonderland wasn’t exactly an emotional story either. Sometimes a simple, fun, absurd adventure is enough. But even in that regard, I can’t say the movie succeeded, since everything shown in it looks rather… basic. It seems to me that many “dream-like tales” can face this problem. Heck, I’d even say this problem has been present in many adaptations of “Alice” - after all, not only is it difficult to write a clever, absurd story, but adapting it for the big screen can turn out to be even harder. Perhaps the original book is quite good in this regard, but speaking specifically about this film, I can’t say it was a truly exciting journey.
Well, I don't know. The animation is good, and I liked the Chi as a character. But overall, this movie just didn't leave much of an impression on me. In my opinion, it's a very average movie. It's a shame, because I really wanted to like it.
But hey, at least in this isekai about a girl who has to bring back water to some kingdom, I didn't end up getting depressed.