Bangtan Flower

(Minor Spoilers Ahead) Yes, I am using Google Reviews to write this instead of an anime forum site. Why am I doing this? I have no clue, other than for more people to see my opinion I guess. This movie was a huge 50/50 for me. The main female lead had a lot of character focus, although her backstory was a bit confusing. She was living with her grandfather, but he died by being mauled by a bear. There was really no exploration of her relationship with her grandfather, or her parents. Some flashback scenes could have been nice to develop a connection with the main female lead, and understand why she valued her grandfather so much, while her brother didn't (As far as I can tell, he hated the grandfather because he disapproved of the brother becoming a samurai). Cons of the story: - The romance between the two main characters seemed really unnatural. I know it isn't the main focus of the film, but they only really met in the story three or four times. I didn't really see a romantic connection being built. I believe that they were both physically attracted to each other, but when Hamaji confessed, it felt bland and forced. - The Fuse for me had a lack of motive. I wish it was explained why they suddenly entered Edo City and started to eat people's essence. It was explained in the story that Shino and Itezuru try to resist their urges to eat human souls, but the other didn't seem to do so. I wish there was more backstory building besides the play about the Fuse's origins, so we can feel emotion towards the Fuse and their deaths can be more impactful. I think it would have been more interesting if the story was centered around the Fuse, rather than Hamaji. - Implied Beastiality - For being an action movie, it had a lack of action. There were a few scenes here and there that were well made and left suspense, but most of the action scenes were a bore to watch. I find PG Studio Ghibli films to have way more action and suspense than this action movie did. - How did Hamaji make her gun? There was really no explanation in the movie to her unique gun. Did her grandfather give her the gun? Did she make it herself? Why is she the only one outside of the royal soldiers who own a gun? Now we got Cons over with, let's move on to Pros: - The atmosphere is wonderful! I felt like I was right next to the character while she was exploring the world. The Red Light district was well made, and I liked how the movie's mood switched to somber when Hamaji found the darker side of the Red Light district. The backgrounds were colorful and fun. - Hamaji is a strong lead. Although I would prefer to see more of the Fuse's side in the story, she is a brave and strong-minded character. I really like her philosophy on hunting and her hesitation of killing the Fuse. I like how she isn't really a damsel in distress (unless she's in social situations), and has the ability to save lives. She's a fun girl, trying to find herself in a new environment. - The characters' personalities are apparent. Although they aren't really complex, they also aren't one dimensional characters. I found everyone to be slightly interesting, besides surprisingly Shino. - The end of the movie was enjoyable, despite being a bit lackluster. It was left mostly up to the watcher's interpretation of Shino and Hamaji's relationship. I hope whoever is reading this found my review useful. This is my first time writing a review. I left out most major spoilers, so you can enjoy your viewing experience. :)