Hotarubi no mori e

Despite being such a short anime, it encapsulates the emotions and the story better than most romance anime do in 2 hours.

The story is beautiful and well written, but there is nothing that stands out.

And although the story was impressive, the same can't apply to characters of the movie... the cast is pretty average and undeveloped, which is expected for such a short anime.

The animation and art style isn't something that is important in this movie... it was just an average, basic art.

And finally the score... I had a feeling that the opening song was bad and out of synch with the story, but other than that it was solid.

Overall this film was nice to watch, it was simple, emotional and just a real piece of art (because of what they achieve in less than 40 minutes). Once more I just want to say that despite being a short anime with nothing really impressive going on, it was emotional as hell.

A romantic, sweet and simple feature that hits the heart. A story of friendship and love without sin that lasts over time and over the years. I loved it so much that I wished it would last longer!

Really worth 45 mins of your time. The film may be short but by the end of it, you will definitely feel a variety mix of emotions.

"Into the Forest of the Fireflies' Light" is a sweet gentle tale about a spirit and a young girl and the close friendship they develop over the course of years. Their interactions are heart- warmingly sweet. The animation is neat and the background score is good. Though there is nothing much in the story, the serenity and magical vibe of this short film keeps one's interest alive. The main characters receive just enough characterization to make us feel slightly nostalgic by the end.

It is just a basically relaxing story which is recommended when you want to watch something peaceful.

Short, sweet & sentimental, To the Forest of Firefly Lights (Hotarubi no Mori e) is a simple yet moving coming-of-age story following a young child who is rescued by a spirit after she gets lost in an enchanted forest, and covers her decade-long friendship with the same entity despite the limitations of their interactions.

Directed by Takahiro Omori, the film addresses first love, memories & passage of time in an apt manner, and is as exquisitely animated as it is beautifully told. The story unfolds at a breezy pace, while the interaction between the two characters plus their growing intimacy for each other is sensibly handled & finely portrayed.

Overall, To the Forest of Firefly Lights would've sufficed as a short film instead of aiming for feature-length but it still makes fab use of its 45 mins runtime, taking viewers through plethora of emotions. The simple story, serene quality & magical vibe helps keep the interest alive while evoking feelings of nostalgia in surprising ways. Worth a shot.