Fireworks: Shinboo Akiyuki and Takeuchi Nobuyuki’s animated film tells a story that is centered around a device that doesn’t quite land and a romance that doesn’t quite convince. Even so, the power of the images, ethereal and dreamy as they are at times, gives the film a certain mood and that makes the experience more interesting than the story. There are some computer-generated images that stick out like a sore thumb, and while each character is distinctly designed, they can be relatively simple at times, making even the visuals uneven. The voice acting is efficient enough, led by Hirose Suzu and Suda Masaki as the young pair of friends. The musical score, by Koosaki Satoru, is quite beautiful and a good fit to the whole.