PriPara sparkly space movie is not for teens [Review]
The songs in PriPara are catchy but anyone over 10 will probably find the rainbow colours and frilly dresses quite tiring
This film is suitable for its intended young audience, but not for teenagers. The sparkles, rainbow colours and bright pink frilly dresses will appeal to children, but anyone over 10 will probably find it exhausting to watch.
PriPara is based on the Japanese anime series of the same name, which was originally an arcade game by Takara Tomy. It doesn’t have much of a plot since the movie mainly showcases songs sung by the various groups, but it is about the PriPara pop idols taking their first space tour, and performing for aliens on different planets.
There were only dubbed screenings at the cinema, and the Cantonese voice-over was stiff and unnatural. The animations were not particularly outstanding – quite typical of all anime about idols, really – but the dancing and the colours and sparkles were done quite well.
The songs are good and catchy, though. There are different types of music, from typical pop to a bit of punk rock, so it will appeal to different people.
I also liked the fact that they have a female character who is on the larger side – Chanko – and a non-binary, Hibiki, who looks like a girl but is voiced by a male. These characters perhaps address modern issues on a simple level.
Overall, the movie is done well for a children’s film, but I don’t think it’s worth going to the cinema to watch it.
Edited by Pete Spurrier