Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop: Another Cute Romance Anime Movie

Over the weekend, I finally watched "Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop." The movie is about a kid who has a hard time expressing himself except in haiku and a girl who is a lifestyle live streamer meeting and falling in love in the mall over summer break. The plot centers around a senile old man looking for a record of his wife singing and the two kids volunteering to help him find it.

Really, it starts pretty slow and there's not much more to the plot than what I already mentioned. The two main characters, Cherry and Smile, are cute enough, but really don't have much personality or chemistry. It's the classic shy guy, bubbly girl trope. He likes to block out sound with headphones, and she likes to wear a mask to hide her buck teeth. That's about as quirky and unique as they get. They don't have a ton of chemistry, but they like each other, and that's really all that matters. They're both nice and likable characters, so I can't complain much.

I appreciate that the movie is kind of low stakes. There's not any major arguing or drama, which is refreshing. It's all around a feel-good movie with a bittersweet ending. However, the plot and characters aren't what make this movie so enjoyable, not really. The best features are the poetry and the visuals. Cherry's haikus are pretty and fun. I wonder what, if anything, was lost in the translation from Japanese to English, as syllabification is so crucial to the poetic form of a haiku. But I don't think it matters terribly much. You don't have to think too hard about any of Cherry's poems and they compliment the imagery of the film. And the imagery is stunning, if not a little overwhelming.

I have never seen an animated movie so vibrant. My eyes almost hurt from the saturated, almost neon color palette. But my eyes slowly adjusted. This movie has an incredibly distinct visual style and I was impressed for the entirety of the run time.

Overall, I would recommend the movie to anyone who likes animation, romance, or bright colors! It's not the best anime movie I've ever seen, nor is it the best romance, but it is enjoyable and definitely worth the time.