Child of Kamiari Month || A Heartwarming Peek on Japanese Mythology

Finally, our play is finished! I was really exhausted to the bones since Monday because of our intramurals and the matches I participated in (the bruises I got from my arnis matches were now ripening beautifully huhuhu). Also, I'm part of the writers for our play in drama club, so I was really busy coordinating with a lot of things regarding our play, and since we're not funded by our university, we need to find a way to get funds.

That's why we decided to have a booth to gather funds for our play, and while facilitating our booth last Monday, I got bored because by the time afternoon started, the request for handwritten letters decreased. And that's where I got my little free time! I already downloaded something to watch on Sunday. So without further delay, let's join Kanna as she runs to complete an important task—a task that could possibly affect not only her future but as well as the future of her entire country.

About the Anime

Child of Kamiari Month (Kamiarizuki no Kodomo) is an anime movie that premiered on October 8, 2021. It was produced by ABC Animation and was animated by LIDENFILMS. Its genres are mostly about adventure and supernaturals, but you can as well find a considerable amount of drama there. On the other hand, its theme revolves around Japanese culture—most especially its mythology. This movie is an original story made by Toshinari Shinohe, the founder of Cretica Universal, who was inspired by the Japanese mythology behind Izumo's Kamiari Festival. It's friendly to all ages, so everyone can really watch it.

So it started with a girl named Kanna, who seemed to have an uncertain dislike for running. She even has to act like she's in cramps just to ditch their running practice. It turns out that she once liked running, but ever since her mother died, she hates the idea of it again. On the day of their school marathon, despite her father's supporting presence on the marathon, Kanna's dislike for running surged up. Flashbacks of her past came to her, and that propelled her to run away—away from everything that reminds her of her mother.

However, the gods sure have other plans for her because, as she ran away from the marathon, she stumbled on her favorite rabbit, Shiro. But Shiro isn't only Shiro the rabbit anymore, for it became a divine messenger. Also, she met a quite hostile demon boy, and together with Shiro, they revealed to her the true identity of her mother. With her mother's identity revealed, she was entrusted with a new responsibility—a responsibility that she's obligated to fulfill. Hopeful to see her mother for the last time, she takes on the task, not knowing of the unknown dangers that lurk on her way. These dangers will not only test her endurance but also her will and resolve to finish the whole quest.

I'm really fond of mythologies, and the moment I knew it has mythology in its theme, I was pretty hype about it. Honestly, I'm expecting more from it, but I think it didn't meet my expectations. The plot was pretty bland and conventional. I didn't feel much emotion on the part that's supposed to portray the sadness of the MC. I expected that part to be portrayed in a more deep and meaningful way, but it's just the usual MC reminiscing about her memories. I'm waiting for a hooking plot twist or something that would set the mood up, but I guess I expected too much again. I think the fact that it's made to be friendly for all viewers limited its way of portrayal of the grief and loss.

The only thing that I somehow did not expect is the ending. It's so simple and anticlimactic to the point that I didn't see it coming. Nevertheless, on the mythology premise, it showed a lot of gods, which I pretty much forgot by now because their characters were not delved in. I'm not that familiar with the gods and goddesses of Japanese mythology, so I was hoping that they would at least give interesting backstories about them. Anyway, I was somehow amazed at the number of gods from different regions in Japan. Before, I was only interested in Japanese folklore and mythical creatures, but now I'm curious on the backstories of those gods.

Even though I don't find the plot that exciting, the portrayal of the sceneries was sure one of the redeeming qualities of the movie. They really portrayed those sceneries beautifully, and seeing it just amplify my wish that someday I can visit Japan. It's art style was pretty clean, and the characters were portrayed in a cute manner. I think I didn't see any character with rough features—they indeed made it appropriate for all ages—most especially for those younger viewers. The animation wasn't bad nor really great, but it's decent, and it just fit perfectly to the target demographic of the movie.

Overall, my personal rating for this movie is 7/10. Yeah, it's really a lighthearted and heartwarming story, but since it involves Japanese mythology, I somehow hoped that the plot would be much more interesting. It was pretty predictable, and I really did expect a nice plot twist. I'm not fond of cute and generic anime movies, so I think this movie is kinda a mismatch for me, but nevertheless I somehow enjoyed it, and I definitely learned about Japanese culture from it. So if you're up for a cute and lighthearted movie that features Japanese mythology, then you really need to try watching the Child of Kamiari Month.

Before I end this review, I gladly share with you its , so—

Have you seen this anime movie before? Or is this your first time seeing it? Feel free to share your comment if this one caught your interest. That's all for now, minna-san! I hoped you enjoyed reading my review.