In This Corner of the World 2016

     This film is based on the award winning manga of the same name written and illustrated by Fumiyo Kono.  The setting of this film is Japan during WWII.  It takes place in two cities between the 1930’s and 1940’s in Hiroshima, Eba and Kure.  Suzu Urano loves drawing and she lives in a seaside town called Eba in Hiroshima City.  In 1944, Suzu is 18 years-old and she is working for her grandmother’s small family business of cultivating Nori, an edible sea weed.  Her parents tell her that an unknown young man has proposed marriage to her.  His name is Shusaku and he lives in Kure City.  This is a large naval port city 15 miles away from Hiroshima City and he is a navy civilian.  He remembers when he first met Suzu during one of Suzu’s childhood visits to the city.  Even though she doesn’t remember Shusaku, she agrees to marry him.  Suzu begins to adjust to her new life with Shusaku and his family in Kure.  Life is changing in this city for everyone because US air raids are beginning to concern the townspeople     

     The main focus of this film is between 1944 and 1945.  This is the period when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  It is interesting to see the Japanese side of WWII.  There are food shortages and the government implements food rationing.  Whenever anyone talks about relocation to Hiroshima, it immediately comes to my mind that the first atomic bomb was dropped there.  On August 6, 1945 a bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.  Three days later, a bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.  The two purposes for using these bombs were for the Japanese to surrender and to save American lives.  There isn’t anything mentioned about the Pearl Harbor attack on the United States or any other military action by the Japanese against other countries in this film.  In reality, this is slanted to ensure viewers have sympathy for the Japanese people.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)            

130 min animation directed by Sunao Katabuchi with Non, Kira Buckland, Christine Marie Cabanos, Barbara Goodson, Todd Haberkorn, Megumi Han, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Natsuki Inaba, Nanase Iwai, Minori Omi.

Note:  Imdb 7.9 out of 10, 98% critic 96% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Metacritic 73 out of 100 with 21 critics 8.6 out of 10 with 8 reviews, The Guardian 3* out of 5* review by Wendy Ide, Amazon 4.4* with 51 reviews.

Special Note:  This film is produced by MAPPA with character designs by Hidenori Matsubara and music by Kotringo. The title in Japanese is Kono sekai no katasumi ni.