Madogiwa no Totto-chan 2023 Ac3.DDP Torrent Link
20/16
She enrolls in Tomoe Gakuen after failing to fit in at her original elementary school. She meets unique students and learns new things at school, even as Japan descends into war.. Ano nePerformed by AimyonLyrics & Music by Aimyon Arrangement Yûsuke Tatsuzaki, Takashi Kondô & Yûsuke Tanaka Courtesy of unBORDE/Warner Music Japan. When Totto-chan is expelled from her elementary school for being too much of a nuisance to her prudent, pious teacher, her mother nervously tries to enroll her in a school founded by a kind and progressive gentleman. And so begins a young girl’s journey to discover herself and the world around her, even as Japan’s involvement in World War II deepens. The animation stays close to the illustrations of the original book, detailing how Totto-chan goes from a confused 7-year-old who doesn’t fit in with a strict society to a 10-year-old with friends, ambitions, and an understanding of the world and its many joys, frustrations, and tragedies. Beautiful to watch, it transcends its own reality with some incredibly imaginative sequences where Totto-chan looks out at the world around her, finding beauty in a paper-thin train compartment or on a rainy evening. The music also works brilliantly in creating a world of wonder and innocence, which is being destroyed under totalitarian and dictatorial rule. Fortunately, the film does not portray Japan as innocent in the war. Through the eyes and ears of only Totto-chan, we see Japan’s willingness to accept the conflict, the effects it has on the public, and the devastating consequences. Early scenes of children reciting propaganda songs at school give way to whispered conversations about muzzles for American and British dogs. Later, Totto-chan’s beautiful bento boxes are reduced to rice and pickled plums, injured and disabled bodies in uniforms pass by Totto-chan in passing, and her ever-present and intelligent father conspicuously disappears in the final act. The effects of starvation and malnutrition are evident in her classmates as they become irritable, appear to be stunted, and fail to attend school. It is truly harrowing to watch, told clearly through the eyes of an optimistic, loving child and contrasted with the beautiful journey of a young girl coming to terms with herself. "Totto-chan: The Girl at the Window" is a lovingly crafted animation that gives us a glimpse into a brief period of brutal change in a country that has recently become involved in modern global politics, and the innocent generation that has had to rebuild the country after the fires return. 9/10.