Okko's Inn

Synopsis

Accompanying her parents to a celebration in their rural hometown against her will, Oriko "Okko" Seki confronts a tragic truth: soon after they arrive, her parents die in a car accident. Forced to live at her grandmother's traditional hot springs inn, Okko finds an unexpected presence—a barefoot ghostly child. This spirit urges Okko to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and take charge of the inn. At first, Okko finds the inn's duties and catering to guests overwhelming. But recalling her parents' conviction that an inn ought to welcome everyone, she commits to upholding their memory. Encountering various other spirits in the village, Okko comes to realize that despite losing her parents, she is not 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.