MAJOKKO SHIMAI NO YOYO TO NENE

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA AdventureNoroiya Shimai
SPECIAL MusicMajokko Shimai no Yoyo to Nene Movie Extra: Hatsukoi - Mikako Komatsu

REVIEWS

• 

  Natoki

  65/100
  a warmful tale but misdue by its vivacity

  Majokko Shimai no Yoyo & Nene
  6.5/10

  Hello, hello dear people—once again, no sooner has the work ended than a review must be recited straight away. Well then, shall we begin? Let me introduce The Enchanting Sisters Yoyo & Nene. A film produced in 2013 by Ufotable, adapted from the manga of the same name, consisting of a single volume—and yes, I know, how sad. Anyway.

  We are given a story that, even if it does not leave a lasting mark, will nonetheless manage to touch you through the warmth it exudes. So how does that happen, you ask? It’s quite simple: the work presented to us tells what initially appears to be a particularly volatile tale, where magic is a foundation that is no longer questioned. There, in a fantastical kingdom, live two sisters who—just as the film’s title suggests—are named Yoyo and Nene. These sisters are commissioned by various clients, more or less renowned, to resolve affairs such as curses, among other things. And during one such request, would you believe it, one of the two sisters finds herself transported into what is presented as our own world.

  Thus begins this film, its synopsis lightly sketched out. Let us move on to the analysis.

  Visually, this work is very interesting. The studio went all out to produce a cascade of scenes perfectly suited to what most characterizes the concept of magic: an abstract form that nevertheless rests upon an authoritative foundation, yet one that cannot truly be explained. As for the universe offered to us, the animation places no limits on itself and constantly seeks imaginative emancipation. It is deeply moving to feel such power in this desire to illuminate us, the spectators, through this process—this deluge of the unidentifiable.

  On the other hand, there is the fable at the heart of this creation, and this is unfortunately where the project’s dead weight lies. The work centers on a question of principle revolving around everyone’s selfishness; it seeks to strike us with our own rot, shaped in a way just as fitting for you as for me—assuming, of course, that such consideration applies. Let us elaborate: the work draws its main characters with rather immature souls. One focuses on detachment from magic, while the other builds herself through her imprisonment outside of reality.

  To bring these themes to life, specific cases arise and are meant to provide the expected degree of interest—and it is here that my negativity toward the work begins to surface. The structure of the narrative is riddled with holes; many elements are delivered poorly, due to a presentation in disarray. The characters lack defining attributes that would justify their existence, or else these are granted far too late. Moreover, certain scenes are governed solely by the purpose assigned to them, and that purpose limits their portrayal. As a result, if scenes exist only to fulfill such a role, then world-building is not even a question worth asking.

  This is where the work fares worst: two clearly distinct worlds whose embodiment of the links between them is ignored from our point of view. When this finally develops, it once again serves only to align with the work’s overriding objective, without any possible aftertaste—whether good or bad. The film is very direct about what it wants to convey, but this bluntness backfires, encouraging us to point out its flaws. The more it takes shape, the more the work rushes toward its own conclusion, and with its themes carried through its framework, this becomes a regrettable choice given what could have been a simple yet warmly engaging story.

  There is a clear talent for the unreal, capable of binding our fantasies to the art it overflows with, but this remains more of a stylistic gesture than a true necessity. At the same time, it is this passion for what is rare that occasionally grants the film its importance, and paradoxically fuels our desire for it. The work also aimed to impart what it considered an essential lesson: an acknowledgment of our selfishness, paired with the value of not fully indulging it—the positivity of still being able to pay attention to it without letting it take form.

  So for us, whose lives leave room only for an unjust fate, reluctant to spare us and sometimes denying our very presence on this earth, this tale might emerge just as whimsically as it is constructed, tugging at our view of our disdain for others and of the importance we grant ourselves. Perhaps, conversely, it could guide us toward generosity, candor, and benevolent naivety—a hint of change that chooses to greet those around us at the expense of oneself, without denigrating the self in the process.

  In conclusion, Majokko Shimai no Yoyo & Nene may be nothing more than a fleeting work, but it nevertheless had the goodwill to share its ideas and to engage the pseudo-filmmaker that I am—easily, and with an honorable, albeit scattered, intent.

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