On Your Mark

Genre: Action/Sci Fi
Format: 1 Movie
Allegiance: Studio Ghibli
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Vintage: 1995
Intelligence Agency Report by: Drake
In the future man no longer lives on the ground because of radiation emitted from the sun and a deserted nuclear planet. One day a team of special police attacked a religious building, in which two members of the group discover a barely living winged girl chained up. Just as they could begin to help, she was carried off by scientists for observation. Feeling sorry for the girl’s capture into the hands of the government, they devise a plan to liberate her.

Field Agent Report by: Drake
Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio
7.75
7.50
7.00
9.50
9.00
Overall 8.25
(not an average)

For an anime that is basically a music video with a plot, On Your Mark does a pretty good job. No surprise there, considering the great Miyazaki Hayao created this in conjunction with Chage & Aska, the two j-rock artists responsible for the music. Each aspect of the music video adds a certain something to give it that breath of life.

Since this is an anime with no background information on the characters, plot, or anything for that matter, most of the plot inferences that can be drawn are brought about by the scenes depicted or by the music’s rhythm in the background. However, do not look to the music’s lyrics for help in learning the story; they are completely irrelevant.

However, this anime is not being praised for its plot or characters, but more for its visuals and music. The animation in the music video is beautiful, vibrant, and full of life. Character designs are definitive and help distinguish one character from another in a movie filled with so many unknowns. It’s obvious that Miyazaki spent a lot of time on the artwork; of course, in doing so he maintains his reputation for greatness in animation. The song used in the video, as said before, really helps set the mood with its rhythm. Simply put, it is a good song for any J-rock fan. It’s easy to just place the song on repeat and forget the actual animation. Though I recommend watching the movie in its entirety and not just listening to the song, it’s definitely worth the six and a half minutes it takes to watch.

I’ll be honest with you; I have not seen as many Miyazaki films, as I would have liked to have seen. However I’ve enjoyed a few of the films I have seen, and seeing this anime has made me gain a whole new appreciation for Miyazaki’s talent in the anime industry. I recommend this movie to any anime fan; it isn’t too long and is well worth the watch.