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.

Hotarubi no mori e/ To the forest of Firefly Lights, is basically a 45 minute anime film, and is about Hotaru who is the main character, and she recounts a memory of her past with meeting, a spirit named Gin, and what happened after this event. The film is very emotional at times, especially, the ending which will pull your heart strings. It's also a very small film, in terms of characters, and story. This film can be watched at anytime (cause of the run time) and yet you feel many emotions after the film, and it will leave a small hole in your heart after being watched. Overall:8 out of 10

I don't understand why many people here seemingly disappointed with the simplicity of plot. 'Hotarubu no mori e' is one of those animes that gonna linger around in your head for while after watching. It's story of a little girl who gets into kinda of crush with a forest spirit. Beautiful soundtrack with breathtaking shots of forest and summer is delightful to watch.

The story is simple with no major twists or heavy drama, most of expressions of simple and short which makes this too romantic.

This is definitely a film that I would cherish and watch over and over. Nothing less to Ghibili studios'.

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.

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!