A lot of the anime films I covered this year saw the fate of the world (in one way or another) at stake. This latest release, The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie, sees relationships at stake. It's a nice change of pace as the year winds down.
The film concludes two anime seasons adapted from Negi Haruba's manga. Naturally, those familiar with the titular quintuplets - Ichika, Nino, Miku, Yotsuba and Itsuki Nakano - and their classmate/tutor Futaro Uesugi, will be the most invested to see which sister will go to the altar with him. There's no question about it since the story is framed around their wedding day. But when the sisters all show up all looking the same, he'll have to point out which one's who...
Meanwhile, in the past, Futaro and the Nakanos prepare for their fall school festival. A lot happens over these three days. Ichika's acting career takes off; Futaro helps Nino bond with her distant stepfather, Maruo; Miku plays peacemaker between rival food stands; Yotsuba overexerts herself helping out everywhere; and Itsuki gets an unwelcome visitor. Futaro promises the Nakanos that he'll profess his love for one of them at festival's end. How will it work out?
It's a relatively gentle film with a harsh runtime: 135 minutes. There are still some interesting flashbacks with the girls, then indiscernible, with their late mother, Rena, and of the eventual lucky girl with a disguised Futaro (long story). It's nice to see them fight to stick together when said girl nearly flunks school. A good portion of the story is dedicated to showing the festival from each girl's perspectives. They aren't what-ifs despite each segment being titled "If the last festival was (x)." But they still give them plenty of nice character moments.
A subplot that could've been better is Mudo, the girls' deadbeat biological dad. He shows up trying to atone, pathetically, and beats it once he gets called out. His arrival is treated with seriousness and his departure is no big deal.
Its ensemble will easily welcome newcomers to the story. Futaro's ego flashes are entertaining and his relationships with the Nakanos are charming. The five Nakanos are equally plausible lucky girls thanks to their charming personalities. One of the sisters doesn't take the choice well, but she comes around by wedding day. That's good because the Nakanos and Futaro are so hard to dislike. You'd hate to see them quarrel. Meanwhile, Maruo gets his best moments when he proves himself a caring stepdad and Rena is a warm presence. Another new character, Takebayashi, seems like a rival for Futaro's affections, but she quickly turns out to support him and the Nakanos. Overall, the only character truly unlikable is Mudo.
Now for the quintessential technicians. The vibrant animation by Bibury Studios is easy on the eyes. Add in a score by Hanae Nakamura and Miki Sakurai and this high school love story is surprisingly sentimental. An accidentally disorienting moment is when Nino fronts a pop group during the festival. Their song is dubbed but it's still subtitled. The subtitles don't match the dub lyrics. I saw the film dubbed, and I wouldn't bring it up if I saw it subbed. That aside, it's still an entertaining pop number.
This is probably the perfect anime film for a date night. The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie is a feel-good-movie all the way through. You'll be invested in the story even if you haven't read the manga or seen the prior seasons. It'll surely appeal to you in either subbed or dubbed formats. But you'll have to hurry soon before it's out of theaters. It's a long way before it hits home media.
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