Modest Heroes

Synopsis

In a peaceful forest where fairy wings drift gently, small anthropomorphic freshwater crabs live beside a quiet stream. The siblings Kanini and Kanino enjoy a calm life with their father, while their mother stays above the water to prepare for giving birth. When a violent storm hits, their father vanishes into the river, forcing the two to set out on a dangerous quest to find him. Their path through treacherous waters is filled with threats, such as hungry flesh-eating piranhas. In a carefully monitored hospital room, a young boy named Shun struggles in pain after eating eggs. Born with a severe egg allergy, Shun deals with his own carelessness, which causes many close calls and frustration for both him and his mother, who works every day to keep him safe from the allergen. With strong determination, Shun finds a way to get through life's difficulties even though eggs are always a danger. An invisible man starts his usual day by putting on clothes and carrying a fire extinguisher to help him stay steady in the physical world. Even though he is part of the real world, no one notices him. This changes when he meets a kind blind person during a fierce storm, someone who may show him the meaning of his lonely life.

Background

Chiisana Eiyuu: Kani to Tamago to Toumei Ningen was released in North America by GKIDS on October 10, 2018 and Blu-ray & DVD was distributed by Shout!Factory on June 18, 2019. It was released on Blu-ray & DVD in Japan by Walt Disney Japan on March 20, 2019. The movie was initially envisioned to consist of four segments, the fourth being directed by Studio Ghibli director Isao Takahata; however, due to his death on April 5, 2018, the movie was released with only three segments.