WISE Score
Avg. Tomatometer
A neon-soaked, haiku-filled summer romance that’s basically a warm hug for every kid who’s ever felt awkward about their braces or their voice.
100%
100%View →This is a top-tier choice for a low-stress family movie night. It’s visually stunning and emotionally grounded, avoiding the typical high-stakes melodrama of many teen movies.
It’s rare to find an anime this wholesome that doesn't feel 'babyish.' If you have a kid who prefers art and poetry over sports and explosions, this is going to be their new favorite film. Even if they aren't into anime, the vibrant colors and relatable 'awkwardness' make it universally watchable.
Perfect for 9-year-olds and up. It’s clean enough for younger kids, but the themes of teen romance and self-identity are most resonant for the 'tween' crowd and older.
It’s a refreshing story about two kids helping an elderly man find a lost record. The romance is innocent, focused on mutual support rather than drama.
The art style is a neon, pop-art dream that stands out from typical anime. Using haiku to express modern teen anxiety is a creative touch that works surprisingly well.
Essentially zero red flags. No violence, no language, and no sexual content. It’s as safe as a summer day at the mall.
It makes poetry feel accessible and cool. The theme of self-acceptance—specifically regarding physical insecurities like braces—is handled with a lot of heart.
The movie looks like a pack of neon highlighters exploded in a shopping mall. It’s a specific, flat, pop-art aesthetic that sets it apart from the soft watercolor look of traditional prestige anime or the hyper-realistic lighting of recent blockbusters. This visual pop is the first thing your kid will notice, and it keeps the energy high even when the plot is essentially just two kids walking around a mall trying to find a lost record.
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave this a perfect 100%, while the IMDb score sits at a more modest 6.8. That gap tells you exactly what kind of movie this is: it’s a "vibe" film. Critics are obsessed with the bold art direction and the way it captures a very specific feeling of summer heat and teenage awkwardness. Casual viewers who are used to high-stakes anime battles or complex fantasy worlds might find the story a bit thin.
If your kid is currently navigating the social minefield of middle school, this film functions as a low-stakes anime for your anxious tween because it treats small insecurities like they’re the end of the world—which, at thirteen, they are. Cherry uses his headphones as a shield to avoid talking to people; Smile uses a literal surgical mask to hide her braces. It’s a very modern, very honest look at the "masks" kids wear to control how the world sees them.
The hunt for a rare vinyl record adds a layer of depth that keeps the movie from being just another shallow teen romance. The kids are helping an elderly neighbor find a song from his past, creating a sweet intergenerational connection that feels earned rather than forced. It’s a great way to introduce the idea of physical media (vinyl, poems on paper) to a generation that lives entirely in the cloud.
If your family liked the quiet, observational feel of classic "slice of life" stories, this is the neon-drenched update. It’s a slow burn, though. There are no villains, no world-ending threats, and no magic powers—unless you count the ability to turn a shy kid’s internal thoughts into a haiku. If your kid needs constant action to stay focused, they might check out by the second act. But for the kid who likes to draw, write, or just feels a little out of place, this is essential viewing. It’s a movie that rewards patience with a very satisfying, very loud emotional payoff.
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