[Concerned! Seasonal Anime Review! The movie "Sumikko Gurashi: The Secret Life of Sumikko Gurashi" depicts how the weak get along.

The momentary silence after the closing theme ended and the lights came on. I will probably never forget the buzz that followed.

I will probably never forget the feeling of confusion and emotion. I am sure that everyone who saw the movie "Sumikko Gurashi: The Secret Life of Sumikko" shared this feeling of being overwhelmed and moved, and the urge to "tell someone how I felt". It was a movie that strongly moved my heart.

The "Sumikko Gurashi" movie is in trouble! The movie was so well received by the public that it became a major hit on social networking sites immediately after its release. The response was so great that the number of theaters showing the film was suddenly expanded, leading many anime fans to think, "Something amazing is happening! I was one of them.

I was one of them, and I thought, "If it's such a hot topic, I might as well write a review of it! I opened a movie theater ticket reservation site with a light-hearted "If it's such a hot topic, I might as well write a review of the movie! However, I was surprised! By noon, Shinjuku Piccadilly was almost sold out for same-day tickets. I rushed in and managed to get a seat in the front row.

When I arrived at the theater, the lobby was packed with anime fans waiting for the doors to open, and the atmosphere was reminiscent of the atmosphere on the opening day of "Neon Genesis Evangelion: Sito Shinsei" in 1997 (......). The enthusiasm of the audience who wanted to rush to the theater as soon as possible, even if it was only for a minute or a second, was that much ahead of time.

I saw the film on a weekday at 19:00. Because of the time of day and the location, the audience consisted of businessmen on their way home from work, working couples, and university students. There were almost no children, which should have been the original target audience. It was an amazing situation when I thought about it. I wonder how many of them know about the "Sumikko Gurashi" content. I apologize for my lack of knowledge, but I only had a cursory knowledge of "Sumikko Gurashi," a fancy character from San-X that lives quietly in a corner of a room (......), and probably most of the people in the theater were similar to me to a greater or lesser extent. I guess.

There must have been a certain amount of cold-heartedness, as if to say, "We've seen 'Sumikko Gurashi'" or "This could be a good topic for social networking sites.

However, you know what?

By the midpoint of the film, everyone was holding their breath, and as the climax approached, the sound of sniffling could be heard from everywhere in the hall.

After the screening was over, the situation was as described at the beginning of this article. Stunned. Everyone was so overwhelmed with emotion and shock that they could hardly move.

Since the film is still in theaters, I will try to avoid spoilers as much as possible, but what was it about this film that shook our hearts so much? Let me try to answer that question.

A drama of the weak and have-nots

The synopsis of the film is as follows.

One day, a slightly negative but unique being called "Sumikko" finds an old pop-up picture book. While gazing at the book, Sumikko and her friends are suddenly sucked into the world of the book.

In the world of picture books, Sumikko and her friends meet a lone chick who doesn't know who she is, and they all decide to help her find her home. ......

The story is called "The World of Picture Books. If I were to use a popular expression, it would be "another world reincarnation". The main story is the funny and heartwarming adventures of Sumikko and the chickens.

The point is that the characters are all "weak.

The Sumikko characters in this film include "Shirokuma," a bear who has escaped from the cold, "Penguin," who is searching for himself because he is not sure if he is really a penguin, and "Pengin? The other two are "Tonkatsu no Hajikko" who is left with only fatty meat and no one eats it, and "Ebifurai no Shippo" who is good friends with "Tonkatsu no Hajikko", "Toke" who is actually a dinosaur survivor but spends his days hiding his identity to live peacefully, "Zassou" who wants to be made a bouquet at a flower shop he has longed for one day, and "Pippi" who is left with only milk tea after it has been drunk first. The "Tapioka," who was left behind after the milk tea was drunk first, and the "Obake," who is hiding in the shadows because he does not want to be seen as scary.

They are never going to become a mainstream group, but they are living happily in their own way, snuggled up apologetically in the corner of the room. Their appearance is exactly like that of the "weak" who huddle together in a very cheap share house or at the bottom of the school caste.

In the picture book, they meet a "chick" who does not know who she is and cannot establish her own identity.

Sumikko and her friends happen to visit the world of picture books, and together with the chick who is "weak" like them, they go on adventures in various picture book worlds such as "Momotaro" and "Arabian Nights" to find their "home"-their roots. The story is basically comical and endearingly depicted. The chick, who until then had been all alone in the world, naturally smiles as she deepens her friendship with Sumikko and her friends through casual interactions with them.

That is why, when she finally arrives at the world of a certain story, she is so happy to find that she is the hero of this world! Just after that, another character appears on the scene. That character is in fact the protagonist, and the chick is no one after all. The sense of helplessness and despair felt in that scene was immeasurable.

A person who is born with nothing can never become anything. Such resignation comes to the hearts of the audience.

While Sumiko and her friends are huddled together, the film depicts a kind of utopia, but as soon as they have any contact with the outside world, they are confronted with "reality," a very serious structure that makes them feel as if they have no say in the matter.

This continuous shaking shakes our hearts, and eventually our sympathy for Sumiko and her friends grows and we begin to feel as if they are no longer a part of our lives.

The moment when this structure reaches its peak is the climax, when Sumikko and her friends are forced to make a big decision. The reality of having to choose between two options (and having no choice but to choose one) also brings us to an inescapable sense of despair.

What exactly happened and what choices were made? You will have to go to the movie theater to find out, but the "gentle" action taken by Sumiko and her friends after their adventure is a source of hope and consolation for those who could not choose the other option - and for us, the viewers.

The action may not be the optimal solution to the outcome. It may be an atonement for not having chosen the other option, or it may even be a form of self-satisfaction.

Still, if we can think that he who could not choose can be saved, even if only a little. And if our own feelings, which could not be chosen, are saved, then the "kindness" may have meaning.

As we enter the era of 2022, many sad incidents continue to plague our hearts and minds. There are not a few incidents that we can never be strangers to. However, I wish we could have the same "kindness" that Sumikko and her friends have shown us. If we can share this feeling with others, we will be able to endure the painful and irresistible "reality" by holding hands with each other instead of confronting it.

It may seem like a passive way of life, but in fact, I think it is a tough way of life.
And if only I could live like that, if only there was someone who would stand by me. ......The excitement of people who empathize with the "strength" and "gentleness" of this work lies at the root of the great excitement of this film. Would it be reading too much into ......?

If a story like this were depicted in a live-action drama or in the style of a so-called late-night anime, I wonder if the same impression would have been expressed.

In addition, the story is basically narrated by Akihiko Inohara and Manami Honjo, and the characters' lines and emotions are expressed only in fragments of written words and actions. I wonder if we would have been able to feel the emotions of the characters as closely as we did if each line had been a carefully crafted conversation.

It is precisely because the characters are fanciful and loved by men and women of all ages, and precisely because the story is told through the movements of the characters without language and through narration that evokes the imagination, that the film has become a kind of fable that resonates with many viewers. It comes down to the question, "Why depict a drama with fancy characters?" What kind of drama can be depicted only in animation that is impossible in live-action? What kind of drama can be depicted only in animation, which is impossible in live-action?

Sumikko Gurashi: The Movie," which will make you think about all sorts of things, is the best animation movie of the year! I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is the best animation film of the year, but I think it is an important film that makes us think anew about the rich imaginative power of animation expression.

Lastly, I personally think that the coupling of Pengin? I personally think that the coupling of Pengin and Chick is heartwarming and has a high moe index, but what about those of you who have already watched it? I hope you will drop by the movie theater and enjoy the unexpected counterpunch!

(Editorial Department, Arita)