If you are an ardent follower of anime, you’d be aware of the 2019 anime series Quintessential Quintuplets, which is now streaming on Netflix. The two-season anime was quite a revelation for manga lovers, but for general audiences who are left completely unaware, the show is now turned into an animated romantic comedy that goes by the name The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie.
Opening to a whooping opening of $17 million at the Japanese box office, the movie revolves around five sisters in their third year of high school. The beautiful Quintuplets of sisters are all head over heels in love with their teenage tutor Futaro, but if he reciprocates at least one of their feelings is a total mystery.
While that premise feels fairly problematic in a post #MeToo era, director Masato Jinbo manages to use a clever structure to device a fairly charming narrative that also somehow caters to the theme of identity and how mysterious it can be, especially for young girls who are not helped on their way growing up.
The film’s main story is a straight adaptation of the Quintessential Quintuplets TV series, which, in fact, was an adaptation of the 2017-2020 manga of the same name. Here, Uesugi (the tutor) declares that he is bowled out by all five sapphire-eyed girls, but since it wouldn’t be responsible of him to choose them all, he releases an ultimatum to pick one of them by the time the 3-day long annual school festival ends.
Currently, at a Rotten Tomatoes score of 86% based on seven reviews, the movie seems to be receiving universal love from audiences and film critics. Phil Hoad of the Guardian says that the movie is “A fairly charming, if stridently sentimental and moralistic romantic fantasy that, with its clever structure, even manages to pick at the mysteries of identity.”
The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie Voice Cast:
The voice cast for the Japanese version of the film includes; Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Demon Slayer), Kana Hanazawa (The Garden of Words, Your Name), Ayana Taketatsu, Miku Itō, Ayane Sakura (Weathering With You), and Inori Minase.
Where to Watch and Stream ‘The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie’ Online?
The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie was released in 108 theatres in Japan on May 20, 2022, with more theatres added in late July. After premiering in select theatres and countries across Asia, the movie is finally out in the United States. The anime studio Crunchyroll released the movie in theatres across the US on December 2nd, 2022, and it is currently the only way to watch the movie. In order to check what theatres are playing it near you or to book your tickets, head over to Fandango.
As far as streaming is concerned, there’s a slight chance that it will be available on Crunchyroll (which has now been merged with Funimation) after more countries screen the film. There’s no surety to that news, but since the streamer is planning to release its previous theatrical venture Jujutsu Kaisen 0 – The Movie and others in the same calendar year as its theatrical release, there’s still hope.
