Movie · 2016 · Drama, Animation, Romance, War, History · 2h 10m · PG-13 · Japanese
Curator score: 8.1/10 (14.4K ratings)
Torn apart by war. Brought together by love.
Overview
Japan, 1943, during World War II. Young Suzu leaves her village near Hiroshima to marry and live with her in-laws in Kure, a military harbor. Her creativity to overcome deprivation quickly makes her indispensable at home. Inhabited by an ancestral wisdom, Suzu impregnates the simple gestures of everyday life with poetry and beauty. The many hardships, the loss of loved ones, the frequent air raids of the enemy, nothing alters her enthusiasm…
Amazon Prime Video, Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A quietly devastating wartime drama that finds beauty, routine, and resilience inside catastrophe. Its hand-drawn style and domestic perspective make the emotional blows land with unusual force.
Best for
Viewers who like human-scale war stories
Fans of lyrical animation with historical detail
People drawn to bittersweet, life-affirming dramas
Anyone who appreciated Grave of the Fireflies but wants a less overtly tragic register at first
Skip if
You want action-heavy war movies
You prefer fast pacing and constant plot turns
You are looking for light, escapist animation
You want a strictly balanced political war narrative
Overview
In This Corner of the World is one of those rare war films that understands how history is lived in the kitchen, the sewing room, and the walk to market. By centering Suzu’s ordinary acts of care and imagination, it turns domestic routine into a form of resistance, and that makes the devastation feel intimate rather than abstract.
Worth noting
The animation is delicate without being precious, constantly finding small visual ways to express memory, labor, and loss. Its tone is often gentle, even funny, before the war’s violence closes in; that contrast is what gives the film so much emotional weight.
Bottom line
It is not a comforting film, but it is a deeply humane one. If you respond to stories about endurance, family, and the fragile beauty of everyday life under pressure, this is essential viewing.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Annie (4★) · 1066 likes
in this corner of the world did u mean in this corner of my room sobbing
willow (4★) · 869 likes
i feel like i just lived an entire life
davidehrlich (3★) · 375 likes
Every year, on the evening of August 6th, the people of Hiroshima gather along the banks of the Ota River and light more than 10,000 paper lanterns as the final part of a deeply moving peace ceremony. The memorial event caps off a day of reflection that includes film screenings, musical performances, and a wide variety of different speeches. Hibakusha — survivors of the nuclear blasts — gather around the Atomic Bomb Dome, many of them joined by their children… more Every year, on the evening of August 6th, the people of Hiroshima gather along the banks of the Ota River and light more than 10,000 paper lanterns as the final part of a deeply moving peace ceremony. The memorial event caps off a day of reflection that includes film screenings, musical performances, and a wide variety of different speeches. Hibakusha — survivors of the nuclear blasts — gather around the Atomic Bomb Dome, many of them joined by their children… more
adambolt (3.5★) · 360 likes
these guys found a way to stay positive during a world war meanwhile my entire day is ruined if i wake up too late