Okko’s Inn

In this lively anime feature film, an orphaned girl finds purpose when she goes to live with her grandmother, the aging innkeeper of a small spa in a country vacation town known for the healing waters of its natural springs. Okko, an urban girl who loses her parents in a devastating car wreck, struggles with her grief and resists her new living situation, but she finds unexpected help from a pair of child ghosts: Uribo, a playful boy who watches over Okko’s grandmother, and Akino, the sister of Okko’s rival at school. Adapted from a series of children’s novels, Okko’s Inn is a simple story that deals with painful emotions—loss, grief, anxiety—in ways that mix seriousness and playfulness. As the junior innkeeper, Okko finds both satisfaction and purpose in assisting patrons who come to the inn. Along the way, she learns important life lessons in humility and compassion and gathers the strength to heal and stand on her own. While that might sound heavy, director Kitaro Kosaka brings a colorful cast of supporting characters to Okko’s odyssey and a fleet pace to the storytelling, dropping in bits of slapstick as well as moments of insight, joy, and triumph. Presented in a dual-language edition in separate DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo releases, rated PG, extras include interviews with the director and the Japanese voice actor playing Okko, and a Q&A at the film’s premiere. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)