My Thoughts On Children Who Chase Lost Voices (Hoshi wo Ou Kodomo) · 8:38pm Dec 27th, 2016
I went into watching this movie not really knowing quite what to expect. The trailers made it look like some kind of epic fantasy film. But the reviews I read labeled it as a slice of life fantasy. Seeing as it is a film by one of my favorite anime film directors, Makoto Shinkai, I decided to see what the film was all about.
Eventually I decided to sit down and watch it for myself. And I left the film just as confused about how it should be categorized as before I viewed it.
It has slice of life elements. But it is also a fantasy. But it also has some steampunk and science fiction elements to it. The plot jumps all over the place yet seems to somehow make sense at the same time. In short, it's a weird film. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
The story follows a fifteen year old high school school student (in 9th grade I believe) named Asuna. Asuna was forced to grow up quickly after the death of her father when she is around three or four years old. She takes care of most of the chores while her mom is working at the local hospital as a nurse. Because she has so many chores and homework, she doesn't have a lot of time for friends. Instead she builds a sort of clubhouse in the woods outside of her town and fills it with all sorts of food, medical supplies, and other gadgets. She hangs out at her clubhouse alone when she has some time to herself. She if often accompanied by a tiny cat like creature with red marking who she has named Mimi.
One day at school, her homeroom teacher warns the class about a recent bear sighting on the outskirts of town. She instructs her students to always return home right after classes end until the bear is captured or dealt with by the proper authorities. However, Asuna ignores the warning by her teacher and the village elders. After school ends and she finishes her chores at home, she decides to take a stroll down an old train bridge. She doesn't get too far down the bridge until she runs into the 'bear' her teacher and the village elders had warned her about. The bear turns out to be a creature called a Quetzalcoatl; something not of this world. Asuna tries to outrun the creature but trips and falls. That is when a mysterious boy shows up and saves her from the attack. Unfortunately, he is forced to kill the creature to save Asuna's life which is against the code of his homeland. The boy picks up Asuna and leaps from the bridge. She instructs the boy to take her to her clubhouse. When they arrive, she treats his wounds and learns that the boy's name is Shun. He explains that he is from a strange land called Agartha. Shun kisses her on the forehead, calling it a 'blessing' and then Asuna returns home before it gets too late in the evening, as not to worry her mother. Before she goes, Shun promises that he will meet with her again.
But after Asuna leaves, Shun dives from a cliff to his death in order to appease the elders/ gods for killing a sacred beast (Quetzalcoatl). Later, Asuna learns that a mysterious boy was found dead at the bottom of a cliff from her mother who had heard news about the tragic event from coworkers at the hospital as well as from the stories of a few other people in the town. Eventually Asuna comes to terms with the fact that her new friend Shun has died for some reason. This makes her curious about the land Shun came from and she decides to do some research on the subject. Fortunately, while her homeroom teacher is on pregnancy leave, a substitute teacher named Mr. Morisaki fills in for her. Mr. Morisaki talks about the land of Agartha being located under the earth and it being filled with humans who live on the outskirts of the realm of the dead/ heaven. These people supposedly have all sorts of advanced knowledge/ technology as they live in the space between the living and the dead.
Asuna follows Mr. Morisaki to his home one day after school and asks more questions about Agartha and how one would get there. He gives her some more information about the mystical land. Mr. Morisaki explains that long ago when humankind was young, it needed the guidance of Quetzalcoatls, keepers of the dead, until humans matured and no longer needed them. They went underground along with a few humans who joined them. The humans in the underground realm now live in harmony with the Quetzalcoatls and have hidden themselves away from the surface realm. He goes on to explain that the creature who attacked her on the bridge looked very similar to the Quetzalcoatls from the ancient stories about Agartha but adds that he has no idea whether or not it is just a coincidence or it has any ties with the mystical realm at all. After giving her all of the information he has about Agartha, Mr. Morisaki tells her not to get too enthusiastic about finding it since it is more than likely just a legend.
After her her meeting with Mr. Morisaki, Asuna returns to her hideout to find a boy around her same age who she mistakes for Shun. Before any words can be exchanged, they are both attacked by a group of armed men who are working for an organization called Arch Angel. The two run in order to escape the men into a cave like area located on the outskirts of town. While in the cave they encounter another Quetzalcoatl who the boy fights and is later defeated by the Arch Angel members who catch up with them. The head Arch Angel member comes forward and grabs the crystal around the boy's neck (called a clavis) that the boy had retrieved from the body of Shun. Then the head Arch Angel member grabs Asuna and opens the gate to Agartha. He walks through the gate with Asuna, pointing his gun at the other men and threatening them not to follow. At the last moment, the boy dives through the entrance and then the gate disappears, leaving the rest of the Arch Angel members behind.
