Break ups are never easy. Especially when it’s the sixth or seventh time with the same person.
I’ve read Korean manwha before, but regarding Korean anime, Break Ups was admittedly the first I’ve seen (if you count out the adventures of Pucca for embarrassing reasons) or even heard about. Those who are connoisseurs of Korean anime have the right to berate my ignorance on the subject since I’ve made little to no effort on learning more about Korean animation until after viewing Break Ups.
Break Ups is a nice little anime of fourteen minutes that talks about –you’ve guessed it- break ups. One would expect it to present the hardships of many characters who are going through tough times (at least that’s what I was expecting at first) in their respective couple, but instead the anime focuses on only two characters and their on-and-off going relationship throughout the years.
More precisely, (since the story isn’t as easy as you think it is) the two Exes meet unintentionally on a beach and are given the once-in-a-lifetime choice of going back to the past to view the major points of their relationship from an exterior point of view. And I should add, they’re capable of doing this thanks to a Break-Up machine found on the beach.
A Break Up machine.
…A Break-Up machine. Brought to you by the creator of the DeLorean time machine.
Moving on, the anime was generally good for a fourteen-minute work and held a close-to-realistic approach on the troubles some have or might encounter in their couple. I was genuinely surprised at not having cringed at least once while watching Break Ups. Most of the time I anticipated a shojo-esque reaction or conclusion to the past fights the couple had, but thankfully it didn’t happen. That, or my memory is being unfairly selective once more.
As for the characters, there’s not much to say apart from their names and the little snippets of their personalities we got to see. The guy (Ji sik) seems like a pretty nonchalant and arrogant character whereas the girl (Ye Mean) is expressive and has a short temper.
It doesn’t take much to figure out how doomed their couple was from the start. Unless you strongly believe in the power of love and Korean dramas.
So, music. With simple piano themes accompanying us either during comical or melancholic moments, I personally didn’t find the music to be the highlight of this anime. It wasn’t bad at all, just not memorable or remarkable. The only tunes that did, in fact, capture my interest were the cute pop songs sung near the end.
The element that I believe was the highlight of Break Ups was the animation. The characters’ designs weren’t outlined, giving a rough draft impression to the work- just without the sketchy look. In a way, I found it pretty refreshing to see a style of work I wasn’t used to at all, and I think that’s what really kept me into this anime until the end.
Break Ups was a good opportunity for me to discover Korean anime, and nonetheless made by an independent studio. The only unfortunate point I found with this work is how unattainable it is for those who aren’t Premium members on Crunchyroll. I’ve tried searching elsewhere, but I’ve gotten close to zero results on the internet regarding it and where to watch it, which is a terrible disappointment if you ask me. Perhaps one day Crunchyroll or another legal streaming site might make it available for everyone, but for now, if you’d like to learn more about Korean anime, you’ll have to try something else.
Happy Halloween, guys~
This anime is available on Crunchyroll.
