Where death comes to an end, life finds a new beginning.
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."
loss of loved one
world war ii
education
coming of age
spirituality
poverty
teenage boy
parallel world
troubled childhood
semi autobiographical
based on myths, legends or folklore
moving to a city
1940s
anime
imaginative
hand drawn animation
magic world
animation
courage
suspenseful
magical realism