Fireworks

Shy junior high student Norimichi and his outgoing best friend Yusuke both fall for Nazuna, the enigmatic new girl in their school, in this 2017 anime feature that combines school-age romance, sci-fi, and fantasy. Nazuna is confident and smart but also vulnerable and unhappy, and Norimichi, aided by a magical orb, replays a day over and over to turn himself into her savior and help her run away. The original Japanese title translates to "Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side Or the Bottom?", a reference to a tiresome argument between the boys over whether fireworks are flat or round when they explode, but a more descriptive title would be "I Wish," which is what Nazuna says before throwing the orb to reboot the story and start again. Fireworks is from the producer of Your Name (VL-3/18), another romantic drama with elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and time travel, but it lacks the depth of character and emotional nuance of that earlier film. Nazuna is a passive figure whose own story is barely explored and Norimichi himself has little dimension. And the boys indulge in mean-spirited sexism when they harass a large-breasted teacher, which is never addressed. Presented in a dual-language edition on separate DVD and DVD/Blu-ray Combo releases, suitable for 13-up, extras include a featurette on the English voice cast. Optional, at best. (S. Axmaker)