Synopsis
Brought along reluctantly to a festival in her parents' rural hometown, Oriko "Okko" Seki is confronted with a sudden, harsh truth: both her parents die in a car accident not long after their arrival. Now Okko has to live at her grandmother's traditional hot springs inn, where she is surprised to find a barefoot child ghost residing. This spirit urges Okko to follow her grandmother's path and prepare to take over the inn. At first, Okko finds it difficult to manage the inn's duties and attend to guests. But her parents once told her that an inn should welcome everyone, and she works hard to keep their memory alive. After encountering several other ghosts around the village, Okko realizes that even though her parents are gone, she doesn't have to be alone.
Background
Wakaokami wa Shougakusei! Movie made its world premiere at the 2018 Annecy International Animated Film Festival before opening in theaters in France a few months later on September 12, one week before the Japanese theatrical release. In 2019, the film was nominated for Best Indie Feature at the 47th Annual Annie Awards. In the same year, it won the Excellence Award at the 22nd Japan Media Arts Festival. The movie was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Shout! Factory on July 2, 2019.