English Dub Review: In This Corner Of The World

Not the end.

When films are described as “rollercoaster” rides, usually it’s to describe an action-packed feature. That said, anyone who has been on a roller coaster knows the scariest part of any traditional ride…the build-up.

In This Corner of the World features a tale of life right outside of Hiroshima, Japan, a naval base known as Kenu. Our protagonist, Suzu, has moved there after more or less being arranged to marry a local military cadet and we get to follow a simple ordinary life in the rural outskirts of the base that as time goes on comes under intense aerial bombardment by American forces.

Just like any military interventions, there are casualties on both sides, and director/writer Sunao Katabuchi exemplifies this by forcing the viewer to invest in his characters on a down-to-Earth and emotional level so much so that it makes you feel part of a family. As a result, an empathetic feeling courses over the heart as we are dealt with the emotional tolls of feudal Japan during World War II, but not with a package that highlights military vs military action but with one that heightens the familial impacts of war.

Suzu does a lot of what Parvana has to deal with in The Breadwinner, become a figurehead for a group in the direst of times that usually gets more of a male focus, but in these instances, we get to see the “forgotten casualties” of war and conflict. To this day, American television networks, magazines, and proposed accolades for our victories at WW2 are usually put at the forefront instead of remembering those on all sides that may have lost someone or something.

Vocal performances from Laura Post and Todd Haberkorn highlight the feature film, bringing a delicate balance between distraught and love that serves as the auditory comfort opposite of the eventual bomb drops that, even in animation, are horrifying in its efficacy. Instead of total ruin, Sunao Katabuchi constantly reminds the viewer of a  candle wick burning with hope, hope of a peace.

Bouts of beauty are usually evident in times of distress or disaster and In This Corner of the World paints a stunning portrayal of war-time with an aesthetic that looks, purposely, of the era that should be required watching for generations to come…on both sides.