In This Corner of the World (Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni) is a heart-rending 2016 Japanese animated film, that tells the tale of a young woman living in Hiroshima and Kure during World War II. This film directed by Sunao Katabuchi is based on a manga of the same name by Fumiyo Kōno and focuses on the small aspects of life, and the joy and struggles of people during war. In this Corner of the World is a stunning, human mass with visuals, historical accuracy, and sound storytelling about family, the war, and the quest for survival together.
Synopsis
The year is 1933. The setting is the port town of Hiroshima, where a young girl named Suzu Urano is raised. He is an artistic child and has an extraordinary sense of imagination. Even though her head is in the clouds and her eyes dream, she is warm-hearted and shows an inclination for creation. As an adult, with a peaceful family and no challenges, she leads a tranquil life of little enjoyment. With Suzu entering adulthood, she transforms into a strong woman, supported by her family and the scenic beauty of the locality, combined with vulnerability. Over time, drawing becomes extremely important to Suzu, as it is how she relates to, integrates, and expresses herself to her surroundings.
In 1943, when Suzu is just 18, she is met with the proposal of marriage by young Shusaku Hojo, a clerk from Kure who met Suzu briefly in which she has left an impression in his mind. Though feeling astonished by the proposal and even a little uneasy, Suzu consents and moves to Kure where she stays together with Shusaku and his family. This transition moves Suzu into her new home as Suzu has a lot to learn and adapt to a new environment, perform household chores, and build bonds with the family members of Shusaku such as his mother San. Kure is a military port and hence exposes Suzu to a different life that is poles apart from her innocent and carefree childhood.
With the advancing of World War II, Suzu’s ordinary life together with that of her family becomes unbearable. Constant worry due to lack of food and other basic commodities is a reality and that is where Suzu’s ingenuity and creativeness in her family comes valuable during such difficult conditions. She has adapted how to survive with the limited available food supplies and makes quick and delicious meals from basic ingredients and takes pleasure in mentally drawing or painting out her emotions in form of landscapes or other outdoor visual images. She tries to carry on with life as normal even in the face of rising pressure because she has helpless optimism that she is able to be the source of happiness to many.
Die Fähigkeit, sie zu zähmen, ist nie verloren gegangen, auch wenn Kure unter einem nahezu ständigen Bombardement leidet. Suzu wird ihrer Überzeugung beraubt, dass Kure schließlich für immer in Sicherheit sein könnte, als sie mit einer ihrer Nichten spazierengt und diese während eines Luftangriffs verloren geht. Überdies erleidet Suzu während des Angriffs eine tiefe Verletzung an ihrer heißen Hand. Es ist ein großer Verlust, und es bezweifle, dass jemand je in der Lage sein wird, Suzu zu trösten; sie ist in einen Strudel von Schuldgefühlen, Traurigkeit und Hilflosigkeit hineingeworfen. Dies ist ein Schock für sie, die Zeichnen kann und wie domestizierte Tiere erhält sie durch Zeichnen ihren Sinn. Da Kur gefühlte auf einen anderen Weg getrieben worden ist, erwägt Suzu das Zurückkehren nach Hiroshima.
The story comes to a culmination with one of the darkest days in human history which is the atomic bombing in Hiroshima on 6th August 1945. The incident further adds to the chaos within Suzu as she has already lost her family in Hiroshima due to the war. When the news of defeat reaches Kure, the emotional expression of Suzu is quite complex; she feels relief, loss and confusion all together. With the events that have taken place, it would be hard to comprehend how Suzu still manages to find the strength in herself and her family while they strive to restore their lives. The film ends on a note of optimism as even though the ravages of the war will always remain, Suzu has made a vow to herself that there is room for hope.
Cast & Crew
We have Director : Sunao Katabuchi
Sunao Katabuchi is well-known for his historic approaches when telling unforgettable stories. In In This Corner of the World, he is successful in combining his zeal for acquiring well-researched work with human emotions in order to provide depth during warfare.
Writer: Sunao Katabuchi; Story was taken from the manga created by Fumiyo Kōno
Fumiyo Kōno created the manga closely to his research on the bombing of the towns of Hiroshima and Kure. However, Katabuchi’s adaptation didn’t miss the charm of the manga’s touching, intimate relations with the narration and history.
Voice Cast:
You may know her by her previous name “Rena Nōnen” but she has a new name in the animation Non (as Suzu Urano Hojo) and brings to the character of Suzu both emotional nuance and purity as she is able to portray Suzu’s soft nature as well as her strength.
Yoshimasa Hosoya (as Shusaku Hojo): A reserved but kind husband in compositor, which had been voiced by Hosoya as Shusaku, Shusaku’s voice is accompanied with warmth and subtlety.
Minori Omi (as Keiko Hojo): Minori Omi has been able to depict Suzu’s sister-in-law Suzu’s more complex and slightly cruel sister-in-law that has subdued with time into a more sympathetic character.
Natsuki Inaba (as Harumi): Natsuki Inaba has played a role of a child, yes Suzu’s little niece and her innocent curiosity and joy has been displayed in the girl that makes her loss sad.
IMDb Ratings and Critical Reception
‘In this Corner of the World’ has an IMDb score of 7.8 out 10 with both audiences and critics appreciating the work. The film also features some claims about how it wishes to portray war based not on military plots but on diverse civilian perspectives providing the necessary tenacity to the scenery filled with destructions.
The movies historical accuracy has received favorable critics as it comes from Katabuchi’s closer consideration through research of the period’s architecture, clothing as well as social practices. The animation of the film incorporates light tints and light lines, which enable the audience to appreciate the day to day activities of the characters while gradually revealing their inner strength in the midst of unfathomable challenges. There is a lot of history in the movie regarding Hiroshima and Kure that is depicted beautifully with the places, customs and the daily activities of Japanese people in the 1940s.
However, many viewers have complained about the pace of this film, observing that the plot gets sluggish in some portions because of the episodic format, while others tend to appreciate it quite a bit. One advantage of such pacing is that it enables the viewers to feel as though they became part of Suzu’s universe and are experiencing the course of events while struggling with ordinary challenges. Such focus on details in this case the small grains of life which include Suzu’s objective drawing, systematic feasts of her family, derived her pleasure from having simple but beautiful things helps in shaping the style of the film to be closer to calm, reflective and targeting the emotion of the audience.
The film is also unique in its delicate approach to the issues of trauma and recovery. Self-acceptance and the experiencing of loss and guilt on Suzu’s behalf cuts through the audience quite well, as it is an example of war’s psychological impact on ordinary people. However, And This Corner Of The World does not shy away from expressing the harshness, but rather conveys warmth along with a sense of patience and self respect, consistent with the Japanese term gaman.
Conclusion
More than just a historical tale, In This Corner of the World is a story that tells quite intimately the suffering of people in and after terrorism and war. It is through Suzu’s eyes that the audience witnesses how small and average people become involved in large and very painful processes. Thanks to the factual history it is set in, as well as the great imagery and gentle plot, this work is a wonderful tribute to both the sad and the beautiful aspects of humanity. In This Corner of the World asks the question of its audience about the price of war and what it takes to restore normality after it is over.
Watch Cartoon on Kisscartoon
