ANI-MOVIES, *In This Corner Of The World

Where anime movies like Grave Of The Fireflies and Rail Of The Star presented how tragic World War II was for the average citizens of Japan, the manga In This Corner Of The World by Fumiyo Kono takes a slice of life look during this turbulent age. Kono had first written a manga taking place a decade after the WWII, which was multiplied for this title that was adapted into an animated film by MAPPA, and directed by Sunao Katabuchi who previously headed up Mai Mai Miracle. The movie was crowdfunded by Japanese donators that it more than went over the initial budget, so much so that after its initial 2016 release that it was given an extended edition in 2019 which made it the longest anime movie of all time.

Set in the early 1940s of the now abandoned town of Eba near Hiroshima, Suzu is a genuinely happy girl living with her family, including her older brother and younger sister. Her brother eventually goes to join the military, along her crush on local boy Tetsu. When she reaches 18, Suzu is engaged to Shusaku, and joins his family living in the city of Kure near a naval base. She helps out with Shusaku's family at their home, even though her bossy sister-in-law Keiko moves in after her husband dies, but Suzu's niece Harumi brings her joy. Suzu's married life is hard for her adjust to at first considering how much of a daydreamer she can be, usually applying her imagination into a skill of drawing sketches. Suzu does eventually come to love her husband, despite how the plagues of the Pacific War prey upon those living near the naval base. When Suzu is watching Harumi while Keiko is visiting her in-laws, a delayed bomb goes off killing Harumi, and Suzu looses her arm in the explosion. After suffering from her injury, Suzu plans to visit her family, however Hiroshima is attacked, leaving most of Eba largely in tatters, and her surviving younger sister suffering from radioactivity. Aside from giving into depression given the circumstances, Suzu eventually gets back together with Shusaku, and adopt a child orphaned from the war. The closing credits show Suzu raising her new daughter in the rebuilt area of Hiroshima.

In This Corner Of The World isn't fishing for sympathy of Japan's roll in WWII, but shines the light on how the events made victims out of everyone living and dying through this point in history. The plot of the original edition is the only one currently available in English, so there is a significant amount of material not covered from adapting the manga. The theatrical release does have numerous time skips, which makes it difficult to follow the narrative, especially if your watching it streaming without subtitles. The other setback concerning the story is how the characters are hard to tell apart with similar designs, plus how its tough to figure out some of the characters' ages throughout the duration of the film. There is little CGI being used in this production, relying largely on hand drawn animation, which is pure quality worthy of Studio Ghibli. The movie is released through Shout Factory, along with some assistance by Funimation, so the dub is considerably good, but the soundtrack is stunning, making for a memorable viewing experience. This is one of those few anime movies that is perfect for non-otaku to enjoy.