Been a fan of Hatsune Miku and Vocaloids for more than a decade but haven't played Project Sekai before. Although I'm not interested in the game, I have decided to watch it since it's the first Miku movie. Was expecting the movie to be a heavy promotion for the game but damn I'm glad to be wrong! It was a good movie which catered to those who like the game as well as those who are fans of Hatsune Miku. I think it will help to have some prior knowledge about the characters from Project Sekai, or you will be a bit clueless in thestart, but as long as you have been following the Vocaloid scene for the past decade, you will be in for a good ride. Oh, and prepare tissues before watching!

If you are not a fan of project sekai, the movie is not going to be very interesting. Even if you are, there are dozens of characters so it only covers them at a very surface level. The plot is very simple and lacks much depth. The ending is just a few short songs from each group you can wave a penlight around for, about 10 minutes. It is an interesting experience to visit a theater for due to the crowd, but would not watch alone at home. The animation is good. The music (very short segment) is good. The story is lacking and charactersare given no time to shine. If you want a minecraft movie type experience, you should check this out in theaters though

I had the pleasure of watching this movie in cinemas in Japan during its initial release, and as a day 1 Project Sekai player, it definitely lived up to expectations. All of the main cast from the game get a good amount of screentime and line distribution, with plenty of background scenes and B-roll to show off their personalities and character quirks. The Vocaloid cast also make an appearance, dressed in their respective outfits from each of the game's "Sekai"s. Definitely would recommend having some knowledge about the game's characters, as they contribute heavily to the plot. However, even if you have no knowledge about ProjectSekai, it is still an enjoyable movie. The movie itself is an emotional ride, with some incredible background visuals and music to accompany it. Speaking of music, be prepared for Love Live-esque music sequences where the characters perform both Vocaloid covers and original songs. There were even special post-credit performances similar to the in-game "Virtual Lives". The audience in Japan brought along light sticks for this segment, and were waving them excitedly. Definitely check out the movie when it releases internationally!

As a fan of the game, I loved the movie. The hidden gems, the music, Hatsune Miku?! It was enjoyable. As a movie, you could say they spread out the focus too much because there was a lot of characters to focus on and the story is basic. That's just part of the core game play, so you can't really help that. Definitely a movie made for fans. The music was GREAT though. I looved seeing my favorite characters moving. The story was predictable. Art style and animation were actually great! Not like the greatest thing you'd expect in an action movie, but the dancing animation wasreally cool. The character focus was spread out for 25 people, so yeah, there was not a lot of character intro for people who've never played the game. I think this movie would only really be enjoyable if you like the music and at least heard of the game.

COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing is not only a love letter to Project Sekai but to Vocaloid as a whole and delves into how Hatsune Miku’s music affects and resonates with both us and the characters in the game's universe. Assuming the audience is already a fan of the iconic vocal synthesizer, the film outlines how important a role Vocaloid music has played in shaping both us and the various Project Sekai characters, and caters to the audience’s individual experiences with the aforementioned music. The vast array of colorful characters serve as a mirror, aiming to reflect the audience's diverse backgroundsand their connection to Vocaloid music back at them, and perhaps touch upon how Miku serendipitously came into their lives. Music as a medium possibly has the most potential for personal resonance, and this is expressed through the idea of a “Sekai”, which is a physical manifestation of the character’s desires, often informed by the music they want to create and how they want to express themselves externally. In this vein, the film takes care to highlight how Vocaloid music may have informed our persona as well as assisted us through tough times, with its massive variety of themes and soundscapes, serving as a potential catalyst for catharsis or inspiration. Not only does A Miku Who Can't Sing cover the connection between Miku and the audience, but also how Miku can be used as a tool for various producers and creatives to express themselves, detailing an artist's desire to reach others and express their often turbulent internal thoughts and feelings outwardly. The film does a great job at illustrating the soul-crushing feeling of when one puts their heart and soul into their art only for it not to reach anyone at all; and how isolating these feelings of rejection can be when you are desperately crying out for help in your works, yet nobody is willing to listen. Admittedly, I have minimal experience with the Project Sekai mobile game and can only imagine how my experience and perspective on this film would be elevated with more context and personal attachment to the characters. That being said, the movie only requires minimal external context apart from a basic summary of the character dynamics present within the five groups. Feeling any degree of passion for Vocaloid music, and especially Hatsune Miku, should provide enough groundwork for the film to be a worthwhile experience. On a more technical level, the performances were stunning and the music covered a large variety of genres, from hip-hop to idol music to rock, displaying the wide breadth of music which has, to a degree, been inspired by Vocaloid and the culture surrounding it. The animation itself was impressively fluid and expressive, bringing the large variety of distinct personalities found within the cast to life and excellently highlighting the quirks and traits that define them. If I were to critique the movie in any way, the outset of the film is rather languid and takes a while to move at a more engaging pace. Furthermore, the dialogue tends to repeat itself in a manner that can feel rather blunt and lacking in subtlety, especially in regards to the sheer number of times Miku attempts to sing her signature song within the movie, Hello Sekai, in hopes of reaching others. These slight nitpicks aside, it is undeniable that Vocaloid has had a massive impact on otaku culture, spawning thousands of songs and even original works such as the Kagerou Project. The movie starts and ends with the members of rock band Leo/Need feeding a stray cat, and this could be easily be interpreted symbolically as a testament to the longevity of vocaloid as an artform, proposing that the genre will never die as long as artists and creatives keep feeding the vocal synthesizer new material. On a personal level, I am a massive sucker for works that interact with the audience in a more meta sense, forging a strong connection between the narrative and our lives. To me, that's where much of the brilliance of the movie lies, and one of the main reasons I would recommend this movie for each and every Vocaloid fan, Project Sekai fan or not. Thank you, Hatsune Miku. Your voice has reached me, and millions across the world!

