3 stars for the pretty animation, and the lesbians. i would've rather watched an hour of them being homebodies. sigh, i had higher hopes for this movie though.

3 stars for the pretty animation, and the lesbians. i would've rather watched an hour of them being homebodies. sigh, i had higher hopes for this movie though.

this would have blown up on wattpad in 2014

this would have blown up on wattpad in 2014

The Stranger by the Shore follows Shun, a young writer living by the sea, and Mio, a quiet boy who comes into his life like a wave that does not ask permission. What starts as something soft and distant slowly becomes a story about fear, longing, identity, and learning how to accept love when you are still struggling to accept yourself.

Honestly, this was cute. Wholesomely cute.

The animation is beautiful, the seaside setting is so warm, and Shun and Mio’s relationship had moments that felt genuinely tender. There is something about the ocean, the quiet glances, and the soft colors that made the whole thing feel like a memory you accidentally walked into.

But at the same time, I wanted more.

The film touches on internalized fear, family tension, and the difficulty of being honest about who you are, and those parts were honestly the strongest for me. Shun’s hesitation felt real. His fear of being seen felt real. The quote really stayed with me because it says so much with such simple words.

“I was just wondering what makes us all so afraid of two men or two women being together... All the things we could fear in this world, and we pick love.”

Like exactly. EXACTLYYY. Out of everything cruel and terrifying in the world, people still choose to be scared of love. Be serious.

Still, the movie felt a little underdeveloped in some areas. Some emotional beats moved too quickly, and I wish the relationship had more time to breathe. It had the heart, but not always the buildup. There were moments where I felt the movie wanted me to cry, but it had not fully earned it yet.

That being said, I still liked it. It is soft, sincere, and quietly meaningful. Not perfect, but definitely sweet.

A cute little seaside love story that could have gone deeper, but still left its warmth behind.

The Stranger by the Shore follows Shun, a young writer living by the sea, and Mio, a quiet boy who comes into his life like a wave that does not ask permission. What starts as something soft and distant slowly becomes a story about fear, longing, identity, and learning how to accept love when you are still struggling to accept yourself.

Honestly, this was cute. Wholesomely cute.

The animation is beautiful, the seaside setting is so warm, and Shun and Mio’s relationship had moments that felt genuinely tender. There is something about the ocean, the quiet glances, and the soft colors that made the whole thing feel like a memory you accidentally walked into.

But at the same time, I wanted more.

The film touches on internalized fear, family tension, and the difficulty of being honest about who you are, and those parts were honestly the strongest for me. Shun’s hesitation felt real. His fear of being seen felt real. The quote really stayed with me because it says so much with such simple words.

“I was just wondering what makes us all so afraid of two men or two women being together... All the things we could fear in this world, and we pick love.”

Like exactly. EXACTLYYY. Out of everything cruel and terrifying in the world, people still choose to be scared of love. Be serious.

Still, the movie felt a little underdeveloped in some areas. Some emotional beats moved too quickly, and I wish the relationship had more time to breathe. It had the heart, but not always the buildup. There were moments where I felt the movie wanted me to cry, but it had not fully earned it yet.

That being said, I still liked it. It is soft, sincere, and quietly meaningful. Not perfect, but definitely sweet.

A cute little seaside love story that could have gone deeper, but still left its warmth behind.

hearing "i was just wondering what makes us all so afraid of two men or two women being together… all the things we could fear in this world, and we pick love." gets me everytime

hearing "i was just wondering what makes us all so afraid of two men or two women being together… all the things we could fear in this world, and we pick love." gets me everytime

*all the things we could
fear in this world and we pick love.*

*all the things we could
fear in this world and we pick love.*