Laughing Under The Clouds(曇天に笑う) Series + Films Thoughts

 

    Laughing Under The Clouds is a series that was created by KaraKara Kemuri. The overall series has many adaptions from the year 2014 to about 2018. Some examples including anime, stage play, live action film, three anime films, and a manga series that spawned two spin offs. 

   Three brothers live life together set in the feudal era of Japan as times began to change and more advanced technology makes an appearance.  They thought that their days would be full of laughter until an urban legend threatens to rip them apart..... 

    I've heard different opinions about the anime adaption but I wanted to check it out for awhile now. Only because the cover art caught my eye. I bought the films before I watched the anime too. Gosh, I'm glad that the show gave more than I expected. The first three episodes were really about building that stage to show the brother's love for each other... Or even the two younger brothers's love for their older brother. He's basically the parents that the two young brothers have. In the process of creating a family centered sort of anime, there's enough comedy to make a viewer think that this show is some kind of spoof. If you're someone who gives up on an anime after the first few episodes, I would warn you to hang in there a bit longer. A mystical demon dragon, betrayal, and romance spanning hundreds of years give the rest of the show a bit more to chew into. Laughing Under The Cloud isn't meant to be an action packed anime series though. We are just grateful enough that the story gives a good excuse to have action scenes. Even with this being said, the show fights to focus more on the cast of characters most of all. I've heard also that the manga has an ark that was just as confusing as a section of the anime where the episode decides to focus on two characters from years before. They tie into the main plot however, the sudden switch in storyline is very random and it takes some getting use to. 

    I could tell that the three films were produced by a completely different studio because the character models look a bit more updated compared to the series. The first film was my favorite because it takes place right after the series ends. Plus it gives you the starting look at where all the characters were after the events of the anime. The third film has the most action and romance. I did feel however that the ending wasn't has much of a solid close as the first film. Overall, all three films could have been OVA episodes if some scenes were cut out..... 

    Laughing Under The Clouds is one of those surprise anime that isn't as bad as you think it's going to be. There's enough here to keep you watching if you like drama and action. Don't expect mindless fight sequences all throughout the show though.