Tears of Life... and Being Moved to Tears

There's no denying that the latest Pokémon movie is a powerful one - at least personally for me. So powerful, in fact, that the last time I saw the movie again, I was pushed to do something that, by recall, I never (or rarely) do during a movie: I shed tears. Shedding tears is nothing new for the Pokémon feature films, as it was a feature of the very first one toward its conclusion. That moment is accompanied by an equally moving instrumental piece which is entitled "Tears of Life".

This five-minute piece, as the title suggests, carries a great deal of emotion. Without revealing much of the details, at that moment, many characters in the movie indeed shed their tears for an unfortunate occurrence prior to the ultimate resolution of the events in the movie. The orchestral nature of the piece only magnifies the effect. I can imagine that many of those who watched also shed some tears; I would perhaps do the same if I was who I am today, but back then.

In the same way, the latest Pokémon movie is a great carrier of emotions, especially towards its conclusion. Since the focus is on Ash and Pikachu, anyone with strong feelings for this dynamic duo - like me - can expect to have emotions that rival those of the first movie. I wouldn't say the situations near the end of the current movie merit the same musical piece from the first movie, but some might consider it suitable, and I wouldn't disagree with that.

For those who feel that the new movie is emotionally touching, you're not going too far. All the things that went on in the movie are most likely intended to reach into the deepest emotions of those who are fans of the anime and its central two main characters, for instance I myself. With consideration of "Tears of Life" and the first movie, it is certainly not the first time for the attempt, nor will it likely be the last, and that is quite respectable. Perhaps that is enough to make you want to continue to shed tears.