Once inside of the gate, the leader of Arch Angel reveals himself to be Asuna's substitute teacher, Mr. Morisaki and the boy also reveals himself to be Shun's younger brother, Shin. Mr. Morisaki tells Shin that all he wants is to bring back his late wife from the dead. Shin warns Morisaki that it is not good to mess with the order of life and death. He then leaves Asuna and Morisaki to report what had happened to the kingdom elders of the realm.
Mr. Morisaki tells Asuna that she can go back but she decides to accompany him. They both go into the realm via an underwater entrance. Once inside, they go on a journey, along with Mimi who had snuck inside Asuna's backpack, to the Gate of Life and Death which can bring the souls of people back from the dead.
Upon arriving in his village, Shin is told that he has failed in his mission to retrieve that magic crystal (clavis), because Asuna has unknowingly returned with a fragment of one. Shin re-embarks to stop Asuna and Morisaki from wreaking havoc in Agartha, using any means necessary (even if it means that he has to take their lives).
The rest of the movie documents the journey of Mr. Morisaki, Asuna, and the cat-like creature named Mimi who turns out to be a creature who can communicate with the Quetzalcoatl (keepers of the dead) and help the group get safe passage through the underworld. It also follows the journey of Shin as he starts to question whether or not the old rules/ laws of Agartha are relevant as everything is changing on the top realm (earth) in the modern age.
I won't give away too much about what happens at the end of the movie, but I will say that all of the characters more or less come up with their own answers of what is means to be alive, and are given a new start in life based on the lessons they have learned from their journey.
This film, as I mentioned, is very odd. It starts out being a slice of life adventure. But then turns into almost a weird science fiction/ steampunk like story part way through (with the introduction of the Arch Angel organization). And then when the group of travelers make it to Agartha, it turns into a very trippy fantasy film that makes Alice and Wonderland look normal by comparison.
The visuals are stunning and the animation is breathtaking; especially when you get to the mystical realm of Agartha. The animation and music really make you feel like you have stepped into a different realm. I was honestly getting some weird 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' vibes from this film while I was watching it. It has a lot of the same themes of going further and further into the center of the earth, only to find more mystery and wonder the deeper into the earth you go.
Apparently the concept of Agartha was taken from a real life legend of a place documented by a Nineteenth-century French occultist named Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre which he also called Agartha. Other names for this realm are Agarthi, Atlantis, or Shambhala, depending on the part of the word the legend comes from. All of the legends more or less talk about a mystical realm located in the center of the earth that is filled with a species of humans with advanced technology and divine knowledge who live among the heavenly beings/ past saints of every religious faith. The people are said to have the knowledge of returning those who have passed away from the land of the dead, among other things.
You can learn more about Agartha here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agartha
You can learn more about Shambhala here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shambhala
And you can learn more about Atlantis here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis
At the end of the day, this movie does make you think about a lot of things. It makes you think about the importance of life and the place that death has in the realm of the living. It is a deep film with many different layers of meaning to it. But it isn't so philosophical or out of touch with its audience that it isolates anyone watching it from its message. I would definitely recommend checking this film out. Just be prepared to be confused in some places because the film does put forth a lot of information that your brain has to process all at once. The film does get around the explaining things eventually, but you might not get all of the answers at at the same time. The mystery unfolds as the film goes on. You have to be patient to receive all of the answers.
If you like a good slice of life, fantasy, science fiction, mystery type of film, then this is the film for you. I am sure that it won't disappoint. And it will give you a lot to think about as well. So if you ever happen upon this film at a video store or find it on some online streaming site, check it out for sure.
It sounds like this movie comes from Studio Ghibli.
4357846 It's actually done by a director called Makoto Shinkai who has directed a bunch of other anime films such as The Place Promised in Our Early Days, 5 Centimeters Per Second, The Garden of Words, Your name, and Voices of a Distant Star. I plan on making a review of all of these films since I am a big fan of Makoto Shinkai's work. :)
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Oh, I see. On a unrelated note, have you watched Kiki's Delivery Service?
4357863 Yep, I have watched all of the Studio Ghibli films. I am a hugs fan. :)
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Cool! :3
4357912 Yes indeedy. xD
wow, I'll have to check this out
4358474 It's a really great movie. I definitely recommend watching it. :)
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It sounds quite interesting, thanks for talking about it Lyra.
4359116 You are very welcome, my friend. :)
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