In This Corner of the World [SUB] (2016) Review

 In this Corner of the World [SUB] (2016) 10/10

[THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!]

Hello everyone and welcome to another masterpiece of a film. In this Corner of the World premiered in Japan at the Tokyo International Film Festival on October 28, 2016, with the film getting a theatrical release that November. The movie was directed and written by Sunao Katabuchi, based on the manga of the same name by Fumiyo Kono. The movie was animated by Studio MAPPA.

So I’ve seen this movie a couple of times before. Over the course of my viewings, I find myself enjoying this movie more and more. With my most recent viewing, I have to give this film the perfect 10/10 rating and put it in the masterpiece category. This movie is something truly special that you do not find all too often. The closest thing I can compare this to is Studio Ghibli’s “Grave of the Fireflies” and “The Wind Rises” as all three of these films deal with Japan’s perspective of WWII. However, this movie is very unique as it focuses on Japan’s homefront and the hardships its citizens had to undertake. Before I begin, one final thing. There are two versions of this movie: the original version that I am reviewing and the extended version called “In this Corner (and Other Corners) of the World”. The extended version adds 30 minutes to the story and was released in 2019. But yeah, I’ll be going over the original version. Let’s begin.

This is the story of Suzu Urano. Born in 1925, Suzu grew up in Hiroshima in a poor, but tightly knit family. She’s a hard worker but constantly finds herself focusing on other stuff, such as her drawings and the beauty of this world. The movie begins in 1933, showing us her lifestyle with her family. During WWII, she is married off to another family (the Houjo family). Having to change her name and relocate to Kure, she is having to adjust to her new surroundings. As the war continues and the US inches closer to Japan’s shores, Suzu’s life gets increasingly more difficult with rations, air raids, and other dangers.

I fucking love this movie. The way this story plays out is very akin to the Slice of Life genre. However, the struggles that Suzu overcomes and how she and her families are developed is what makes this so special. The overall tone of the movie is lighthearted, but there’s dark undertones that slowly creep up on you as the film progresses. As the war comes closer to home, Suzu’s life will drastically get worse, but she’ll keep that beautiful smile of hers. Suzu is a fucking trooper and I have nothing but the utmost respect for her. And her development was also done very nicely.

This movie does not fuck around with the horrors of war. People always bring up the frontlines and the soldiers’ side of these stories, but no one ever brings up what the citizens of these countries have to deal with and the repercussions of these wars. The extreme limitations that the Japanese people went through during these times. I’m surprised that there wasn’t a revolt. But the movie also goes into this. When it was announced that they surrendered, Suzu lost it. All of the shit she went through, losing her arm, losing Harumi, and all the other bullshit. This was an excellent scene that showed another side of Suzu.

Speaking of Harumi. Her death was a fucking shocker and the way the movie did this was amazing. The way the movie cut to when Suzu was learning about the US’ arsenal and then it cut to pure silence and the montage of Harumi’s drawings. Damn this hit hard.

But not as hard as another specific scene. Near the end of the movie, Suzu is discussing with her sister-in-law Keiko about moving back to her hometown in Hiroshima. As the two are talking, there’s a massive flash of light followed by a quick aftershock. We all know what this was. Seeing as I have seen this before,  I was expecting it, but I forgot when it would happen exactly. So when it did happen, I got a massive chill down my spine with goosebumps going from head to toe. The way this movie conveyed such a moment with pure subtlety but respect is nothing short of masterful. The fact that I’m still feeling this moment makes it such an impactful scene. This scene is perfection incarnate and I can not praise it enough.

How is the rest of the movie? Just as fucking good. I love the art direction for the film. Character designs are very unique (and I had to get used to it) but I liked everyone’s designs anyway. All the characters look cutesy, similar to other Seinen stories. And the way the backgrounds look like paintings makes this look even more unique. During the air raids, I love how the animators used actual water painting to convey its beauty and connection to Suzu. Animation is very nicely done as well. Smooth movements and I love how they used certain techniques to make Suzu even more adorable. MAPPA did a phenomenal job here.

I watched this in the Japanese dub and it's really good. Best voices go to Rena Nounen (Suzu), Yoshimasa Hosoya (Shusaku), Natsuki Inaba (Harumi), and Minori Omi (Keiko). Special shout out to Rena and Natsuki. These two gave Suzu and Harumi the perfect level of charm and adorableness. And I love how Minori gave Keiko that tone of a strict but loving mother. Perfect casting for everyone.

The music for the movie is very underrated. It’s definitely not a score you would notice instantly or even want to go out of your way to listen to it, but here’s the thing: there’s also something special here. The way the music was composed here is what makes it special. The movie is lighthearted with dark undertones and this movie exemplifies this. If you were to go out of your way to listen to this OST, you’ll grow a deeper appreciation for this film. It’s a difficult feeling to describe, but Kotringo (the composer) did an excellent job here.

Overall, this movie is a hidden masterpiece and everyone needs to watch it. In This Corner of the World is a fantastic movie that needs more love and recognition from the anime and movie community. If you are curious about the Japanese homefront during the war, I highly recommend this movie. This movie holds a special place in my heart and I wish more people talked about it. Also, there isn’t really a reason to watch the extended version as I felt this movie did this story very nicely. I know the EV adds more content from the manga, but I felt cutting those out and focusing more on Suzu was a good call.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time.

This is Zorgak, signing off.