Totto-Chan: The Little Woman on the Window Anime Movie Evaluate
Totto-Chan: Three persons are involved in the tale of The Little Girl at the Window. The first is Totto-chan, as she is known. She happily follows whatever comes to mind at any given time in a world where everyone, even kids her age, are expected to “read the room” and adhere to a multitude of unstated rules. Despite their affection for her, her mother and father are unsure of how to raise her and are concerned about her. She does not find someone who can relate to her until she meets Mr. Kobayashi, the Tomoe Gakuen principal.
Mr. Kobayashi is one of the few individuals who has a genuine understanding of children’s hearts. During their first encounter, Totto-chan talks for hours on end, expressing all that’s going through her mind, until she finally poses the question that lies at the heart of her being: “Why am I a bad kid?” She hears from someone for the first time who genuinely says she’s not.
Mr. Kobayashi is an individual battling against a culture that has determined to disregard some children as “too problematic.” For individuals who don’t fit in, either intellectually or physically, he has built a haven. He is aware that whereas some kids require structure, others require the exact opposite—a space where they are free to pursue their interests. Teachers at his school are there to explain anything and everything kids want to know, rather than trying to cram knowledge into their skulls.
However, Mr. Kobayashi is only partially responsible for Totto-chan’s youthful soul’s healing. Yasuaki, a polio victim who is unable to use one of his arms or one of his legs, is the other half of the story. He is a good-natured youngster who, despite obviously feeling hurt, silently accepts that he won’t be included in many things. Through her contacts with Yasuaki, Totto-chan broadens her perspective beyond her impulsive inclinations. While learning empathy and prioritizing others, she also helps Yasuaki achieve feats he never would have imagined possible.
And then history continues to go forward in the backdrop of this anthology of intensely personal stories. The effects of the war on Totto-chan’s upper-middle-class Tokyo family become apparent gradually as it starts and eventually continues to its inevitable end. A child’s perspective allows us to observe the subtle consequences of war: candy machines running out of candy, her lunches gradually getting less nutritious, and the increasing number of injured soldiers in uniform. It’s incredibly moving and a superb illustration of visual storytelling at its best.
Even while the movie looks fantastic in general—as vivid and dazzling as the world should appear to Totto-chan—we get multiple glimpses into Totto-chan and Yasuaki’s imagination. The artwork entirely transforms into a masterwork of strange animation in these sequences. The movie is elevated to a whole new level by these scenes. Regarding the auditory aspect, the music makes a concerted effort to evoke strong emotions in you, making you feel Totto-chan’s mood constantly. Finally, Aimyon’s “Anone,” which serves as the movie’s closing theme, is a heartfelt earworm in and of itself.
Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window is a strikingly beautiful and poignant work overall. It’s simple to understand why the first book, written by actress Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (the real-life Totto-chan), became the best-selling book in Japanese history when it was first published and why it had a significant career-changing effect on her. It features amazing characters, a strong message about the importance of early education, and a fresh look at the effects of war from the perspective of a child. In the end, you’ll be happy you spent the time to watch this movie since you’ll laugh and cry.