This review is a love letter for the entire Project Sekai franchise, not just the movie. Be prepared for lots and lots of spoilers for the game, gushing, obsessing, messy writing, and love towards this franchise. Project Sekai is one of those media that pulls you in, hugs you, and never lets you go. It transparently looks into your feelings, doesn’t sugarcoat it or tone it down like many other media in fear of losing precious investor pennies, and presents it in an emotional and deep manner that resonates with your soul. Each character’s struggles are presented to you raw and honest, including in the movie.Without a doubt, Project Sekai is one of my favourite media of all time, and Kowareta Sekai to Utaenai Miku is no doubt one of the best movies I’ve ever had the pleasure of viewing. Many gacha games out there tend to minimize or put aside a character’s struggles so they stay marketable or keep the game lighthearted, but Project Sekai isn’t scared to dive into more serious topics such as suicide, depression, death, abuse, bullying, neurodiversity, pressure, the entertainment industry, trauma, and more, presenting them in a manner where it is appropriate for all ages yet at the same time subtly making it connect for the more mature audience who’ve struggled through the same events before. The story doesn’t shy away from characters literally wanting to kill themselves, which I think is a great breath of fresh air. This also applies to the movie where we see a whole new side to the SEKAIs: people who have already given up. Those who don’t have a “saviour” like what Kanade was to Mafuyu, who don’t have the deep connection to others keeping them going like Ichika; they are the “failed” versions of the characters we know and love today. There were several lines in the movie where people broke down and talked about wanting to “disappear”, multiple scenes of people just giving up on what they love, all from a range of people, young to old, all struggling with different things, and all resonating with different parts of the audience. It’s incredible how a supposedly family friendly Miku tap tap rhythm game and movie adaptation can connect with everyone, from all ages at different parts in their lives. That’s what I think Proseka does amazingly: resonating with you. Although the movie has a runtime of 2 hours and there are over 20 human characters and technically 31 virtual characters to keep track of, the movie does a great job at getting everyone a chance to shine and have some sort of important moment or role within the movie. While the virtual characters other than Miku never really had an important role within the series and were mostly there in the background, we see a little more to them in the movie and even viewers who’ve never read a Proseka story in their life could get a grasp on their personalities. The human characters, however, were done with a lot more care. None of the character interactions or scenes felt forced in or shoved in your face as if they were saying “Hey look! It’s your favourite character on screen give us money”, each character and scene had a purpose and it was very well-written, especially having to balance so many characters, groups, and maintain a concise and clear story. The characters don’t really develop much throughout the movie as a result, which I don’t think is necessarily bad as trying to have character arcs while balancing everything else would just result in a choppy and rushed arc. I believe there was nothing regarding the characters they could’ve done better; they showcased their personalities incredibly that my brother who has never even looked at any Proseka media got attached to some characters. We even get hints to past and future story arcs which I think is a really neat detail; especially with Mafuyu and her constant “aquarium” camera angles. Overall, while it might seem overwhelming at first with the amount of characters there are, they all have a good purpose and none would feel left-behind or forgotten. If you come expecting your favourite to have half the screen time, don’t get your hopes up, but don’t expect them to just have 3 lines either. The art and animation for this movie was simply incredible. We’ve already seen P.A Works’ capabilities with Proseka after the anniversary MVs and digest animations, but wow they blew it out of the park for the movie. The performance scenes are incredible and so unexpected; I loved the songs prior to watching the movie so it was such a treat seeing them animated in actual performances. The choreography is unbelievable and the overall animation was pleasing to the eye. There were definitely moments where animation felt a little choppy at times but the performances and more impactful scenes definitely made up for it. I was honestly worried about the game’s character designs transforming into animation, especially since Proseka’s artstyle is very detailed. I was anxious the movie wouldn’t do it justice, but I believe they did it just fine and exactly what I envisioned for a Project Sekai anime. I’m not spoiling, but the little “surprise” at the end of the movie was a great touch and was very well made and polished. The sound is honestly one of the most remarkable and notable parts of Proseka. Not just the memorable OSTs especially the Phoenix Wonderland theme, but the songs themselves are just incredible. I’ve been looping every song that played in the movie before even knowing their impact after watching their role in the movie. The opening song Hajimari no Mirai is a great introduction and sucks you into the movie, the ending song is incredible, Worlders has been a favourite ever since it released, and oh gosh the group songs. DECO*27 and every artist he worked with outdid themselves, releasing some of the best music each group has seen. Starting out with Fire Dance, probably the most impactful and popular movie song, the rhythm is just so darn catchy and the cool choreography makes it an instant Giga classic. Smile*Symphony is similar to many other Wonderlands x Showtime hits such as Niccori and Glory Steady Go, and the chorus is just too catchy to not smile and dance along. FUN is a more calm and “lonely” sounding song if you listen to it on its own but once put in a performance it’s one of the most hype songs out there. The crowd chanting “YEAH!” in the post-chorus is one of my favourite additions to the songs. Soko ni Aru, Hikari is a beautiful and very unique Nightcord song, and gosh the visuals and direction in this song was just pure eye-candy. I highly recommend listening to the full version, a lot of emotion is packed into its final chorus. Finally, we have SToRY, which I believe to be one of Leo/need’s best work. DECO*27 really outdoes themselves making more rock-like sounding songs, such as Mosaik Role and Android Girl, and it’s no exception here. It’s also a great callback to Leo/need’s first unit song, needLe, finally giving the missing “o” from SToRY to spell out Leo/need, genius. Again, highly recommend listening to the full version, the bridge gets me every single time. Finally, we have the “main” song of the movie, Hello SEKAI, which is so catchy it’s been stuck in my head for days. The first 2 lines are repeated throughout the movie at least 10 times but every single time it gets me. It’s also an incredible payoff to actually hear the song near the end, and I love how it has callbacks to previous DECO Proseka comms such as SEKAI and Journey. Also, the foreshadowing and buildup for the unit songs are amazing and very clever, for example Kohane’s suggestion for vocals at the beginning of the song to hook listeners in, Rui suggesting to flesh the song out with personality, and Ichika suggesting to make eye contact with Saki at a part in the song. I think this is an outstanding touch; it makes the performances and songs a lot more enjoyable seeing how they struggled and practiced and worked hard to get the performances we see. Another point I would like to discuss is its homage to Vocaloid. I do wish there were more though, but I can’t complain since it’s there in the first place. We hear many tracks such as Kariki Bear’s Darling Dance, Ayase’s Yuurei Tokyo, and I believe it’s MIMI’s Hanataba, and I think it’s a great homage to many styles and genres of Vocaloid and many of the great songs made throughout the years. Even fans of Vocaloid who know nothing of Project Sekai would greatly enjoy this movie and be pleased with its call backs and I believe would be very touched with its portrayal and interpretation of Miku. I’ve seen many people complain this movie was Project Sekai related, and it’s sad people call this the Miku