Suanao Katabuchi’s In This Corner of the World is a stark reminder of the consequences of war on the human soul with his animated film. In This Corner of the World is a beautifully animated tale from Japan that warms the heart and is simultaneously brutal at the same time.
In This Corner of the World is based off of a manga series by Fumiyo Kouno. The film won the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year during 2017. After winning several prestigious film awards in and doing well in Japan’s box offices, the film was introduced to American audiences the following year. In This Corner of the World is available to watch on Netflix.
The film follows Suzu Urano, a day dreaming and kind 18-year-old woman with a talent for art. Suzu marries a man that she barely knows early in the film and moves to Kure, a small town outside of Hiroshima during 1944. The town itself is a bustling naval town, where battleships come to dock frequently, and everyone seems to work for the Navy. Audiences follow as she struggles with navigating a new town, lifestyle, and with her sister in law.
As the film progresses, the war slowly comes closer to Suzu and affects more of her life. One area that it affects is feeding her new family and finding new ways to stretch rations longer. Suzu endures her town being bombed, traumatic injuries, and loss of loved ones. With all the pain happening to Suzu, it becomes a question if her spirit will remain intact by the end.
In This Corner of the World brings a natural beauty to the time that it is portraying, mainly due to the animation style of the film. Most of the scenes have a connection to nature in some way and a soft color palette for the animation. Each frame of the film is very picturesque, where you will want to pause to take in the details.
One particular scene that stands out is one where Suzu is watching bombings happen around her while interpreting the explosions as paint splashes. The cuts between the two is beautiful but has you stunned, just like Suzu is watching the world around her starting to be destroyed. The color design is confusing in this scene, due to how light the palette is contrasted to the bright paint moments, but it is a good use of quick animation cuts.
Sound design plays in line with the softness that the animation portrays but helps deliver dark and serious moments within the narrative. The best moments of the sound design come from scenes of bombings on the town. The combinations of the sounds of planes flying over and bombs exploding has you feeling the same fear that the characters have.
The first half of the film has audiences fall in love with the characters that are introduced, especially with Suzu. Part of the credit goes to the character design, which is very soft but distinctive. The other half goes toward you learning the quirks of the other characters as Suzu learns about them herself, like their habits.
Some of the dialogue in the first half of the film does feel a little clunky. Because of this, I feel like they make Suzu appear very ditsy and dumb. It also makes the growth of the relationship between Suzu and her sister in-law feel odd by the end of the film.
A bigger criticism I have with the film is the speed of the first half of the film, mainly due to the focus of showing small daily chores. With the playing of mundane tasks, like cooking or sewing, it becomes a slow narrative. There was a point that I did question when the speed of the film would pick up or have a pay off from a slow showing of daily tasks.
It does pay off in the second half of the film. Big time.
Audiences sees the war reaching the shores of their town and how quickly tears it a part in the second half. It is where audiences also begin to see the effects of war on innocent citizens, both with their mental state and physically.
The second gives audiences a serious look and commentary on what war does to innocent citizens. It is best summarized when the main protagonist is at her lowest and says, “I wanted to die a day dreamer.”
Audiences get a raw look to the affects that the atomic bomb have on people due to being dropped near their town as well. This moment is quick, animated in a way that is startling, and audiences can figure out immediately what has happened.
In This Corner of the World is an animated film geared more for an older audience due to the themes and speed. It is a movie where you are charmed by the characters and environment, only to slowly dread as they approach closer to the day when they drop the bomb.
In This Corner of the World is a two hour look at the lives of those affected by war and the affect it has on their spirit. It is a movie that breaks your heart by the end and you might need tissues. I recommend this film to fans of Grave of the Fireflies, those who like watching movies from a different perspective of historical events, or those who enjoy good animation.
In This Corner of the World gets 7/10 wartime rice recipes.
Towards the end you are more “academic” than what the average reader is going to want/need. You want to keep the focus here on a simple review. People will have different reactions to the film. If they want analysis they can go look for it.