In pre-World War II Japan, Chocchan marries a violinist despite the objections of her father. They live in poverty, have three children, and are happy together, able to face all misfortunes with a smile. However, a new obstacle to their happiness appears when the war breaks out and Chocchan's husband must eventually leave for the front...
Score
Violin motifs that'll haunt you for days.
Writing
Happiness built on sand—devastating economy of story.
Acting
Shimamoto's voice carries decades of unspoken weight.
Director
Hiroko Tokita
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's own mother; the memoir became one of Japan's best-selling books, though this animated adaptation remains criminally obscure.
Director Hiroko Tokita was one of few women directing feature anime in the 1990s; the film's gentle pacing deliberately rejects war-movie bombast for domestic devastation.
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