movie, when it’s very much Project Sekai. Yes, Miku is a central part of the story but at the end of the day it’s a Project Sekai story. No, you don’t need to play Project Sekai to understand what’s happening, but if you can’t stand Project Sekai but love Vocaloid I think you’re better off watching other movies. However, if you’re a longtime Vocaloid fan who never really interacted with Project Sekai much, then this movie is still a great treat. This paragraph contains spoilers, if you have not seen the movie proceed with caution. Before going into the movie, I expected this movie to be just a fanservice for all fans who want to see their beloved gacha game in theatres. I thought the story would be clunky and shallow and overall filler fun. I did not expect it to blow me away this much, nor did I expect me to be in tears at multiple times throughout the movie. It’s clear the staff working on the movie didn’t just see it as a movie for the fans, they wanted to get across themes and feelings they want to convey, and gosh is it impactful. The scenes of past musicians quitting, a mangaka on the verge of quitting his job, a high school student struggling with exams, all crying and so close to just giving up, but at the same time we hear their desperation, their wanting to live and do their passion, it’s all incredibly powerful. When Miku can’t reach them with her song, you can see how much it despairs her. How heartbroken she is seeing that not everyone lives happily ever after like our beloved groups. Her only purpose is to sing, and seeing that that’s not enough to get to other people breaks her. The scene where she succumbs to the darkness and ponders if that was her fate all along is heartbreaking. The symbolism of the Sekai breaking is amazing and it gave us a whole new side to the Sekais we never even thought about. Another thing that surprised me were its high stakes; Miku’s Sekai breaking actually impacted the real world, it actually affected everyone else’s Sekais, oh my goodness it even affected the other Mikus. Killing off the Mikus was genuinely shocking, as I never expected them to actually have the guts to make their prime character disappear. Miku’s character development throughout the movie is also an incredible touch; her transformation at the end left many in tears and it was beautiful. Overall, Kowareta Sekai to Utaenai Miku is genuinely one of the best films I have experienced, so good that 2 days after I watched it in theatres, I went again and watched it for the second time. I thought it wouldn’t hit the same, but my heart was still pounding the same, I cried just as much, I laughed just as much, it’s just such a magical experience. It has its funny moments which would have you giggling like crazy (especially Tsukasa) and it has its silly and wacky moments you’d smirk at, musical scenes you’d tap your foot to involuntarily, but at the same time it has serious and emotional moments where you’d be bawling on the floor. Even in scenes where it's not trying to be emotional, it’s still very moving and oftentimes so powerful I’d cry anyway. The movie’s themes and message are so incredibly powerful and universal it’s just astonishing. Project Sekai as a whole sends its messages and themes to you with care yet at the same time stabs you right in the heart in your deepest insecurities, yet brings you up and uplifts you. It’s not scared to address problems within mental health, families, and more, and should be applauded for how they take serious things seriously. Don’t think it’s shallow just because it’s a rhythm game marketed towards kids, it’s surprisingly much more mature than you’d ever expect. This movie as a whole is a beautiful love letter to not only Project Sekai fans, but also Vocaloid fans and just anyone as a whole who even slightly knows who Miku is. Even those who never even heard of Miku would surely have a great time and be able to somewhat connect to it. However, this movie is mainly for Project Sekai fans, so do proceed with caution. Don’t take that as a turn-off though, Project Sekai is a beautiful and fantastic game and I’m sure anyone of all ages can enjoy it, so if you have never played Project Sekai, I highly recommend it! Finally, to anyone out there struggling, in distress, or just ready to quit, just know Miku’s got you. Thank you P.A Works, SEGA, and Colorful Palette for making this beautiful, inspirational, and heartfelt movie. Allow me to talk a bit about my personal experience with Project Sekai. I was a big Vocaloid fan around 2 years ago and my friend told me to get this rhythm game called Project Sekai. I knew about Project Diva and its franchise, so I thought Project Sekai would be the same, but imagine my surprise when I saw it was a completely different game, centering around new original characters instead of Miku. Additionally, Proseka actually has a story to follow and lore, rather than Project Diva’s simple ‘play songs and get rewards’ structure (which is great by the way). I was shocked, though a little turned off as I came for Miku and her songs, so having to follow 20 characters I knew nothing about looked like a chore. However, as I persevered through and read the main stories, it felt like the game was speaking to me straight through the heart. Leo/need’s desires to reconnect with your old friends yet wanting to fit in with your new group, MORE MORE JUMP with letting go of the past and carrying on no matter how many times you failed, Vivid BAD SQUAD with feeling inferior to those around you and wanting to run away countless of times, yet having people there to support you, Wonderlands x Showtime with feeling outcasted from everyone and just wanting the best for everyone even if you have to mask your own tears, and finally 25-ji Nightcord de with wanting to keep on going, wanting to live, no matter how hard life is or the amount of guilt you have with from the past. All the stories are genuinely so beautiful, and that doesn’t even count the event stories after the main stories. Each character has their own story to tell, development, and relatability. Saki’s illness holding her back from everyone yet she feels guilty for making everyone worry, Honami’s people pleasing tendencies making her hide her true self to fit in, Airi’s tomboy nature and not being a stereotypical “idol” hence sticking out, Shizuku’s expectations yet discrimination and assumptions for being above the rest, An’s feelings of being left behind and attachment issues, Toya’s abuse and trauma with classical music, Tsukasa getting ahead of himself and not looking behind to see what he fought for in the first place, Nene’s shyness and struggling to come out on top as a result of her inability to truly come out of her shell, Ena’s anger issues and feeling like everyone in the world is against you, and finally Mizuki’s secrets and feelings of not wanting things to change the way they are now and wanting to be accepted. Notice how that’s only half the characters as I didn’t want to drag on for too long, but you should understand by now that THESE CHARACTERS ARE FREAKING WELL WRITTEN. Never have I seen a media that puts so much effort, care, and love into so many characters and are able to make them equally likeable, well-written, and relevant. I hope any future installments of Proseka as an anime would center more around the characters and their development because many people who play the game don’t read the stories, and they’re truly missing out on some emotional rollercoasters, huge progression, and overall masterpiece showcasing of character writing. This is starting to get long, so let me end off the review by saying. Project Sekai isn’t just some stupid idol rhythm gacha game. It’s not shallow, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine, and it’s anything but bad. Proseka doesn’t lie to you nor does it tell you everything is going to be okay. Sometimes all you need is a little push or support from others; maybe everything won’t turn out perfect, we will stumble, we will fail, we will cry, but that’s okay because we still have each other. We will stumble with each other, we will fail with each other, and we will cry on each other’s shoulders. That’s what Project Sekai is at its core: emphasizing, caring, and loving the people in your life. Suffering with them when no one else does. Laughing with them until you start crying. Hugging them so tight it feels like you would explode. Project Sekai is about, and in fact IS, love. Play Project Sekai. It saved my life. Thank you for reading. (By the way, this review is exactly 3039 words not counting this note. Miku fans, you know what I'm talking about.)

