Kumi is a little girl who lives in a world with sparkling metal skyscrapers, and where robots support everything. Kumi's playground is a garden by one of those skyscrapers with a man-made water fountain, artificial vegetation, and digital water and butterflies. Kumi meets an old man who visits the park every day to paint the artificial flowers. The old man tells Kumi of when he discovered a "breathing" tulip sprouting amidst the artificial flowers, and the two decide to watch over the tulip together as it grows. (From ANN)
Aki isn’t a brave little boy, but he’s dedicated nonetheless to safeguarding his sickly, mute friend Fuyu. They and their little gang live deep underground, more
Aki isn’t a brave little boy, but he’s dedicated nonetheless to safeguarding his sickly, mute friend Fuyu. They and their little gang live deep underground, in the concrete warrens to which survivors have fled following the eruption of Mt. Fuji. The community is in decline, however, as illness and despair take their toll. Fuyu dreams of the outside world, which he is too frail to ever reach. But what colour is the sky out there? close
Paulette plays in the back yard, in the shade of a tall tree, with her doll, somewhere out in the countryside. Secretly watching other children have fun more
Paulette plays in the back yard, in the shade of a tall tree, with her doll, somewhere out in the countryside. Secretly watching other children have fun without her makes her sad. Then suddenly the wooden chair she is sitting on begins to move, and throws her off. She bravely gets on the chair again, which starts to buck like a wild horse, making her very happy. Racing through the countryside, the chair then throws her off, right into the middle of the group of playing children, helping her overcome her shyness. close
Aki Miyagawa moved to Tokyo to pursue her dream to be a taiko drummer, but had a hard time balancing her strict training regimen with her part-time job. more
Aki Miyagawa moved to Tokyo to pursue her dream to be a taiko drummer, but had a hard time balancing her strict training regimen with her part-time job. Now, after 15 years, she's returning to coach others for a taiko festival. close
At the Personality Plant, robots are being built and slowly outfitted with the artificial memories of real people. Suzu is one such robot, being made more
At the Personality Plant, robots are being built and slowly outfitted with the artificial memories of real people. Suzu is one such robot, being made to replace the young boy a family has lost. By chance, he meets Hitori, a young girl suffering from progressive memory loss. The two children become friends and attempt to define themselves in the light of their changing memories. close