The Colors Within premiered at Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2024 and has been praised for its delicate storytelling and evocative animation. Critics highlight its focus on character development, the delicate portrayal of emotions through music, and its sensitivity to the nuances of teenage angst.

Naoko Yamada about her film:

“I wanted the audience to feel calm, kindness and happiness, so that went into deciding the colors and the atmosphere of the characters. But I really wanted to express light through color. The way Totsuko sees color, she sees Kimi as blue and Rui as green, and then she finds out later that she’s red. These are the primary colors of light, and when they get layered on top of each other, it turns into white. In that color of whiteness, I really thought it expressed the possibilities and the futures of these characters in a beautiful way”.

About the сreators: 

Naoko Yamada is a celebrated Japanese animator and director. She began her career at Kyoto Animation, where she worked on iconic anime series like K-On! (2009–2010) and Tamako Market (2013), as well as feature films A Silent Voice (2016), Liz and the Blue Bird (2018), and Violet Evergarden (2019).  In 2021, she directed the original anime The Heike Story under Science SARU, receiving acclaim from fans and critics alike. 

The Colors Within is produced by Science SARU, a Japanese animation studio known for its unique and experimental animation style. Notable works by Science SARU include Devilman Crybaby (2018), which became a hit on Netflix for its raw storytelling and stylized animation. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (2020) is another popular series that follows high school girls with a passion for creating animation, capturing both the joy and challenge of creative expression. The studio also produced films like Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023), and The Night is Short, Walk On Girl (2017), a surreal and colorful love story.

Reiko Yoshida, the screenwriter for The Colors Within, has contributed to over 128 anime series and films, including The Cat Returns (2002), Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll (2018), A Silent Voice (2016), Ride Your Wave (2019), Bakuman (2010), and D.Gray-man (2006).

Kensuke Ushio, the film’s composer, is renowned for his work on soundtracks for anime series such as Chainsaw Man (2019) and Dandadan (2024).