Inspired by her grandfather's stories, young Shinko embarks on wild flights of fancy about the history of the little town she lives in. But dreams can't fend off the realities of growing up.
Direction
Katabuchi captures children's logic better than almost anyone.
Cinematography
Hand-painted backgrounds that breathe with summer humidity.
Writing
Fantasy sequences that never feel fake — that's the trick.
Director
Sunao Katabuchi
Mayuko Fukuda
Shinko Aoki (voice)
Nako Mizusawa
Kiiko Shimazu (voice)
Ei Morisako
Nagiko Kiyohara (voice)
Manami Honjo
Nagako Aoki (voice)
Tamaki Matsumoto
Mitsuko Aoki (voice)
Kazato Tomizawa
Ippei (voice)
Eiji Takemoto
Tousuke Aoki (voice)
Tsuyoshi Koyama
Tatara (voice)
Masaaki Tsukada
Motosuke Kiyohara (voice)
Shoya Chiba
(voice)
Yutaro Honjo
Classmate (voice)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Sunao Katabuchi spent years on this before In This Corner of the World; it's his secret masterpiece.
The 'mai mai' refers to a hairstyle — specifically the loose tuft Shinko refuses to cut, symbolizing her stubborn hold on childhood.
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