What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedColorful
Keiichi Hara · Film · 2010
If you loved Colorful, start with Colorful (Eto Mori, 2021) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Colorful across media.
What hooked you in Colorful was the way it uses supernatural second chances to force an intimate confrontation with past regrets.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
The Color Purple
Alice Walker · Book · 2011
Shares a thread with Colorful: Coming-of-age.
Like the protagonist of Colorful, the characters here must navigate the heavy weight of their history and trauma to find a path toward personal redemption and self-acceptance.
Norwegian Wood (ノルウェイの森)
Haruki Murakami · Book · 1987
Shares 2 threads with Colorful: Suicide, Coming-of-Age.
If the psychological focus of Colorful resonated with you, this novel offers a similarly profound look at how grief and loss shape the identity of young people.
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle
Haruki Murakami · Book · 2011
Explores: Existentialism, Loss, Disappearance.
Mirroring the identity crisis found in Colorful, this story follows a man whose search for his missing cat evolves into a complex existential journey through his own life.
Goodbye, Eri
Tatsuki Fujimoto · Book
Explores: grief processing, cinematic storytelling, memory vs reality.
Just as Colorful examines the intersection of memory and reality, this manga explores how young people process the lingering grief of losing a loved one through creative outlets.
Series on the same thread
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Series · 2021
Shares 3 threads with Colorful: Second Chance, Redemption, Reincarnation.
For those who appreciated the second chance narrative in Colorful, this series provides a deeper look at the process of redemption and the difficult work of overcoming past trauma.
Your Lie in April
Series · 2014
Shares a thread with Colorful: Redemption.
Much like the emotional journey in Colorful, this series depicts a character struggling to move past the death of a parent while discovering the healing power of art.
AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Series · 2011
Shares a thread with Colorful: Coming-of-Age.
This story echoes the themes of unresolved grief and childhood trauma present in Colorful, focusing on how characters must reconcile with their past to finally move forward in life.
ERASED
Series · 2016
Explores: Childhood Trauma, Preventing Tragedy, Unsolved Mysteries.
If the supernatural premise of Colorful drew you in, you will value this mystery where the ability to alter the past serves as a catalyst for preventing deep-seated tragedy.
Podcasts on the same thread
Kuru Podcast : Start Living!
Podcast
Explores: quarter-life crisis, twenties, life choices.
This podcast addresses the same feelings of life crisis and regret that define the soul's journey in Colorful, offering practical guidance for those seeking to start living again.
Wake Up and Win
Podcast
Explores: anime inspiration, personal growth, goal achievement.
Connecting to the motivational core of Colorful, this podcast uses anime narratives to help you overcome self-doubt and find the same inner strength discovered by Makoto's soul.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Colorful based on a book?
Yes, Colorful is based on a novel of the same name. The book was published in 2021 and serves as the original source material for the 2010 film adaptation directed by Keiichi Hara.
What is the premise of the film Colorful?
In the film Colorful, a dejected soul is given a second chance at life by inhabiting the body of a 14-year-old boy named Kobayashi Makoto. The soul must identify his greatest sin from a former life while being monitored by a spirit named Purapura.
Should I read the book or watch the movie Colorful first?
Since Colorful exists as both a 2021 book and a 2010 film, the order is a matter of preference. Both versions explore the same narrative regarding a soul inhabiting the body of a boy who committed suicide to discover his past mistakes.
Is Colorful about a boy who committed suicide?
Yes, the plot of Colorful centers on a soul placed into the body of a 14-year-old boy named Kobayashi Makoto immediately after he committed suicide. The soul must navigate this new life and uncover the truth about his past before his time limit expires.