The Colors Within

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2:02

The Colors Within

PG

Jan 2025

1h 50m

Drama

Anime

Music

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

50 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

100+ Verified Ratings

Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the 'colors' of others. Colors of bliss, excitement, and serenity, plus a color she treasures as her favorite. Kimi, a classmate at her school, gives off the most beautiful color of all. Although she doesn't play an instrument, Totsuko forms a band with Kimi and Rui, a quiet music enthusiast they meet at a used bookstore in a far corner of town. As they practice at an old church on a remote island, music brings them together, forming friendships and stirring affections. Will they discover their true 'colors'?

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Critics Consensus

Exuberant in both its palette and sound, The Colors Within gets the band together to deliver a kaleidoscopic celebration of human connection.

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Ren Scateni

Sight & Sound

What makes The Colors Within a queer story, and one that perfectly exemplifies the significance of a chosen family, is its compassionate portrayal of young people who defy societal norms and expectations.

Nov 6, 2025

Full Review

Tara Brady

Irish Times

There are no big dramas, save for a call up to the office for skipping a school trip. Reiko Yoshida’s script instead foregrounds sincere friendship and the joyful mechanics of songwriting.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 28, 2025

Full Review

Josh Slater-Williams

Little White Lies

The film’s finale absolutely hits with the power of a dodgeball to the face that still makes you beam uncontrollably.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 24, 2025

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Kayla Chu

InBetweenDrafts

'The Colors Within' is an extraordinary entry in Yamada’s work.

Rated: 10/10

Jul 25, 2025

Full Review

Ferdosa

Muses of Media

Naoko Yamada and Reiko Yoshida’s collaborations always yield outstanding results, and The Colors Within is no exception. It is vibrant and emotionally satisfying.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 24, 2025

Full Review

Maxance Vincent

InSession Film

There are fleeting glimpses of emotion, but the overall result still rings dull and hollow when the credits roll to an admittedly decent song.

Rated: D

Jul 11, 2025

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Jordan

It was a good movie with good music but I couldn't understand the plot at all.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/22/25

Full Review

Gabriella

Beautiful movie with beautiful music. The animation is really pretty and crisp. Nothing about the movie I didn’t enjoy (:

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/17/25

Full Review

Luis G

Beautifully animated, wonderful story and music. A must see!!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/25

Full Review

Shreya

Loved it! Great music.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/31/25

Full Review

Philip A. Jones (SonicPAJ)

Great wholesome movie. Slow paced but the likeable characters and their journey was worth it. The art direction and surprisingly great music really sell this as a unique experience. Good dub too. The main character sounded like my little cousin.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/31/25

Full Review

Susan

Uplifting storyline, beautiful colors and characters!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/31/25

Full Review

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Naoko Yamada

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Sayu Suzukawa

Totsuko Higurashi

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Kimi Sakunaga

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The Colors Within: Trailer 1

2:02

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Synopsis

Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the 'colors' of others. Colors of bliss, excitement, and serenity, plus a color she treasures as her favorite. Kimi, a classmate at her school, gives off the most beautiful color of all. Although she doesn't play an instrument, Totsuko forms a band with Kimi and Rui, a quiet music enthusiast they meet at a used bookstore in a far corner of town. As they practice at an old church on a remote island, music brings them together, forming friendships and stirring affections. Will they discover their true 'colors'?

Director: Naoko Yamada
Producer: Yoshihiro Furusawa, Genki Kawamura, Eunyoung Choi, Wakana Okamura, Kohei Sakita
Screenwriter: Reiko Yoshida
Distributor: GKIDS
Production Co: Story Inc., Science Saru
Rating: PG (Mild Thematic Elements)
Genre: Drama, Anime, Music
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 24, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2025
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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