Tweekums It is the 2142 AD and a hundred years have passed since an environmental disaster. In that time it has rained constantly and most of humanity is gone. The only survivors appear to be the inhabitants of the new city of Ecoban and the diggers, people forced to mine the fuel needed to keep Ecoban running. Now time may be running out for Ecoban; the man who helped create the system that keeps Ecoban running is now determined to stop it with the help of Shua, a man who was forced out of the city some time before. Shua infiltrates the city to steal vital data and while there he runs into his old friend Jay who is now a member of the security forces. He escapes with the data and a plan is hatched; it will mean returning to Ecoban along with members of the diggers.I must admit I was a little surprised when I started watching this... the DVD box stated that it was in Japanese with English subtitles when it is in fact a Korean film that had been dubbed into English! That wasn't too much of a problem; the dub is decent enough and the visuals are great so it was nice to be able to fully appreciate them. The story might not be the most original but it was well handled and there are a few good surprises. The characters are impressive with likeable heroes, suitably unpleasant villains and some slightly ambiguous characters... most notably Jay. It was hard to know for certain which side she would ultimately side with although most people will probably guess correctly. The animation is really great, nicely combining 3D backgrounds with standard 2D characters. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of animated dystopias.

kylehaynes31 I'll admit that I was a little wary of this anime at first due to its Korean origins. It's nothing against the Koreans, but I was used to Japanese anime, and not keen to change things up at all. The first time I tried to watch this anime, I even stopped watching because the art style was so different than that to which I was accustomed. Both of these impressions were very much in error. Having watched the movie in its entirety several times now, I can definitely say that this movie is not inferior in any way to its Japanese counterparts. The art style is wonderful, the voices are good, in all technical aspects, this movie is notably above the average anime movie. Story-wise the movie is certainly solid, with a post-apocalyptic society struggling with a significantly polluted world and dissension between its social classes. It also deals with love that transcends these class boundaries and the complications there-in. A definite good time, not suggested for younger children, though, as there is a good deal of violence that may not agree with younger viewers. A shining example of how truly good anime doesn't have to be produced in Japan.

DICK STEEL When science fiction-fantasy animation comes to mind, no doubt you'll look towards the land of the rising sun for definitive versions of the genre, and there are plenty of quality material to choose from, given the wealth of material and works by animators and filmmakers alike. Wonderful Days will mark my first Korean movie in this genre that deals with ailing worlds and its fair share of mecha-like vehicles to tickle the visual senses with its eye for detail.Visually, the movie is stunning, especially when it combines 2D animation with a 3D world built from realistic models to give it visual depth, and spruced up with computer graphics. As mentioned, attention to detail is remarkable, and the fight sequences, even though the characters aren't using any fancy weapons, with very ordinary looking handguns as weapons of choice, they manage to thrill with its three-dimensionality and sheer energy that got translated seamlessly for the screen, and I can only imagine watching this on the big screen, where I will likely duck from objects being thrown about. Impressive set action pieces that glue the movie together, but the story fell a bit short, as anime fans will likely be a little bit bored with the same-old storyline involving oppressive societies, exploitation of the weak masses, the arrival of a messiah to put things right, a love triangle, and something which I thought was topical for today, that of pollution. In the year 2142, the world is destroyed by an ecological disaster, and the remaining few of humankind live in an outpost known as the Ecoban, which curiously enough, pollutes the environment outside more as it maintains survivability inside.The story felt a little bit like Vexille as well (along with a lot more other anime of this genre), with the rebels trying to infiltrate the Delcos system to stop further annihilation of slaves and their land in order to keep Ecoban running, and this brings our heroine Jay to come into contact with brooding ex-Ecoban colleague turned rebel Shua, You'd come to be one step ahead along the way as you slowly learn of their respective back stories, and just when you thought you could forgive its many plot elements which got introduced sans explanation, and bear with the characters for a bit, then came the operatic tragedy of a finale which somehow took away a lot of its shine, and dragged on so much that it's easy to condemn the movie thereafter with its clumsy dealing of the caricature-like antagonists, despite its superb animation.But there's a saving grace. Ever since The Fountain, I haven't been able to be swayed that much by a movie's score, until now. The Wonderful Days soundtrack just carries the movie on its own, never mind the relatively weak plot, which received a tremendous boost by the emotive tracks that spoke volumes. In particular, I enjoyed the track "A Prayer", which surprisingly was in English and played at apt moments in the movie, and especially "Mars Theme", even though tracks of such nature are likely necessary to provide that additional emotional oomph which it delivered more than proportionately to the story.

meckert-3 This must be one of the greatest movies I have ever seen ! First of all - the mood is great - this whole movie is a dark cyberpunk-Gothic drama, but yet there is hope that the darkness will come to an end. The second great thing is the animation technique - a mix of computer generated effects (which are truly outstanding) and hand drawn animations. The machines and buildings look very real, there is a lot of 3d action scenes, but hand-drawn characters leave no doubt that this one is a classic anime.The stunning visuals are accompanied by a great soundtrack.The story itself is rather predictable - it involves love, rebellion, an treason - and it fits great. I'don't want to spoil the fun, so I won't reveal more.