En este rincón del mundo

A coming of age story set during WWII depicting the story of Suzu a girl forced to marry away from her home. Viewers may find parallels to 'Grave of the fireflies' another animated Japanese film depicting war time struggles of the ordinary people. In fact the struggles of the everyman(woman) is heavily featured in this story of a young girl in a fish out of water situation while maintaining her inherent innocence in spite of the horrors of war.

It is very interesting how through this character and the gentle animated artstyle a story of war depicting horrible imageries from bombings, to explosions, to death can all seem innocent and calm. A particular scene of explosions in the air transitions perfectly to colourful splatters of colours in the sky in the eyes of our protagonist. Her innocence and naivete is challenged throughout the film yet through the many challenges she faces yet it is maintained constantly.

What's great about this film is that because of such a characterisation her struggles to daily life often seems even on par to that of the horrors of war, focusing on the everyman's struggle is a new and innovative way of viewing war, struggles from finding her way and managing rations. Such a character seems almost the opposite of war and bloodshed as she sets the tone for this film which seems unlike one that focuses on war setting In this corner of the world apart from the bunch. Yet we still witness the character mature and grow throughout even though she doesn't lose her sense of imagination and innocence, it's a tough notion to balance and goes against traditional ideas in a coming of age tale where a main protagonist must understand the 'true colours' of society, the world, humanity…… in order to come to fruition. By doing so solidifying itself as a staple supporting that of peace and the good in being ordinary.

"In This Corner of the World" is one of the most beautiful anime I have ever seen. It is a story that will touch the heart of the viewer, a story that tells what seems a simple story, but that has layers and more layers in it, and that will stay with you for a long time after the end credits roll.

The story centers on Suzu, a young girl from Hiroshima, before, during and after the Second World War. She has a brother and a sister, she loves to paint and draw (and is a real artist), she enjoys simple things and has an easy smile, she just wants to be happy and help the ones that surround her.

However, life is never so simple and here, the war comes into play. And "In This Corner of the World" does a great job in balancing the small (Suzu) with the big (Hiroshima, the war and its consequences...). Even if Suzu is almost always there, on the screen, many little details, small conversations, and the interaction between characters depict a world of violence, of hate, of power and unresolved conflict. It is sad, it is touching and it shouldn't be a surprise if it makes you cry.

The animation is amazing. It is all very cute and smily, which makes the hard moments hit harder, the sad moments be sadder, and the angry moments make you angrier. The color palette, and the character's expressions help to bring the story to life and to make all of them feel real and close and their needs and desires truthful.

It is a great movie and totally worth viewing. Highly recommended.

This film, centred on Suzu Urano, opens when she is a child in pre-war Japan. She lives in a small town that is part of the city of Hiroshima. She helps her parents farming seaweed and in her free time engages in her love of art. Then, when she is eighteen in 1943, she receives a marriage proposal from a man in the city of Kure; a naval port fifteen miles away. She accepts to proposal and moves to Kure where she becomes part of his family. At first they are unaffected by the war but gradually shortages increase and then the city is targeted by American bombers leading to wide scale destruction and personal tragedy.

Sitting down to watch this I expected that it would be a tear-jerker at times; and it certainly is. What I didn't expect was the sheer joy of most of the first half of the film; pre-war Japan looked idyllic and even in during the war, while the war is far away, it is little changed apart from the shortages and the large number of naval vessels in Kore Bay. There are charming scenes as Suzu gets to know her new home; particularly the scenes where she talks to her new young niece Harumi. The animation is delightful; its water-colour style mirroring Suzu's artwork. Inevitably there will be comparisons with 'Grave of the Fireflies' as both are set in wartime Japan the films feel quite different; while this certainly has its tragic moments the ending isn't so clearly signposted. Overall I'd definitely recommend this thoughtful film; just expect to shed a few tears.

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.

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.