Although not an example of his best work, fans of Taku Furukawa's animation should check out Kumo Ga Harata (雲が晴れたら), a Minna no Uta animation with music by Etsuko Sai. The animation style is typical of Furukawa and the story fulfills the brief by convincingly animating the themes of the song. The only element lacking is the wit evident in Furukawa's independent work such as Jyōkyō Monogatari (1999), a modern take on Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953). The use of umbrellas for the lower half of the bodies as they dance is a nice touch. My favourite 'artsy' moment occurs near the beginning when the camera tracks towards the window and the young woman brushing her hair in the background is blurred by the rain on the window in the foreground. Publish Post