is a 2013 Japanese animated film produced by

Wit Studio (stylised as WIT STUDIO) is a Japanese animation studio founded on June 1, 2012, by producers at Production I.G as a subsidiary of IG Port. It is headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, with Production I.G producer George Wada as president and Te ...

and directed by Ryōtarō Makihara. It was released in Japan on June 8, 2013.

Synopsis

The story takes place in a technologically advanced society where robots can be programmed to behave like a human. After a tragic plane accident, a robot, known as Q01, is sent to a small Japanese town to help a person who just lost a loved one. While trying to heal the melancholic heart, the past of the couple is unearthed.

Voice cast

Production and release

The original film was revealed in the January 2013 issue of

Shueisha (lit. "Gathering of Intellect Publishing Co., Ltd.") is a Japanese company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The foll ...

's ''

Bessatsu Margaret , or for short, is a shōjo manga magazine published monthly in Japan by Shueisha since 1964. Serializations Current *''Fujishiro-san Kei'' – Yuki Nojin *'' Ima Koi: Now I'm in Love'' – Ayuko Hatta *''My Special One'' – Momoko Kōda * ...

'' magazine. Ryōtarō Makihara directed the film, with Izumi Kizara writing the film's script, and manga artist

Io Sakisaka is a Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** ...

providing the original character designs. The film was released in Japan on June 8, 2013. Yōko Hikasa performed the theme song "Owaranai Uta" (Unending Poem). In July 2013,

Funimation Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...

announced that they had acquired rights for a North American release.

Reception

Theron Martin of

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...

gave the film a B+ rating. In his review, he felt the film wasn't long enough to deliver its emotional impact but did give credit to its soft and understated score, quality artistic effort and well-cast English dub, concluding that "If you're looking for a low-key romantic tale and don't mind a big chunk of gimmickry, this one should fit the bill."

References

External links

* * * 2013 anime films 2013 films 2013 romance films Animated romance films 2013 directorial debut films Films set in Kyoto Funimation Japanese romance films Romance anime and manga Wit Studio Films scored by Michiru Ōshima {{anime-film-stub