Look—if you haven’t been deep into Project Sekai lore, there’s a good chance you’re going to get lost. Let’s just start with the fact that there are 20 main characters, five groups, and side characters who have multiple versions of themselves. It sounds like chaos—and to someone unfamiliar, it kind of is. Of course, if you’ve played the games, you already understand that’s not how the concept works. The story isn’t meant to spoon-feed you every detail. It expects you to know who these characters are, why they matter, and what their purpose is in the context of their own groups and their “Sekai.” That said—if youare invested, if you’ve been following the stories and playing consistently, this is a phenomenal addition to the existing lore. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing stays true to the tone of each group, and the emotional depth hit way harder than I expected in some parts. Just know: the story develops in parallel across all five groups, so everything is kind of interchangeable and non-linear. You’re not going to get a clean, centralized narrative—it’s more like a web of perspectives, each adding another layer to the world. Bottom line: If you’re a casual fan or totally new, you’ll be confused. But if you’re knee-deep in Project Sekai, this is everything you could’ve hoped for.

Before you watch the movie, I recommend you learn just a little bit about Project Sekai. Maybe try the game, or watch the Journey to Bloom series on YouTube. It's not necessary, but just a little jist of the franchise will help you get into the movie better. This is a movie that will be enjoyed by both fans and non fans of both Miku/Vocaloid and Project Sekai alike. Since there are like five different settings in the franchise's story, it feels tough to put them together into one plot. However, the movie strings "parallel" plots together in a way that isn't too overwhelming and, along withthe main plot (the new Miku), makes for a charming story. P.A.Works did very well with the animations, all the VAs' voice are wonderful, and of course the music is awesome, each "unit" gets to showcase their style through their plot and songs which is sure to catch a new fan's heart. (Although the movie repeats those 6 notes throughout the whole length and now it's stuck in my head too.) I wholeheartedly recommend Colorful Stage The Movie for all Project Sekai fans, Miku fans, or just those who like music and J-pop. It's a fun little 2 hour that you'll enjoy no matter how you are in your life.

Even if you haven't played ProSekai (the gacha game) before, I think this is still a really enjoyable movie. While you don't really need to know the characters or game's plot to understand it, the movie also doesn't put too much time into introducing the world. With 5 units, that's 20 characters specifically from the game! ProSekai regularly has a variety of Vocaloid producers create new songs and adds covers of popular songs, and this movie also picks up on that. The music is great—as expected of a ProSekai film! Even if it didn't have the Vocaloid branding behind it, it'd still be adecent movie. It has a good message (although nothing new for an anime movie) and does well to emotionally convey it. While the characters have to share screentime, the movie did show bits of their personalities. Of course, the main character is still Miku, though, and the lead of each unit is at least a major supporting character. Warning: I did have the urge to buy a tablet as an "investment" for rhythm gaming after watching this movie. Edit: It's been 3 days since I watched the movie, and I still want to buy a tablet to play ProSekai.

I came into this movie having never even heard a Miku song nevertheless played any of Project Sekai. It’s always been something I’ve wanted to get into, just never committed to it, but this movie was the impetus for me. Even with no knowledge of the characters or main story other than the group intro videos on YouTube, I absolutely loved this! It’s a simple enough story, the performances were great and the girls were brilliant. I can see why this series has such a fervent fanbase, I could imagine myself getting really lost in the character relationships here and plan to this weekend asI start playing. For the most part, I really enjoyed the story and how everyone rallied together to help Miku achieve her dream. It’s a really wholesome story that had me in tears by the end with how beautiful everything got wrapped up. Again, that’s with no knowledge of the game so I can only imagine how fans of the game will feel. If my theater’s reactions to character appearances and the big set pieces were anything to go off, this would’ve hit 100x harder having played through the game. I said I enjoyed it “for the most part” because I did feel it had like a 15-20 min period where it sort of dragged while on the other hand, because of the runtime and the sheer number of characters in this franchise, I felt like some people didn’t get as much time as they probably deserved? Minor complaints though, I’m a huge idol otaku so I love all the power of friendship “let’s help Miku’s song be heard” stuff this had doing on. PA works are such an underrated studio and I think they were a great match for this franchise because they put together some of the best 2D performances I’ve ever seen from an idol/music show. I’m sure there was some 3DCGI used, but I legitimately couldn’t tell. Everything was so fluid and you could feel all the love that went into it. The standard art was great too, all the characters are so cute! All of the songs were bops too. Speaking of which, that post credits performance was such a vibe and my whole theater had a great time together. I’ve always seen the prosekai community on Twitter, tumblr and other social media and wanted to get involved, kept dragging my feet, now I truly have a reason to go all in. Mizuki-chan Oshi! Prosekai: A Miku who can’t sing gets 10 notes out of 10.

