In This Corner of the World

There have been few anime movies which have not left me deeply moved, and this is no exception. Mixing cute anime characters and their straightforward lives (at least on the surface) with the chaos and trauma of the Second World War may seem like an oversimplification of the war and a cheap, melodramatic effort at invoking sadness and tears, but there is a depth to the characters and emotions in this movie, and the ultimate message of the movie is not just that war is devastating and destroys the lives of countless innocents, but also that life moves on in spite of all the carnage, and people change and discover new qualities and things about themselves, transforming them into different (perhaps better?) versions of themselves.

The movie follows our female protagonist Suzu through her childhood to early marriage to the tumultuous years of the War. Suzu is a lovable and cheerful protagonist, gentle and kind but also clumsy and forgetful, redeemed by her artistic talent and her perseverance, but there are hidden depths to her that are only partially revealed through some odd sequences in the first part of the movie, and come into the spotlight in the second part after her traumatic brush with the War. The animation is beautiful, and the attention to detail is superb, transporting the viewer effortlessly to rural Japan in the 1940s. The cultural quirks of this place and era are delightfully presented in the first half of the movie, during which it feels like a gentle slice-of-life movie. Once the War begins in earnest, we see the effect that it has on the ordinary citizens. While there are some traumatic sequences, the movie does not linger on them, and instead it focuses on how the characters handle the changes and come to terms with them, often questioning the futility of all the devastation (especially after Japan loses the War) but also forging new bonds among each other and finding hidden depths in themselves.

One stark criticism of the movie is that some important supporting characters are not properly introduced, and Suzu's own feelings and desires are not properly explored, so that some revelations later on feel artificial and we never really entirely understand Suzu's actions and her motivations. Apparently, an extended version of the movie is being prepared which I feel is definitely required to understand this story in its full details.

This is by no means the first animated film from Japan about life in that country during the Second World War. Isao Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies came out in 1988, and while there are similarities, there are also many differences.

The lead character is called Suzu and we follow her life in and around Kure and Hiroshima before, during and after Japan's involvement in the Second World War. While there is no mention of the attack on Pearl Harbour, America's attacks on mainland Japan are shown in graphic detail. The hardship and suffering of the civilian population is the main focus of the film and punches are definitely not pulled.

All in all a great animated film, personally I'm going to try to watch more films directed by Sunao Katabuchi.

For a film that takes on a big and heavy-going part of history, I have to say I was very impressed with how sweet and touching In This Corner Of The World is. Although it's never an emotionally exhilarating experience, it brings a very nostalgic and intimate story to light with some beautiful animation and a unique look at the years before the bombing of Hiroshima, all making for a thoroughly engrossing and affecting film.

But first, let's just get across what doesn't quite work about this film. It's definitely important to know that this isn't an account of the Hiroshima bombing itself, nor is it a heavy-going war drama on par with something like Grave Of The Fireflies. That said, the first half of this movie doesn't quite deliver a strong enough story to make its more personal focus so enthralling.

As sweet and nostalgic as the film is, and as clever as using the historical hindsight to watch people live out their daily lives innocently in the old Hiroshima is, the plot for the first half just doesn't really take you anywhere. It's a pleasant and pretty account coming of age story, but it's a little too much like a slice-of-life drama to really give you that strong emotional connection to the characters right from the beginning, meaning that the film does take quite a while to really get going.

That said, once it shifts up into a more dramatic gear, things become very impressive. Now contrasting the hardships of a war context with the life that this young girl was building for herself, the film taps into an emotion that's rarely focused on, bringing a sombre atmosphere to what was such a sweet and pleasant story of nostalgia, by showing you what the true loss of war can be: an entire community filled with lives flourishing all over taken away.

And yet, the film remains surprisingly heartwarming even when it gets into some of the heavier-going parts of the history. Whilst there are many really sad moments that tug at your heartstrings, the determination of our main character as she negotiates an unimaginably harrowing situation is so uplifting, and brings out a brilliant beauty amidst all of the horror of war.

Which brings me to the animation. Styled in a similar fashion to many of Studio Ghibli's best works, this film not only looks beautiful, but its animation style plays a big part in its story. Throughout the film, we learn how the young girl loves to draw, which is even more apparent against the beautiful hand-painted landscapes.

But from her love of drawing come a series of stunning sequences in which we see the Japanese navy ships, as well as aerial battles and air-raids in the skies above Hiroshima turned into delightful and colourful paintings seen from the eyes of this young girl, heightening the sense of sadness when you think about such a happy and kind- natured character having her life turned completely upside down by the war.

Finally, when it comes to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, I think that this film handled itself very well. In keeping with the notion that it's not a direct story about the event on the August 6th, 1945, the very moment itself isn't shown explicitly, and we continue to focus on the confused and gradually beleaguered people living in the city on the outskirts of Hiroshima.

Yes, the story does still bring to light the horrors of the aftermath of the bombing, but in that it continues to show some beautifully heartwarming and uplifting moments that emerge from the terror, and in the film's finale, it really shines with a bold and brave but utterly stunning demonstration of the strength of decent human beings in the face of the worst possible adversity.

Overall, I was very impressed by this film. Although it gets off to a very slow start, it compensates with a beautifully-executed second half, using the sweet and nostalgic nature of the first act to tug at your heartstrings when everything turns dark, and with the gorgeous animation style from start to finish, this film is a truly touching watch.

If you have chance to watch this movie, no matter what you must. And if you like it, you had better go looking ofor original manga book. I have been huge fan of original manga work but am still surprised the quality of this animation version. It was so true to original and yet what added has all tasty meanings. I found this masterpiece of animation as a rare case of triumph being transitioning media.

Greetings again from the darkness. There is something hypnotic about the hand-drawn animation of writer/director Sunao Katabuchi's film based on the 2007-09 Japanese manga (comic) by Fumiyo Kouno. With some similarities to Takahata's 1988 classic Grave of the Fireflies, it's more than a wartime drama – it's a story of the human spirit.

It's 1935 and Suzu is a young girl who lives in Eba, a town in Hiroshima. She is an exceptional artist with a vibrant imagination and an adventurous approach to life. Her innocence and pleasant childhood existence is rocked when, as a teenager, she receives an out-of-the-blue marriage proposal from a stranger. Life with his family in Kure forces Suzu into a daily routine of cleaning, mending and cooking – all while longing for her family in Eba.

The film clicks through the months and years, and provides a history of war time from the perspective of a family and village. While the date of August 6, 1945 hovers on the viewer's mind, we experience how family dynamics are affected by war time. For Suzu, her daily routines such as food preparation provide a necessary structure and distraction, despite the ever-worsening shortage of food and supplies. These stresses are compounded by air raid warnings over the radio and Suzu suffers through vivid nightmares.

We so easily connect with Suzu as she continually fights through hardships – both physical and emotional – because of her determination to live a good life and overcome all obstacles. This is such expert story telling with a beautiful presentation, that the film periodically reminds us that war is close by. Even in a war torn country, the people must find a way to go about daily life while treasuring the rare moments of joy and understanding the strength of togetherness. It's rare that an animated movie can deliver such a humanist look at fully formed characters and their feelings … all within a historical setting.