Fireworks

"Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?" (打ち上げ花火、下から見るか？横から見るか？) is a Japanese youth drama originally written and directed by Shunji Iwai as a television play in 1993. It was later adapted into a 1995 film and a 2017 anime film. The story explores the love, confusion, and possibilities faced by adolescents. It centers on a group of elementary school students (or middle school students in the anime version) who debate the shape of fireworks when viewed from different angles, triggering a series of fantastical events. The female lead, Nazuna Oikawa, plans to run away due to family problems and chooses between two male protagonists, leading to parallel timelines. Known for its unique narrative structure and visual style, the work has influenced subsequent Japanese animation and film. The anime film adaptation adds more fantasy and sci-fi elements, like the “moshimo-dama” (if-ball), which rewinds time, further exploring the possibilities of “what if.”