How did you spend your adolescent years? That and so much more are explored to beautiful yet tragic lengths in Atsuko Ishizuka’s first original anime film, Goodbye, Don Glees!
A young boy, Roma (Natsuki Hanae, Demon Slayer), and his friend Toto (Yuki Kaji, Attack on Titan) run the “Don Glees” club – a secret two-man club that young boys use to bond. After Toto leaves their local farming community for the bright lights of Tokyo, Roma is left alone and has to face the harsh reality of life without his best friend. When Toto returns and reconnects with Roma, he has already found a new friend in the mysterious Drop (Ayumu Murase, Haikyu!! To the Top) – together the three of them are thrust into an adventure to prove their innocence when the local forest catches fire. On that journey, they face their biggest challenge yet – learning how to move on from childhood to adulthood.
What makes this wonderful film stand it is that it is not a straightforward coming-of-age tale, helped by the fact that anime and animation can allow creators to achieve so much more than your standard live-action affair. Not only that but this film which was also written by Ishizuka-san is about three boys from the perspective of a grown woman. It adds a flavour that is not all that common in a lot of today’s stories. Typically in the past, society has dictated that male-identifying people should not be so confident in displaying emotions or sharing their worries with those of the same gender. But what Goodbye, Don Glees! does is shows that it is okay to talk about your feelings and you should never, ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
The journey the three boys go on covers so many relatable yet fantastical moments from all of our childhoods that it manages to stay raw and down to earth whilst also putting you in their shoes. One particular moment that will always stay with us is when the boys all sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” in this magical musical number that just really pulls at your heartstrings.
With gorgeous visuals and a touching story that also doesn’t shy away from breaking your heart, especially towards the final act, Ishizuka-san’s Goodbye, Don Glees! is a special little film.
Goodbye, Don Glees! is out now in select UK cinemas with a limited theatrical run.
