THE COLORS WITHIN

Name: THE COLORS WITHIN
Item: THE COLORS WITHIN
Author: Review

"A Colorful, Uplifting, Faith-Filled Musical Experience"

Content: +3 Some minor questionable elements. (Media-wisdom is suggested to discuss.)

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

Credits →

What You Need To Know:

THE COLORS WITHIN is an animated coming-of-age musical from Japan. Totsuko is an energetic teenage girl who can “see” the colors of people’s emotions. After feeling lonely at high school, Totsuko forms a secret rock band with Kimi, a timid female guitarist, and Rui, a soft-spoken music engineer boy. The three musicians practice for their first live performance but are hindered by their personal anxieties. Will they be able to express their true colors?

THE COLORS WITHIN is an excellent down-to-earth story with a significant Christian bent. The art direction, writing and character arcs are all excellent and endearing. The movie has an overtly strong Christian worldview, which is uncommon in Japanese animation. The characters attend a Catholic high school, openly pray to God, directly quote and discuss the Bible and the Serenity Prayer, attend chapel, and extol the good, the true and the beautiful. Lastly, the original songs incorporate “amen” into their lyrics. Older children and Christian fans of Japanese anime will enjoy THE COLORS WITHIN the most. THE COLORS WITHIN achieves a masterful level of religious nuance without talking down to viewers.

Content:

(CCC, BBB, V, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Very strong Christian, moral worldview focuses on friendship and musical expression, the lead heroine attends an all-girl Catholic high school in Japan, the same girl prays at a chapel for God’s advice and frequently goes to confession, the school “forgives” an expelled student after she apologizes for breaking their “no boyfriend” rule, the three musicians incorporate “amen” into their song lyrics, two girls and a boy share a fruitful collaboration for writing music, the characters openly quote passages from the Bible and the Serenity Prayer, Catholic nun tells heroine that if some piece of music “celebrates the good, the beautiful or the truthful, it could be considered a hymn,” the protagonists run “upkeep” on an abandoned historic church in Japan where they practice their music, choir sings “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” and historic paintings of Jesus and Mary are shown;

Foul Language:

No foul language;

Violence:

A girl gets hit in the face by a dodgeball and has a nosebleed, and the same girl knocks her legs against a school desk after snapping out of a daydream;

Sex:

No sex;

Nudity:

No nudity;

Alcohol Use:

No alcohol use;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

No smoking or drug use, but the lead heroine is prone to being carsick and seasick; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

A teenage girl defies the school code of not having a boyfriend while attending an all-female Catholic school (she gets expelled), three musicians hide their involvement in a band from their strict parents and Catholic sisters, and the lead heroine invites her expelled school friend onto campus for a sleepover.

More Detail:

THE COLORS WITHIN is a 2024 coming-of-age musical drama anime movie by Studio Story. Totsuko is an energetic teenage girl who can “see” the colors of people’s emotions. After feeling lonely at high school, Totsuko forms a secret rock band with Kimi, a timid guitarist girl, and Rui, a soft-spoken music engineer boy. The three musicians practice for their first live performance but are hampered by their personal anxieties. Will they be able to express their true colors?

Set in modern-day Japan, Totsuko is a lonely student at an all-girl Catholic high school. She is a former ballet dancer who’s bound by her strict teachers and adherence to virtue. However, she yearns to one day write her own upbeat pop music. Totsuko has the ability to scan other people’s “colors” or inner emotions, such as excitement and melancholy. However, she keeps this ability a secret for fear of being called “weird.”

Soon, Totsuko forms a rock band with Kimi and Rui, two teenagers with “beautiful colors.” Kimi is an introspective female guitar player, while Rui is a kind-hearted boy who uses advanced music software. The three amateurs develop a strong collaboration, write their own music, and practice for their first live performance.

However, the band struggles with keeping their band a secret from their peers. Kimi refuses to tell her grandmother she was expelled from school, the same school Totsuko attends. Rui’s mother expects him to pursue a doctoral career, but he does not admit that music is his true calling. Totsuko tries to abide by her school’s strict moral code, but fears getting reprimanded by Sister Hiyoko. Will the trio be able to face the music? Or will they be blinded by the color of guilt?

From a technical perspective, THE COLORS WITHIN is a home run. The animation is spectacular. Totsuko and her friends are expressive and bursting with energy. The art direction, writing and character arcs are all endearing. The art direction is top notch. It features naturalistic colors and vibrant scenery. THE COLORS WITHIN is one of the best-looking movies in recent years.

Happily, THE COLORS WITHIN has a strong Christian worldview, a rare occurrence in Japanese produced animation. Totsuko attends a female-only Catholic boarding school in Japan. She openly prays to God for advice, visits the school chapel, and examines her own conscience. The band members maintain upkeep at an abandoned Catholic church, go to confession, and openly quote the book of Isaiah. While Kimi and Rui are implied to be relapsed in their faith, Totsuko convinces them to write pop songs that have “amen” in the lyrics.

The strongest aspect is the writing. Totsuko and her friends behave like authentic high schoolers without resorting to drugs or sex. They are awkward with one another but grow into confident people. The characters openly discuss the significance of the Serenity Prayer, Totsuko using music as a creative outlet, and using hymns as a positive expression of God’s love. The movie achieves a masterful level of religious nuance without talking down to viewers.

THE COLORS WITHIN does contain mild objectionable content. Totsuko gets hit in the head with a dodgeball and experiences a slight nosebleed. She also fakes being sick to bring Kimi to campus after hours. Kimi’s entire plot is that she was expelled from Totsuko’s all-female Catholic school for dating a boy. Thankfully, all three protagonists admit their mistakes by the end and get “redeemed” by their peers.