Youkai Watch Movie 5: Forever Friends
Synopsis
1960s --- Tokyo. Shin is a boy who lived happily despite being poor, loses his mother who is his only family member, and falls into deep misfortune. Itsuki, a boy who saves Shin also lost his older sister. Those two boys are joined by Tae, a girl who can see youkai and together with Shin's guardian spirit Suu-san and new Youkai such as Nekomata, they take on a mysterious incident in order to retrieve the souls of their precious family! And what is the shocking truth that awaits them...!? An origin story for how Lord Enma became the rule of the Yomakai. (Source: Wikipedia, edited)
Audience Consensus
Audience sentiment is mixed. Some appreciate the initial setup and characters, but the film is ultimately criticized for lacking a clear purpose and falling into familiar, less desirable tropes of the series. The shift towards spectacle and power-scaling, detracts from the initial emotional core.
Strengths
- Likable protagonists
- Promising initial plot
Weaknesses
- Unclear thematic point
- Repetitive and derivative plot elements
- Over-reliance on 'Enma stuff' (power scaling and cool anime guy tropes)
- Plot devolves into spectacle over substance