Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop

Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop
"Lights of summer's night make a false start in the evening sunset. In my seventeenth July, I met you. Hey sunflower. I ask my dictionary the definition of "cute". Words bubble up like soda pop. A thunderous roar. Words exist for the sake of expression. An evening rainbow. I have something to tell you. A piece of my great passion sent into your hand. I'll scream with all of my might. To you, during summer's end. Yamazakura. I like the leaves that you've hidden Yamazakura. I like those cute teeth of yours. Yamazakura. I like the leaves that you've hidden. Yamazakura. I like those cute teeth of yours. Yamazakura. I like cute words, too. Yamazakura. I like cute fireworks, too. Yamazakura. I like that cute smile of yours. Yamazakura. I like you, smile. I like you!" — Cherry
Genre: Romance Drama Comedy Anime Directed By: Kyōhei Ishiguro Written By/Screenplay: Kyōhei Ishiguro Dai Satō Starring: Ichikawa Somegorō Hana Sugisaki Megumi Han Natsuki Hanae Yūichirō Umehara Megumi Nakajima Cinematography: Kohei Tanada Kim White Distributed By: Shochiku (Japan) Netflix (International) Release Date: July 25, 2020 (Shanghai International Film Festival) July 22, 2021 Runtime: 90 minutes Country: Japan

Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop is a Japanese animated comedy-drama romance film produced by Sublimation and Signal.MD and directed by Kyōhei Ishiguro. The film premiered at the 2020 Shanghai International Film Festival and was released in Japanese theaters and on Netflix on July 22, 2021.

Plot

After meeting one bright, sunny day, a shy boy who expresses himself through haiku and a bubbly but self-conscious girl share a brief, magical summer.

Why This Movie Bubbles Up Like Soda Pop

1. The animation in this film is considered to be eye-candy and colorful that it could even be compared to that of a Nintendo game. If you watch the film, you know how pleasing the visuals are.
   • The art style is wholesome to look at.
2. The idea of a boy who can express himself with haiku who has a relationship with a girl is very creative and interesting
3. A lot of the characters are pretty likable and relatable. In fact, let us explain some of these characters featured in the movie.
   • Cherry/Yui Sakura is a boy who uses haiku in his speech and is often seen as a not-so-social boy despite having friends before. He then starts to brighten up when he meets Smile/Yuki and they start to have chemistry with each other. He comes off as a sympathetic character.
   • Smile/Yuki is an adorable and bubbly girl who serves as an interesting component to Cherry/Yui. They got their phones misplaced and they eventually start to make a good duo. Also, didn't we forget to mention that she feels embarrassed about her buck teeth issue so she had to wear a face mask?
   • Mr. Fujiyama may feel like a generic sidelined cranky character, but when the movie progresses, we get to learn more about him having a connection to a record disk that involved Tsubasa Fujiyama. When he got to hear the song at the festival, he was moved with tears.
   • Beaver and Japan appear to be the most entertaining characters in the film due to their actions and antics. They are not just comical reliefs as they still contribute to the plot. We get to see Bieber believing that he should use graffiti to quote Cherry's haikus because he believes that everyone should read it.
4. The story is simple and paced well. The story gives enough time for the two main characters (Cherry and Smile) to feel relevant to the plot. From their relationship to even finding a record for Mr. Fujiyama.
5. There are some emotional moments in the film that would make you cry in a good way like when Cherry mentioning that he can't go to the festival because he's moving (he did make it to the festival anyways), the Fujiyama's record being played in the festival which moves him, Cherry going to the festival before he moves away (it can be comparable to Luca and Alberto from Luca), and who could now forget the scene when he makes his haiku in the festival in front of everybody.
   • Speaking of the ending, who doesn't love a good ending that is worthy enough to feel emotional about.
6. The theme of the story is mostly focused on the challenges of communication. It's very relevant to those who have trouble expressing themselves without having to be so preachy about it. Cherry and Smile make the theme look interesting.
7. Funny moments are shown in the film that is worth a good laugh like when Bieber shoplifts or when Toughboy finds out about his car being vandalized.
8. The tone of the film is not only calm and joyful but also realistic to the point of feeling good. It's a slice-of-life film that keeps you relaxed and anticipates what happens next. The film can also have its cute and sweet moments with Cherry and Smile being good examples of this.
9. The festival in the film and Cherry moving away is a symbolism of one thing. That one thing would be the end-of-summer joys complete with bittersweet memories since some individuals go back to school/college after the Summer break.
10. The haiku used in the film proves that this type of writing technique can be interpreted in many different ways. You got a few lines that can touch the hearts of many and will enter those readers into a dreamy thought. If you like to write haikus, you will be down for a film like this one. Haiku in this film just ties so well with the story.
    • The film depicted Cherry thinking that haikus are not meant to read aloud, but he overcomes it.
11. Good voice acting in both the English and Japanese versions of the film. Ivan Mok (Kenny Li from Supergirl) fits well as the no-so-social Cherry, Kimberly Wong sounds so wholesome as Smile.
12. The soundtrack is relaxing to listen to. Especially the song Cider no Yō ni Kotoba ga Wakiagaru (the film's main theme).
13. Despite some cheesy cliches (like the romance), the movie knows how to put cliches into good use and still sympathize with the main duo.
14. The portrayal of how Cherry and Smile use social media can serve as a representation of how social media apps like Twitter and Instagram can cause so many insecurities. Cherry feels undervalued because no one likes his post yet Smile's cutesy character caused her to be more self-conscious about her teeth problem.
15. It's one of those movies that gives you a feel-good vibe thanks to the visuals and entertaining moments the film has in store. Simple yet pleasing to watch.

Bad Qualities

1. The film at times seems rather banal to even feeling rather embarrassing.
2. Mr. Fujiyama's scream can be annoying to listen to. Especially those with sensitive hearing
3. Despite being likable, Cherry doesn't appear to show a lot of emotion. It's understandable, but it can be confusing.
   • Speaking of Cherry, he and Smile are pretty generic in the beginning, but they get character development.
4. The side characters; though tolerable and likable, don't have that much of a motive. They do help out with our two main characters though yet are pretty forgettable at times (except for Mr. Fujiyama).
5. The ending is good, but it feels rushed.
6. The story is a little predictable so it can be easier for those who knew what would happen next.
7. The character Japan is a bit of a stereotypical otaku.
8. Sometimes the movie can be a bit cartoony compared to the comedic western cartoons movie for some people, especially the chase between Beaver and the manager's bodyguards.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 100%, IMDb gave the film a 6.9/10, MyAnimeList.net gave the film a 7.5/10. Most raiting on Google gave the film 5 stars.

External Links

• Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop at the Internet Movie Database
• Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop on Rotten Tomatoes

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