Although the shojo anime Natsume’s Book of Friends currently has six seasons to its name, along with numerous OVAs and of course, the ongoing original manga, its immense popularity both in Japan and abroad means that audiences are always left yearning for more.

However, fans of Midorikawa Yuki’s work need only look to some of her older titles for similar themes and storytelling beats. One in particular, Hotarubi no Mori e, has likewise been adapted into an anime, and despite only being a short 44-minute film, this 2011 release still manages to convey all the poignancy of Natsume’s Book of Friends, albeit with a more romantic focus.

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Also known as its literal translation (Into the Forest of Fireflies' Light), Hotarubi no Mori e is a supernatural romantic drama based on the one-shot shojo manga of the same name. Featuring the same director and produced by the same initial studio behind Natsume’s Book of Friends, it follows a girl named Takegawa Hotaru who, over the span of roughly a decade, grows to fall in love with a yokai named Gin.

Hotarubi No Mori E Japanese Folklore

However, this love story has yet another twist. Gin may have the appearance of a young man, but he has been placed under a curse that means he will disappear forever if he ever makes physical contact with a human being. Although Hotaru and Gin eventually develop romantic feelings for each other, any form of touch is out of the question, making their relationship an intensely bittersweet one.

Given its short runtime -- approximately two episodes’ worth of a regular TV anime -- the basic plot of Hotarubi no Mori e is relatively simple and straightforward, especially when compared to the creator’s later Natsume’s Book of Friends, which currently has 27 volumes of the manga to its name and stretches for over 70 anime episodes. However, this certainly doesn’t mean the film lacks sophistication or nuance.

Indeed, Hotarubi no Mori e manages to achieve more in its 44 minutes than many romance anime series can pull off in an entire cour, particularly where its emotional complexity is concerned. The relationship between Hotaru and Gin, despite its fantastical nature, feels almost startlingly realistic; its characters and their bond are not based on tired stereotypes or genre tropes, but instead leave viewers with a deep sense of nostalgia that’s not easily shaken. It’s little wonder that many viewers have favorably compared the film to those by Shinkai Makoto (5 Centimeters per Second, Your Name, Weathering with You) and Studio Ghibli’s Miyazaki Hayao.

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Meanwhile, the film’s visuals are lush yet whimsical, the story’s somewhat dark undertones only enhanced by some of its artistic choices, particularly those that involve the inevitable clash between the noisy, artificial human world and the wild, natural realm of the yokai. Accompanied by a mostly slow-paced soundtrack comprised primarily of sweeping piano pieces that are sometimes peaceful, sometimes haunting, Hotarubi no Mori e is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears.

hotarubi gin and hotaru at festival

At least some of the film’s evocativeness may well be due to the effects of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and resulting tsunami, which occurred mid-way during production, although the crew chose to continue working throughout the unfolding tragedy. This perhaps served to infuse the anime with an additional layer of emotional depth, acting as an additional reminder to viewers that life, by its very nature, is fleeting, yet all the more beautiful for its finiteness.

Unsurprisingly, the anime won many awards in its home country as well as in the West, although it’s still not as well known as Natsume’s Book of Friends despite their many similarities in plot elements, themes and tone. Nonetheless, Hotarubi no Mori e remains an extremely solid piece of work both technically and in terms of its expression and atmosphere. Natsume fans are sure not to be disappointed by what the latter has to offer -- a film that tugs at the heartstrings and makes for an unforgettably ethereal experience.