‘The Colors Within’ Review: Naoko Yamada’s Exploration of Youthful Friendship Sings with a Warm and Inviting Spirit

variety.com:

Ryan Swen Of all of the phrases that could begin a light-hearted animated film, the Serenity Prayer popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous is surely among the least likely.

But “The Colors Within,” which opens with that plea for God to grant “the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,” is no ordinary animated film.

It is directed by Naoko Yamada, whose work in anime series (“K-On!”) and films (“A Silent Voice,” “Liz and the Blue Bird”) has established her as one of the medium’s most distinctive current voices.

Fitting snugly into her oeuvre’s focus on youthful hopes and desires, the film follows a trio of teenagers as they form an ad hoc rock band, delving into their personal lives with a refreshingly low-key and compassionate touch.The prayer in question is made by Totsuko (Sayu Suzukawa), a student at an all-girls Catholic high school in Japan.