The first hour or so of this film had me invested completely. The story of young boys and the friendship that develops at a unbearably tough opera school fascinated me. Once the story went on and on through many moments of history, I found myself less and less interested, and disliked the main characters more and more. Also, Chinese Opera is one strange art form.

Been wanting to see this for a long time. Didn't quite emotionally connect with me like I hoped it would, but the story, the animation, and the stories told within are mesmerizing. A one-of-a-kind documentary slash drama that raises many questions about war and guilt. Many scenes are breathtaking, including the nightmares, and the "waltz."

A quirky story about quirky characters doing and saying quirky things set to a quirky soundtrack.

Laughs: Moderate
Story: Minimal
Overall: Forgettable

A good score and some good old fashioned fight scenes, but I think I would have had to watch this as a kid to appreciate it. Now, it just comes off as incredibly cheesy.