The Wonderland
2019 · Directed by Keiichi Hara
Original language: Japanese
- animation
- fantasy
- family
The story
The story follows Akane, a girl with no self-confidence. On the day before her birthday, she meets a mysterious alchemist, Hippocrates, and his student, Pipo, who both tell her they're on a mission to save the world. Together, they set out from the basement for "Wonderland," and Akane finds herself labelled Wonderland's savior.
What it’s like
Hand-drawn anime in soft daylight and warm interiors, with a basement workshop full of clutter, glass vessels and lamplight that gives way to a brighter, more open otherworld of green fields and sky. The camera stays close to a young girl's face and small gestures, and the colors shift from muted greys in the everyday world to saturated, slightly unreal greens and blues once the journey begins. The score is gentle and melodic, with bright strings and simple piano that swell at moments of wonder and drop away for quiet exchanges. The mood is warm and hopeful with a thread of unease, the feeling of stepping out of a familiar room into a larger, stranger place. The pace is unhurried, letting scenes of travel, small talk and ordinary kindness breathe between the adventure beats. Its intensity is mild: fantasy peril and brief tension, with no gore and little violence. It suits a rainy afternoon, a family watch, or a gentle comfort rewatch, and is for viewers who want an earnest coming-of-age story about a hesitant girl finding her footing, with a clear environmental undercurrent.
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