I adored, absolutely adored Cherry Magic from episode 1 to 12, and when the film was announced, I was ever so excited that we were going to get a continuation. But the very first thing that happens in the film is that we find out that, basically, the end of episode 12 is no longer canon, and Kiyoshi never lost his magic like originally stated. It almost felt like a cheap way for them to write a plot for the film, by saying "let's completely forget about that whole thing about him having lost the magic on Christmas so we can turn it into a film". Early on, that didn't leave a very good impression on me, and it was a little saddening considering the quality of the original series.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad we got a film. It was very well-produced and the acting was stellar not just from the two main leads but the side characters, too. However, the plot felt very thin throughout a large portion of the film, and it dragged down my overall score by a bit, sadly. There were a lot of things that felt rushed, some things skipped that I wish hadn't been because it didn't make sense to cut them out (why didn't we get to see Yuuichi and Kiyoshi say goodbye before the scene suddenly cuts to Kiyoshi in Nagasaki?). It wasn't as if the film lacked direction, but the execution fell short quite a few times and the scenes didn't feel as impactful/meaningful as I think they could have.

I really appreciated the 'angstier' scenes and how they were directed, and by association the acting we saw on screen during them. Keita Machida never ceases to amaze me with his talent; I truly felt for and with Yuuichi thanks to Machida bringing him to life in such a great way. Similarly, Eiji Akaso does a great job of showcasing Kiyoshi's growth in the film which is one of the bigger things I appreciated with this film, the fact that Kiyoshi got to have his flaws and then do his best to work on them for his own and also Yuuichi's sake. They showed affection in whatever way they were allowed to (guessing it might be a similar situation as it was with the series and how that ended on that 'kiss' as the lift doors closed) and you could still feel their love for each other even if it was portrayed kind of tamely at times. The actors did the best with what they were given, and they did great.

Overall, will I still say that this is worth watching? Yes, of course. If you liked the series, then you should watch the film. But I think it's good to go into it with lowered expectations, which is hard to say because I personally went in with *high* expectations because of how great the series was/is. Sad to say that the film doesn't have the same quality and magic (forgive the pun) as the prequel series does.