Synopsis
Goodbye, Don Glees is about teen misfits Roma, Toto, and Drop call themselves the “Don Glees,” an informal name for their backyard adventures. One day, when the trio gets blamed for a nearby forest fire, they set off into the woods to prove their innocence. As disaster strikes their expedition, tensions flare between the friends as they realize that growing up has taken them on wildly different paths in life.
Review
Each person has his own treasure to find. This may be the main theme of the movie. The start was beautiful. I was tearing up because I could sense this story would be special, but at the end it didn’t turn out like I imagined.
The setting revolves around the countryside, which really makes me appreciate the calmness of the place. The characters were very likeable and very fun to watch. Seeing the trio Roma, Toto, and Drop laughing and crying reminds me about true friendship. It just felt like going on an adventure with them.
The first part of the movie was pretty good, but the middle part got kind of boring. Nothing was happening. It was just the trio going around and talking. The main problem I have with this movie is that the characters keep talking and talking about deep and motivational things for the rest of the movie. After hearing so many “wise” phrases, I felt like everything they said was meaningless.
What was the main message they were trying to portray? Saying meaningful quotes again and again when nothing is happening really removes its meaning or impact. It was like watching a lecture of wise quotes, or to be more exact, like seeing two friends talking to each other. Basically, nothing was happening. I as a viewer could not relate to what they were saying because there was no event or plot point that made me witness their struggles. It was just three friends “ranting” and saying sorry throughout a great portion of the movie.
Still, the way they transmitted the message is very good. The ending is beautiful and confusing at the same time. This movie could have been a great one if there were more things going on and less deep talking.
Also, please don’t expect this anime will be at the level of Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho. Both stories are very different. Yorimoi does its writing perfectly (in my opinion), and it’s truly a life-changing anime. Goodbye, Don Glees is pretty good, and I think you will definitely like it and get inspired.
To summarize, Goodbye, Don Glees is a very simple story. It made me laugh and tear and encouraged me to start doing the things I’ve always wanted (in other words, finding the treasure). The problem is that there is a lot, a lot of deep talking and drama when not so much is happening. Still, it’s worth to watch it. I definitely recommend it, but don’t expect that much.