Throughout its nearly two-hour runtime, the Project Sekai movie explores how music can help us reconcile with our negative emotions in a relatively surface-level manner (which is fine; it's a kids/family movie after all). The film also has an auxiliary message: How people, even strangers, can assist each other in a world that often feels dark and uncaring. Some of these elements are presented in a genuinely touching manner, but the narrative fails in many other aspects. When I first heard about this movie, I was doubtful a coherent narrative could be weaved between five groups while authentically presenting the characters dealing with their struggles (somethingProject Sekai excels in). My predictions were correct; this movie barely touches on the characters or their internal and external conflicts. Instead, the focus is solely on the Fragmented SEKAI Miku and how she interacts with the rest of the cast. This choice is simultaneously extremely disappointing and the only method by which it could be even somewhat enjoyable to those unfamiliar with the source material. Even with these compromises, it is questionable if the story will fully resonate with individuals unfamiliar with the source material. Sure, they might understand the series' message from afar, but the emotional weight is lost. They might appreciate moments of high-budget animation, but they won't perceive the artsy MVs often filled with symbolism and esoteric references. Most importantly, though, they won't have any attachment to the characters, which is a problem when many Project Sekai fans simply derive enjoyment from their interactions with one another. Fundamentally, Project Sekai is about characters struggling in their youth—struggling with themselves, struggling with their parents, and struggling with their peers. So, this film perfectly summarizes what Project Sekai is about, but it fails to tell a story about these conflicts as powerfully as its source material. There is no moment where you feel intimate with any of the characters like you do in the game. How could the creators have fixed this? Well, honing in on one of the five groups and loosely retelling their stories in a sort of "alternate timeline" could have fully conveyed the essence of what Project Sekai is. This premise could appeal to newcomers by removing all the baggage while also appealing to fans by being a sort of "what if" scenario for their favorite characters. That being said, I also understand the outrage that would follow a movie with a one-group focus. For example, if this movie had been exclusively Nightcord-focused, it would have felt unfair to the other groups' fans. These conclusions bring us to the core of my review: The Project Sekai movie attempts to attract and entertain too many audiences at once. It tries to ride off the contrails of Miku's popularity while also using characters that have, in many ways, outgrown the Vocaloids originally used to sell them. However, the Colorful Stage movie also has moments that will touch the hearts of those watching; it demands attention despite the repetitive hammering of its themes through the viewer's skull and even through the abysmally cringe Vivid BAD SQUAD rap song. The reason for this is simple: Most of us love music; music has helped almost all of us to some degree—it is something we all have a genuine connection to, so when we visually see how music affects the individuals in the story, it becomes hard for even the more cynical of us to mock in its entirety. So yeah, this movie is pretty dumb and silly, but I feel like anyone who hates the Project Sekai movie, in its entirety, lacks a heart.

This movie is recommended for those that played at least the first story of each group in the game Project Sekai Colorful Pallets Feat. Hatsune Miku that is a Smartphone game. It's a story with the art and history made by P.A.Works so you can expect a lot since Shirobako and other famous titles were made by them. As I said at first, it's for those that played the game and in case you didn't get like there was a lot of people that couldn't get it, it's FEATURING Hatsune Miku, so don't expect her and the vocaloids being the main characters. Of course there's a Mikuthat's in the center of the story, but the main characters are the ones in the "main world" not the "digital world". To give you a example of plot, it's like those adventure stories where the hero go save the goddess that's sealed by the villains and when you save her, she saves the world. Don't take that literally, but it's basically this. The musics are the best too, all the main musics were just created for the movie itself and it's plot, the rhythm are great and I can't stop listening and going to karaoke just to sing them If you are like me, you will probably cry like 4 times in the middle to the end, and I don't know if when you are going to watch it it would be the same as I watched but in the end they do 2 live shows with the main musics of each chosen group, and they let you use the penlight there, it was great

Review: “Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing”. Bringing the vibrant world of Project Sekai to the big screen, “Colorful Stage! The Movie” is largely a treat, especially for fans of the game. The music is fantastic, featuring both beloved tracks and catchy new songs that truly capture the energy of the franchise. Seeing the diverse cast of characters and their interactions animated is definitely a highlight and offers many rewarding moments for those invested in their stories. Visually, the film mostly shines with the colorful aesthetics known from the game. However, there are moments where the animation feels slightly off. This isn't about themain character performances, but rather noticeable in some brief background elements – for instance, quick establishing shots of locations like the school, or background crowds where simplified 3D models with repetitive, uniform movements are used. It's a minor point and doesn't last long, but it can momentarily break the immersion in otherwise beautifully crafted scenes. SLIGHT SPOILER: Story-wise, the film ambitiously juggles multiple character arcs and their respective “Sekai” dimensions. While this allows many characters to get screen time, it can feel quite fragmented, especially if you're not familiar with the game. The narrative jumps between protagonists and assumes a fair bit of prior knowledge about their backstories and relationships. For newcomers, this complexity might be confusing and make it hard to follow all the threads without the context provided by the game. It clearly rewards players who know the source material inside out. Conclusion: “Colorful Stage! The Movie” is a must-watch for dedicated players of “Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage!”, offering great music and fan-favorite character moments. While the slightly jarring use of simple 3D for some background elements and the dense, multithreaded plot might be minor hurdles (especially for those unfamiliar with the game), the overall energy, charm, and musical brilliance make it a highly enjoyable experience for its target audience. It successfully translates much of the game's magic to film. Rating: 8/10

If you play the game the movie is a great!! It's so nice being able to see the characters become alive on screen. The movie follows an original storyline but features all 20 game original characters so background information is required to get full enjoyment. If you don't want to play the game I recommend watching the "journey to bloom" series on youtube posted by the official project sekai account. It's 5 short videos that introduces the 5 bands (it summarizes the introductions in the game). For extra understanding I recommend also readingthe wiki on each group and each character to understand the relationships shown in the movie.

