I have recently watched this short film of 45 minutes, “Hotarubi no Mori e.” Its English name is The Forest of Fireflies.” Even though this film is so short, it felt like I had been watching it for like 1.5–2 hours. Because in this short period of time, they represented everything so beautifully and divinely. This anime felt so pure and heavenly to me because of the characters and the relationship they had. This anime story is written by Yuki Midorikawa.
It’s about a girl, Hotaru Takegawa, who found herself lost in the forest when she was six. There were some rumours that spirits and ghosts roamed around in the forest. Then she found this mysterious boy named Gin, who cannot be touched by any human or else he shall disappear. He isn’t a human or a ghost. Every summer, she’d come to the forest and spend her days with Gin, playing and running around the forest. They became close in no time. But Hotaru noticed that she’s ageing quickly while Gin remains to look the same as the time she met him for the first time.
The story focuses only on two characters, Gin and Hatoru, so we get to know a lot about their dynamic chemistry. This film is very wholesome and heart-touching. The visuals in this film were amazing, and the story is deep enough to make you fall for it. It may get you a little sad, but you’ll surely love watching this film. The story doesn’t even need plots or twists to be beautiful. It’s a romance film, but it’s not one of those typical romances; it has sweet, genuine love that will make your heart warm and want you for more. It was an eye-opener that no one will stay; eventually, everyone will die or leave. But all the memories will be worthwhile.
Generally, I’m not really a huge fan of anime movies. There are only quite a few movies in the world that make you want to forget about them completely so that you can watch them for the first time again. I had a lot of emotions going through my head about the movie after I finished it. I have an overwhelming adoration for this film that cannot be expressed or said.
What I liked the most about this film was the soft animation, as I’m a nature person who likes nature’s visuals or aesthetics. For people like me, this film is the definition of flawlessness. This film is very underappreciated, so I would suggest you to watch it.