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Description:
Based on a manga by Masakuza Katsura, this deservedly popular comedy-romance suggests a cross between The Velveteen Rabbit and The Little Mermaid. Gentle, empathetic Yota is dismissed by his high school classmates as a "dateless loser"; he nurtures a crush on Moemi, who's in love with his best friend, Takashi. Then Ai materializes from his VCR: she's a "video girl," designed to provide company and comfort. She and Yota unwittingly fall in love, which Ai is forbidden to do. Yota learns from their relationship that love and life are transitory, rather than permanent (a recurring theme in Japanese literature) and that sometimes having loved and been loved is sufficient. Mizuho Nishikubo directs with unobtrusive polish, although the script saddles him with unnecessary cheesecake shots and slapstick violence. Voice actors Maggie Blue O'Hara and Brad Swaile offer nuanced performances as Ai and Yota. Unrated; suitable for ages 16 and up: Nudity, sexual humor, mature themes. --Charles Solomon
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