Anyone familiar with anime has encountered the yuri genre at some point. For the most part, Yuri is about girls being in love and falls into three categories. First, there is the kind of yuri that merely hints at lesbianism as a sort of phase for young girls. The second is the kind that exists for male titillation. The last is the rarer kind of yuri that actually tries to portray true-to-life lesbianism. Kase-san and Morning Glories falls into this third category. It had existed as a manga before a chance encounter with director Takuya Sato, who was so impressed with the work that he spent two years making Kase-san and Morning Glories his passion project. The result is a film that is faithful to the original work of Hiromi Takashima and a revelation for anime films.

 For the fortunate few who made it passed the capped line into the premiere and panel at Anime Expo, they were in for something between a treat and unequivocal validation. I say this because it is rare to have lesbians be real lesbians in any kind of media, Japanese or Western. For every serious yuri series like Aoi Hana, there are roughly two fanservice oriented types like Citrus. Not that there's anything wrong with Citrus, but it becomes a problem when most are similar to it. All too often, relationships between lesbians become fanserviced to push for ticket sales, so it is refreshing to see a film that eschews that.

 Much like how Love, Simon was a romantic comedy for gay men, Kase-san and Morning Glories is a romantic comedy for lesbians. Director Sato wastes little time before he throws the audience into the fire right after the opening montage. Sato skips the lead up to the romantic confession between Tomoka Kase and Yui Yamada in favor of making it clear that they are dating. There is no subtle hint, no blushing, and no forlorn looks of heartache. They kiss full stop in the first few minutes. We see the film mostly from Yamada’s perspective, but we also get to know Tomoka as well. Yui is the sole member of the school’s gardening club, but she is a happy kid that diligently takes care of the school garden. Tomoka is the school’s top track star who commands attention because of her accolades and speed. With confession already a given, Yui is still reveling in her good fortune, and Tomoka is ready to initiate sex. Unfortunately for both of them, they are still new at relationships.

For two young kids in love, both Yui and Tomoka show flashes of maturity to go along with their rather curious habits. Yui initially hadn’t even thought about sex, and Tomoka at one point goes as far as blanket sniffing. It goes without saying that their honeymoon phase is glorious in its normality. If there was a lesson to be learned, it would be about consent. Despite Tomoka’s eagerness, she uses her words to explain her desire, but when Yui declines, Tomoka backs off like a mature lady. I am sure there was some eye-rolling going on, but given how even older men have such difficulty with the concept of consent, it was great to see a textbook lesson. Later on, they deal with jealousy, self-esteem (or the lack thereof), and possessiveness; the kind of things that all relationships encounter. That, in essence, is what is most impressive about Kase-san and Morning Glories. Even though they are kids, their conflicts feel adult-like and their trials are relatable because who hasn’t felt the emotional lows from unanswered text messages in the age of read receipts?

To be fair, there is an element of fantasy at play because no one bats an eye at how two girls in love might be weird or immoral. It’s not how lesbians are always allowed to be in their teenage years, but it is how it should be. It is a bit aspirational in that regard, but if films are supposed to be a means of escape from a boring life, then why not let that include escaping from a world that doesn’t treat you with respect and dignity? A happy ending is all but assured, but the way it comes about is simply delightful. The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t the only film franchise to have good post-credit scenes, Tomoka and Yui have one too. It’s somewhat predictable, but our heroines do mature, and given how rom-coms are rife with men behaving badly to get the girl, it was refreshing to see two girls who treat each other with respect ride off into the sunset as partners.

In terms of technical achievement, Kase-san and Morning Glories is beautifully animated. The scenes are simply gorgeous, and Sato makes good use of light for added effect. During the panel discussion, Sato went as far as directly crediting his art director, Kazuyuki Hashimoto, for his work in making backgrounds. It is the kind of beauty that demands to be seen, preferably on a large screen. Studio ZEXCS does a credible job throughout as even scenes of something as simple as getting a text message were oozing with cuteness on Yui’s part. That Kase-san and Morning Glories was even made is a minor miracle in itself. The original magazine that ran the manga folded, but Hiromi Takashima kept it going. It was only a chance encounter at a bookstore for Takuya Sato that led him to start building a development team. While Takuya Sato had worked with character designer Kyuta Sakai previously, it was a serendipitous discovery for Sato to find that Sakai was also a fan. Along with producer Yusuke Tereda, another fan of the manga, you can readily tell that the staff wanted to make this film regardless of whether or not there was a ready market for it. Throughout the storyboarding process, Takashima was consulted regularly and, according to Sato, gave her blessing every step of the way.

^{©2018 Hiromi Takashima, Shinshokan/Kase-san Production Committee} 

Kase-san and Morning Glories is a story that is rarely told, and it was fortunate they got as far as an American premiere. As of this writing, there is no wider North American release announced. Although, negotiations are ongoing. It’s a shame that stories like Kase-san and Morning Glories do not get the kind of interest that they deserve. If negotiations fail, fans still have the Japanese Blu-rays with English subtitles at least. Still, I hold out hope that they do secure a theatrical release even if such a release is limited to more cosmopolitan markets.