All things considered, this is a pretty well done movie. First off, the visual direction is quite solid. This is a very pretty movie, and a lot of care went into the high number of set pieces throughout. Secondly, as long as you're not trying overly hard to keep track of every character (and you honestly don't need to be actively familiar with very many), it does quite well at juggling the large cast and all the parallel plotlines which I'd consider quite impressive. It may be a tad confusing if you're unfamiliar with the games or whatever other media makes up this franchise (whichI am not), but it still manages to be quite enjoyable even if you're basically only familiar with Miku. The range also does a great job highlighting the huge breadth of meanings that music can have for different people, as well as the varied work and creative processes that go into it. The plot is fairly cheesy, and the depth of the storytelling is somewhat limited by the age rating, but if you can turn off the cynic in your mind you can actually have a pretty good time while your inner child rolls their eyes and plays along with a smile.

I have been a Vocaloid fan since I was 9 years old. I never in a million years thought I would get to see Miku in theatres and yet here we are! This movie was everything I wanted and more! If you're a fan of Hatsune Miku, or even just like Vocaloid in passing, I highly recommend this movie! First of all, it does focus heavily on the human cast; that is, the characters from the game connected to this movie "Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage". As a player, I really enjoyed seeing these characters I have come to love and it was a very satisfying experience!If you're unfamiliar with the game, the story might be a little weird or make little sense; however, I firmly believe it is still worth watching! My main reasoning? The music! All of the songs are beautifully done, from the choreography to the singing itself! They were lively and gave me a real uplifting feeling; I sincerely felt the feelings the characters were trying to convey with each new song! Even though I'm definitely heavily biased as a long-time Vocaloid fan, I honestly believe this movie is worth a try for anyone looking for a lighthearted and musical experience. It's very well-done in every department; the animation during the songs is especially great! I hope this review convinced at least some people to give this movie a try. Thank you for reading!

short review, this movie is not only for pjsk players, it can also be watched by non-pjsk players and as long as you know Hatsune Miku I'm sure you will enjoy this anime movie. This anime will also make you feel touched, or even cry feeling sad. In terms of character design, this is said to be interesting because each character in this film has their own characteristics and uniqueness. This movie also has elements that touch the heart and there are elements of fun too, in terms of music and story I give a rating of 10/10 because after watching this movie I feellike I want to rewatching the movie because this movie is very good and wholesome

This is going to be my first ever review on here, so apologies if it lacks substance overall, still figuring out how to format it and get things across, so be patient, though I saw this Movie in Theaters and thought why not add a review for it whilst it's still fresh Going to keep this as spoiler free as possible, and also write a different 'perspective' of what I think it'd be like if you have *not* played Project Sekai or know much of Hatsune Miku in general First up miscellaneous things: Overall if you're a fan of PJSK or Vocaloid you'll enjoy this, they madesure to give as utmost screen-time as possible to each of the groups and characters quite well!! There're a few inside jokes for die-hard fans, and there's also countless random screens throughout the Anime in the background playing popular as well as more obscure Vocaloid songs!! It didn't feel to me like any particular person was overlooked, but also because of this every character is quite surface level if you're never played the game before, granted the amount they did squish in was quite a feat for an under two-hour movie anyways This also seemed very coming of age story to me, if you're on the younger side or quite whimsical it might be more interesting to you, but the story itself doesn't really 'go' anywhere, and I'll elaborate later in the review Other than that, this is a pretty perfect representation of what Vocaloid is and what Miku was created for, it conveys the raw human emotion behind art and music, and the passion and pains that come along with it, the messages in this might appear surface level but the amount of history behind Miku and Vocaloid as a whole did make me cry in the theater Alright moving on, STORY IF YOU HAVE PLAYED PJSK: Quite good, it keeps the original plot and characters from PJSK, but brings about something new a new miku!! Where'd she come from, why can't she sing, why's she appearing to those whom already have a Sekai!! Like I said earlier they give a decent chunk of screen-time to all the characters whether it's in slice-of-life flashbacks or showcasing the groups dynamics, no character's story goes to in-depth though it does seem Ichika was intended to push the narrative along and slightly more portrayed as the 'main' besides this movies Miku of course Now without spoiling much, the story is overall predictable, it's pretty much in the title, this Movies Miku cannot sing and get through to others, que the tragedies that come with a handful of people in the world who can't listen to music and get the messages they desperately need to hear or feel, and guys let's go fix Miku and show her more music and ways to touch others!! I quite liked the portrayal of the Sekais in the Anime especially how each one was showcased during a certain part where things started not looking so good for the Sekais and our Vocaloid cast, for example the Theme Park Sekai showcased the characters running from immediate danger by doing tricks, flashy moves, and acting where-as the Empty Sekai showed quite the contrast with the characters standing still and taking in the possible embrace of death just a detail thought worth mentioning as there are countless other small things like this, though I feel they belong more in the Animation category respectively Though during the story, it seems they repeat A LOT of the same phrases and things, yes some are necessary though most points could easily be brought across and deeply explored once or not just, not brought up every 20 minutes, though it doesn't truly hinder the viewing experience and some might need this Though the story is good and quite a heart-warming, coming of age, band story, the new Miku didn't end up doing much, once she gets a good ending, it seems like in the after credits scene somebody new joins her Sekai, but she mostly ended up disappearing to not hinder the game and that's quite obvious, as when the whole movie is over it's like, wait, nothing changed, well except for a few NPCs lives, though then again it does go along with the message of the movie of how one song should be sung so it can reach countless people, but even if it doesn't just a single person is enough STORY IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED PJSK: Going to be repeating a bit of the same thing as above, but if you've not played PJSK before-hand these would be my 'concerns' The whole movie doesn't really explain the Sekais (Semi-virtual worlds created by the strong feelings of characters, usually discovered or made by songs each world get's their own Vocaloid cast ex, Miku etc and they can only access this world through their phones or devices) Though I get why they didn't explain most of this and similar things in the movie, it would be a bit of a curve if you are going in with nothing prior That also goes for the characters, it might be overwhelming as they introduce 20+ characters and then duplicates of each of the Vocaloid's per Sekai, without prior knowledge you might be guessing for their backstories or what characters are hinting at since all the characters/groups are given a good amount of overall screentime but this also comes at a slight cost of the characters all being quite surface level, granted this is the daily life of highschoolers mostly lol The end of the movie steers towards musical more than anything, there's also a lot of repeating of what they should or need to do over and over, which wasn't that bad but still a bit jarring at times and then it feels a bit like nothing happens at the end, yes it felt great, the closure was, alright, but if this whole movie didn't happen it wouldn't change much of anything with our main characters, mikus, or world, this seems like it was done to keep the game lore going the same direction so it's alright Phew, alright onto the next category, MUSIC/OSTS: If you're familiar with Vocaloid at least or have played PJSK you'll have a great time, the OP, ED, and songs between were just right They showcase each group with a song and you instantly get what they're about and if you already know the songs then, your faves were done justice!! There's also Vocaloid songs EVERYWHERE, you might recognize some, they're playing on screens, phones, billboards, shops, in the background, it really adds to the immersion as well as some fun easter-eggs for die-hards Now whilst most of the OSTs didn't quite stand out much to me, nothing was jarring, and everything went together beautifully, and some were quite tear-jerking as well!! ANIMATION: It's a movie, so the animation is usually going to be decent, and whilst it isn't MAPPA crazy, it's pleasing to look at and quite smooth, there's so many small details and easter-eggs that make the characters feel so very alive, it made for a great viewing-experience Now what was surprising to me the most was most of the stage scenes were animated not using CGI/3D, which, perhaps I should've excepted from a musical-theme'd anime, but knowing the game being 3D for dance scenes and Vocaloid's on stage overall, it was pleasant nonetheless In fact, had to check it wasn't 3D later as I didn't bring glasses to the theater uhhh, actually should you trust this animation review- The animation also really helped out the humorousness Alright that's a lot of rambling so here's a 'summary' - The story is easy enough to get and a bit predictable overall, whether you've played PJSK or even know of Miku or not, the end feels like closure but also an invitation of what could come, though at the same time, a, did anything actually happen during that at all It's fine for a quick bite-sized wholesome and emotionally moving movie with some amazing songs - It really conveys what Vocaloid is about, as well as creative endeavors and passions, from singing, to art, to design etc - The characters are all there and ALL of them, there's a lot like 20+ so if you're not familiar with them beforehand, what they tell you is pretty surface level but still emotional and gets the Anime moving along - Overall, a very coming of age story, reminiscent of a musical just without awkward breaking out into song, and things do get quite emotional along the ride - Not usually a fan of movies as it feels like the passage of time is messy, but this conveyed it quite decently and knew where to utilize flashbacks and quick slice-of-life moments - Hatsune Miku Thanks for reading these rambles, not sure if it was helpful but oh well and yes this was a run-on sentence, anyways if you've read this far you're interested!! So, watch it!!

