The Colors Within

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2:02

The Colors Within

PG

2025

1h 50m

Drama

Anime

Music

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

50 Reviews

91%

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

Nov 6

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.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

02/28/2025

4/5

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.

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Josh Slater-Williams

Little White Lies

02/24/2025

4/5

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

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Kayla Chu

InBetweenDrafts

07/25/2025

10/10

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

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Ferdosa

Muses of Media

07/24/2025

4.5/5

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

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Maxance Vincent

InSession Film

07/11/2025

D

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

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Jordan

Aug 22

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

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Gabriella

06/17/2025

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

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Luis G

02/02/2025

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

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Shreya

01/31/2025

Loved it! Great music.

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Philip A. Jones (SonicPAJ)

01/31/2025

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.

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Susan

01/31/2025

Uplifting storyline, beautiful colors and characters!

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Naoko Yamada

Director

Sayu Suzukawa

Totsuko Higurashi

Akari Takaishi

Kimi Sakunaga

Taisei Kido

Rui Kagehira

Yui Aragaki

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Yasuko

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The Colors Within: Trailer 1

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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)