‘Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop‘ is a teen slice-of-life anime directed by Kyōhei Ishiguro, who co-wrote it with Dai Satō. It was produced by Sublimation and Signal.MD. It has a premier at 2020 Shanghai International Film Festival before it was released in Japan in 2021 and released in the United States on Netflix.

Yui Sakura (Ivan Mok) known as “Cherry” to his friends, writes haikus in his spare time and works at a place that helps the elderly. He accidentally switches phones with streamer Yuki (Kim Wong) known as “Smile,” despite the fact she hides her face because she is self-conscious about her braces. The two become friends and eventually, work together to help Mr. Fujiyama (Ping Wu) to find a music record of his deceased wife singing. The two involve their friends and family as they grow closer, but Cherry is keeping a secret that he is moving away.

Keep in mind, this is a movie for kids, so I am reviewing it as such.

I want to praise the animation. It was so colorful, lively, and it really popped. The character illustrations and the backgrounds were done with expert precision and it really made it flow for me. They did a good job with the motions and I think they did an amazing job bringing it to life.

The story is very interesting and entertaining, but also, rather encouraging. These teens want nothing more than to help a friend find a lost memory. It is also a story about learning to accept the life you are given and it was delivered in an enduring way. I truly felt connected to Cherry and Smile as they go about their circumstances, finding friendship and love during the plot.

Honestly, it was refreshing to see a good ol’ fashion slice-of-life teen drama that did not involve the character engaging in risky behavior every five minutes. Instead, we got to see a desire to make one person’s life a little better in his later years with the added bonus of discovering lost love.

Bottom line, Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop is a pleasant film that families can enjoy with its colorful animation and its sweet outlook on life.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Thematic elements

FAVORITE QUOTE: There are so many looking down below. Summer has arrived.

Check out the trailer below:

This review is based on the dubbed version from Netflix.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my movie reviews for My Hero Academia: World Heroes and Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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