‘In This Corner of the World’ trailer blends war & natural beauty (Includes first-hand account)

There is a general perception that manga comics mostly contain fantastical stories about young people with magical powers who battle evil in colourful costumes or dark tales of brooding teens dealing with the supernatural. Although those comprise a large portion of the narratives available, there is another variety consisting of thoughtful dramas, often historically based, that chronicle the lives of ordinary people. These have served as the source for several celebrated Japanese animated films, the latest of which is titled In This Corner of the World.

Based on Kumiuo Kōno’s acclaimed manga of the same name, the film is set during World War II and directed by Sunao Katabuchi who previously worked at Studio Ghibli and served as assistant director on Kiki’s Delivery Service. Although the trailer doesn’t reveal much about the narrative, it’s centred on a young woman named Suzu who grew up in Hiroshima before the bombing and enters into an arranged marriage that takes her to a nearby town. Scenes of war planes, air raids and a bright explosion are juxtaposed with resilient images of family, love and nature mixed with elements traditional Japanese culture.

While the trailer does not reveal much about the story, it does provide a sneak peek of the stunning hand drawn imagery that will populate the 128-minute feature. Filmmakers reportedly did extensive research to make sure the townscapes and real incidents integrated into the fictional story are as accurate as possible. The war appears to be just a setting for this tale, which focuses on Suzu’s life and her efforts to care for and ensure the comfort of those around her during a period of turmoil and uncertainty. The film was produced after a successful crowdfunding campaign that set a Japanese record for contributions and is expected to be released in select North American theatres later in 2017.

Similar Posts

  • ‘The Defenders’ trailer brings the war for NY to Hell’s Kitchen (Includes first-hand account)

    Two years ago, Netflix teamed up with Marvel Studios to provide subscribers with some quality, long-form, superhero content. Beginning with Daredevil in 2015, then Jessica Jones the same year, Luke Cage in 2016 and most recently, Iron Fist, audiences were enthralled by the series’ ability to create exciting stories that still feel true to the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, one thing fans quickly realized is they all occur in a different corner of Hell’s Kitchen. With several crossovers already, it was only a matter of time before the four heroes would meet. The Defenders trailer offers a glimpse of what that team-up will look like.

  • Hamlet review: TIFF 2025

    ‘Hamlet’ is a contemporary production of Shakespeare’s play, updating the setting to modern-day England, but not the dialogue.

  • Review: ‘Inferno’ barely heats up the screen (Includes first-hand account)

    Some people are very good at solving puzzles, whether it’s unscrambling an anagram, answering a riddle or putting together the clues of a mystery. While it’s something one can teach their brain to do, having a natural talent and proclivity for such problems can be very useful. In Dan Brown‘s book series, the protagonist, Robert Langdon, is a renowned puzzle-solver, specifically dealing in religious texts. In each story, he’s recruited to assist in a complex investigation that requires expert deduction to avoid total – and often global – disaster. However, in the third adaptation of his novels, Inferno, Langdon’s role in the inquiry is rather muddled.

  • Review: ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ gets somewhat lost in the folds (Includes first-hand account)

    For many young children who lose a parent, it’s more consoling to believe something fantastical took them away and they still exist somewhere out there… it means they may return one day. In most cases, the likeliness of this occurring is slim to none – but most of us don’t live in a world of magic and make-believe. Combining science fiction and fantasy, A Wrinkle in Time is about the enduring hope that a little girl’s father is simply lost somewhere in the universe waiting to be found with the help of a few enchanted guides.

  • Review: Sneak peek at new season of ‘Rick and Morty’ satiates fans (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s been a long-time since fans watched a new episode of Rick and Morty — 18 months to be exact since the season two finale aired on October 4, 2015. At the Sundance Film Festival in January, creator Dan Harmon spoke to IndieWire and took full responsibility for the delay… though he couldn’t really explain why it was taking so long. A month later, season three began production and released a YouTube video promising the opening scene from a new episode. Instead, creators “Rick-rolled” fans with a cruel but awesome video compilation of scenes put together to comprise the lyrics of Rick Astley’s hit, “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

  • Review: ‘The Jungle Book’ is a remake with stunning purpose (Includes first-hand account)

    The act of longstanding studios poaching their own catalogues and cannibalizing their own work has become a matter of course over the years. Remakes have become the norm rather than the exception, which demands new questions around the validity of such work. Does this new version serve a purpose or is it simply the result of a lack of ideas? Disney is the latest to adopt this cycle, adapting their animated classics into live-action features. However, it’s also been an interesting exercise of how to translate fantastic narratives from one medium into another as the hand-drawn world has far fewer restrictions than the tangible one. The Jungle Book presents a significant challenge in this area that also offers significant payoff.