Waka okami wa shôgakusei!

Ok, I don't really make reviews on movies I love, but I'm making an exception for this one. The story of Okko's Inn will glue you to your screen. The plot of this movie has this sense of calm and excitement. I was amazed on how the twist of the story entered the scene, that I literally clapped my hands momentarily.

I normally know where the story of films I watch take me, but for Okko's Inn I was caught by surprise. I love how the plot took my enthusiasm to watch it higher and higher, then all of a sudden, the great Twist comes in. It's like fireworks everywhere.

I love this film that it tops my list, above Spirited Away.

Lastly, if you have shallow tears, a hankie or a tissue will come in handy.

I am an adult person who is simply tired, nay exhausted, with all the churned out negativity, post apocalyptic, dark, depressing, soul sucking churn out from the anglosphere.

On a rainy day, I decided to watch this anime in the hope of a little colour, in the hope of a little hope.

Two hours later, having laughed, and cried, and clapped, in other words, having been thoroughly entertained for a change, I knew I had to come here and write a review.

This is just a beautiful movie, a delightful story that stays with you.

Okko's Inn has the purity of spirit, of love, of energy that is so sadly lacking in the Anglosphere these days and I did not realise just how much I was missing this.

Ten stars and THANK YOU to the creators.

A lonely female child going to a small town and becoming part of the local culture and growing while being supported by supernatural friends is already a formula, one that has served Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli well. If you like this kind of thing, you will like Okko's Inn.

The problem, though, is that events don't naturally flow from one to another. It's a cute girl going through processing of personal drama, but her behavior is almost robotic. And I don't mean STTNG's "Hero Worship" type of thing, it's just that she goes through all of the actions required by the script without any internal conflict. She starts off afraid of countryside insects, but accepts ghosts immediately, for example. Maybe it was an editing problem, but I doubt it.

In order for a story to hit, things need to happen for a reason that is clear to the audience and slightly forcing to the characters. A person who just does what she was supposed to do and then the movie ends doesn't really fall into that.

Bottom line: really cute, satisfactory, but totally predictable and derivative.

A beautiful film, ideal to teach a child what death is.

We enjoyed it! It was good and fun. What a great innkeeper! Great food scene too near the end of the middle, lots of food. Pretty nice and cute movie! We'd stay at this inn, love the food