Despite its vibrant, fanciful animation style, this Japanese cartoon is far from lighthearted. Based on a popular, award-winning manga series, ‘In This Corner of the World’ is set in WW2-era Hiroshima and chronicles the life of Suzu, a recently married 18-year-old girl with a passion for drawing. Whatever challenges come her way, plucky Suzu finds a solution that’ll allow her to support her new family.
But then August 6, 1945 arrives. Director Sunao Katabuchi worked as a screenwriter and assistant director on anime legend Hayao Miyazaki’s early features ‘Sherlock Hound’ and ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’, then directed his own first film ‘Princess Arete’ in 2001. But this captivating drama exists on another level: the devastating ending left me sobbing. Susanna Huth