This movie is more than what meets the eye. To your average viewer this will be a heartfelt movie with tearjerkers and fan favorite characters. But this movie can mean a lot more to those who are struggling. Those who need someone to reach out. Those people who are feeling like they are going to give up. This movie can give them at least a spark, something to ignite the fuel again. For any creator out there, or anyone trying to find their purpose, give this movie a shot, and maybe it will lead you to where you need to go; it did that forme. (Also a bonus since the music was amazing in the film :] )

A movie that will go down in vocaloid history. As a ProSeka player, it's an excellent movie, and for anyone new, regardless of whether they're a fan of vocaloid or not, it stands up on it's own well enough as an entertaining movie. To summarize: Strong points - Animation, Visuals, Editing, Miku, Voice Acting / Vocaloids, Songs Weak points - Pacing, Side Characters, Script Neutral - Directing, Plot, Music, Main (ProSeka) Characters +++ ] Strong Points:Miku. I think this is something that really gets overlooked when looking back at this movie. For the first time, Miku is the main character of an anime story. And despite thousands of media portrayals, they were able to create a character that is not unnatural or uncanny in anyway shape or form. Unlike Project Sekai stories, movie Miku isn't bound by the quirks of a specific sekai and she is no longer a supporting character but the main character. She's somehow both familiar and new. When something is good, it should be unnoticeable and movie Miku perfectly encapsulates this. Visuals are excellent. The character designs which I thought looked strange in the PVs actually blend incredibly well with the backgrounds and draw out the charms of each character. Every character has at least 2 or more outfits and it was impressive how intricate some were, especially since all the dance choreography was fully 2D. Animation throughout the movie was good, but not necessarily a sakuga fes or anything. Environment had a lot of thought given into the atmosphere of each setting & Sekai, (shooting stars in the school sekai, extra angles of WEG, Kanade & Ena's rooms, Tenma siblings house, etc) Seeing different angles of the in-game locations was pretty interesting as a player and they did a very good job bringing life to the story backgrounds. Voice Acting / Vocaloids are all in all good, especially Miku where her speaking voice doesn't come across as uncanny or too unnatural given how she has the majority of lines. Unfortunately, the script doesn't really provide many opportunities for the voice actors, however, their performances in each song were excellent. Insert Songs Songs, all great as expected from an all star lineup of vocaloid producers. Standout songs are Fire Dance where you can feel Giga's influence on the arrangement and is the first insert song to play, instantly setting the tone for the climax, The Light That's There or Soko ni Aru, Hikari is the closest in terms of the movies theme and sets the tone very well, and SToRY where you can most definitely feel and hear kemu's arrangement on DECO*27s melody, making for a very memorable and one of L/Ns best songs. FUN!! and Smile*Symphony are well suited for MMJ and WxS but don't really stand as they're sandwiched between the other groups and the partially used insert song Kimikoi Quest is honesty a banger. OP/ED Hajimari no Mirai is a great opening and very much a 40mP and sasakure song. Worlders is good and very loaded with every character singing a part. It's also quite different from what you'd normally expect from JIN or teddyloid, intentoionally made to be an upbeat, group oriented, sing-a-long song as per JIN's comments. Climax Insert Song Hello, SEKAI is the perfect "climax" song. It's a blend of modern and older deco*27, similar to classics like Ai no Kotoba with the upbeatness found in deco's current works. It's also remiscient of livetune, who's music supposedly inspired deco*27 to start creating vocaloid songs and resembles many of the magical mirai theme's. However, regardless of whether these similarities are intentional or not, it does use leitmotifs for both SEKAI (ProSeka Theme Song, deco*27 x kemu) and Journey (ProSeka 2nd Anni Song, deco*27) doubling down on it's ProSeka routes while appealing to a broader vocaloid audience. All in all, it's a song that encapsulates Miku, Project Sekai, Deco*27, and the themes of this movie. --- ] Weak Points: Pacing was pretty poor with the movie trying to balance introducing a new concept, the plot, and 30+ ProSeka characters including the Sekai vocaloids. It's not particularly a problem, but it is undeniably noticeable at certain points, specifically the setup to the first "twist/conflict" and the setup to the climax, where the shift and stakes instantly shoot up without any transistion whatsoever. An extra 5-10 minutes at each point would have dramatically improved the overall pace of the movie. Side characters are possibly the worst aspect of the movie and are little more than plot devices. Despite being the core target of Miku's conflict, none are given more than a minute of screentime throughout the entirety of the film and have no more than a couple of lines each. Their short appearances, pretty much cameos, are sandwiched between the main units, so their