1/3
Firstly, some positives.
In terms of technical craft, Etranger is easily the superior production of Blue Lynx's three films.
Unlike Clouds Gather and Given, at no point did I feel bored thanks to the vibrant, cluttered visuals and swift editing. The pacing ebbs and flows between each scene transition, which means we never linger on one shot long enough for it to become too tedious or indulgent, though certain sections do feel more perfunctory as a result.
Clouds Gather was a protracted, repetitious slog with little development throughout or even a strong visual aesthetic, and while Given had some good cinematography, for the most part, it lacked the more comparatively fluid animation or dynamic composition.
Music is serviceable but forgettable.
I also feel the film is superior to its source material due to slight changes or removals in adaptation, such as Sakura's attempt to stab Shun, Shun's reluctance to have sex and generally downplaying Mio's sexual orientation.
By keeping things vague for the most part and only relying on visual signifiers, it obviates a lot of plot holes and inconsistencies in characterisation that were present in the manga...for the most part.