In This Corner of the World

Adapted from the acclaimed manga by Fumiyo Kóno, this anime feature film charts civilian life in Japan from 1934 through 1946 as seen through the eyes of a young woman. Suzu is a teenage schoolgirl in Hiroshima who marries a boy she barely knows and becomes part of his family in Kure, a nearby town with a major naval port. The story quickly jumps through the years to World War II, a conflict that initially seems remote but comes closer as the tide turns and friends and family members die in combat, while air raids become increasingly frequent. Through it all Suzu tries to be a good wife to her gentle husband and a devoted daughter to her in-laws, finding ways to stretch a meager pantry as food rations grow smaller, while also enduring devastating attacks on her home. Illustrated in the traditional hand-drawn style of classic Japanese animation—using simple lines and subdued, painterly colors—the film takes a reflective approach to Suzu's story. While director Sunao Katabuchi never denies the loss and destruction of the war, he mostly steers clear of addressing the militancy within Japanese culture that drove the country to war, focusing instead on the civilian experience, particularly the spirit of survival within families and communities. Presented in separate dual-language DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo editions, rated PG-13, extras include filmmaker interviews and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)