actions and motivations feel jarring. Going from a short "introduction" showcasing a random collection of somewhat sad/depressed/disheartened characters giving up, to hysteria and anger by their next apperance for the sake of the plot. A lot of the shouting, screaming, and hysterics were a bit over the top and is followed by monologue explaining to the audience why this character suddenly exploded. Script also suffered in several places. The most notable being "Kito todoku hazu" the first line(s) of Hello, SEKAI, which is "sung" in a capella repeatedly and crosses over to annoying and/or immersion breaking. Unfortunately, the song Hello, SEKAI is started around 7+ times throughout the movie, depsite only playing in full once. Miku will sing "Kito todoku hazu" every several minutes and at it's peak it is played consecutively 3 times back to back by different characters. The line's prescence works against itself, as it's too memorable to be played so frequently. Unlike a catchphrase or saying, it's an a capella song being started and stopped repeatedly during the same story beats, and with Miku's vocals and the limited runtime of the movie, it quickly becomes repetitive and dull, a "We get the point" moment if you will. There's also a noticeable divide in lines relevant to the plot and lines relevant to "building character", where a character will talk to themselves or out loud, for a "I am this type of character, this is my character trait" line. Basically, a quickstart character trait guide for the audience that has not experienced ProSeka before. Unfortunately, this does not help a new audience warm up to the 30 or so characters on screen, but rather just paints them as a 1 trait cookie cutter character, especially for chars with fewer scenes. Ultimately, the script really struggles at certain points with it's core audience and ends up flip flopping between new viewers and existing players, rather than striking a good balance. === ] Neutral Points: Directing was fine, for an anime movie, I really wish there was a more creative or dynamic "camera" but it does it's job. Notably sticks to very close shots and character + environment shots. Good posing, captures characters well and N25 vocaloids coolness left an impression, but pretty basic other than that. Plot was interesting, but is really held back by the movies weak points and lacks a clear and strong resolution. "Focuses" / Revolves around near-non-existent side-character plot-devices and doesn't have enough screentime to really build up. Also uses some strange and one-time "mechanics" to build conflict and tension that are never explained and even new to ProSeka players, before wiping the slate clean with a reset. Music* (OSTs) were good with a caveat. All the OSTs in the movie were original to the movie afaik and did an fine job at adding to the scene, one or two even stand out. Unfortunately, the only ProSeka in-game OST that plays is the weekend garage bgm. NONE of the incredible story osts made it into the movie which could have gone a long way in setting the emotional atmospheres for certain scenes. The runtime also isn't long enough for any of the movies OSTs to be played enough to leave a lasting impression and the insert songs cannibalize into the OSTs as the entirety of the climax revolves around them. ProSeka Main Characters All the main characters (ProSeka Characters) are fine, but really lack any real focus or development. Without prior knowledge, it's hard to associate anything more than a trait to each one, and not all characters get an equal amount of focus. Nene, Mizuki, Shiho, Honami, Toya, Shizuku, Akito, and Airi in particular probably having the least amount of screentime and the rest getting most of their screentime from group settings, minus Ichika. None of each groups goals are touched upon in the movie, but can more or less be surmised from the conversations, however, WxS suffers due to their eccentric natures and their focus on shows, despite the lackof in the movie. Emu & Rui in particular, since their characters are especially quirky and they lack individual screentime to elaborate much more than that. It's also hard to tell the relevance or importance of the units as their history/prestige/accomplishments are never touched upon and none actually perform until the climax. Another point where the movie struggles between existing players and a new audience, where a short performance by each unit at the start of the movie would have gone a long way. Surprisingly, aside from Miku, the character with the most development is Wonderlands Showtime Kaito with his own short conflict and resolution, fleshing out his character more than my impressions from the in-game stories. === ] Good: Animation 8.5/10, Char Designs 9/10, Environment 9/10, Editing 8/10, Voice Acting / Vocaloid 8.5/10, Songs 9/10 Bad: Pacing: 6/10, Side Characters: 4/10, Script 5/10 Neutral: Directing 6.5/10, Plot 7/10, Music (OSTs) 7.5/10, Main Characters 7.5/10 The ProSeka movie is entertaining. Although it could have been better, it also could have been a lot worse. There are some great highlights and some parts that hold it back. An extra 10-20 minutes could have gone a long way and it's definitely not "see it 4, 6, or 26 times (lol) good" but, I believe it's worthwhile to watch in theaters on the big screen at least once regardless if you've played ProSeka.