Review by pscamp01

Children of the Beehive takes place in Japan shortly after the end of World War II. It is about a returning veteran who joins up with a band of orphans who then travel through the country looking for work. A story like this could either have been extremely downbeat or melodramatic, but this movie takes a middle path between those two extremes. While there are some sad moments, the movie never becomes maudlin or overly dramatic. On the other hand, the stakes never feel very high either and the story and characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. And an overly didactic speech by one of the characters detracts from the movie a bit. But overall, the movie is enjoyable and is worth watching if you can find it.