“Hana” is one of those kindly people who wants to help out, so when she encounters a quiet young man who seems to be gatecrashing their lectures, she offers to share her books with him and pretty soon they are an item, living together and have two children “Yuki” and “Ame”. She (and we) know that he has quite an unique secret that comes in handy when they needed a nice pheasant for dinner, but when he is found dead in a storm drain, not only must she bring up the two children on her meagre savings, but move to somewhere where her children - who have inherited their father’s quirk - can be more relaxed than they can be in a city full of scrutinising eyes. She finds them a remote and ramshackle house which they have fun renovating and as the kids grow up, “Yuki” finds it easier to relate to her school friends whilst “Abe” suddenly turns a maturity corner and begins to yearn for a wilder life in the mountains. Money is still very tight and so “Hana” must rely on her own toil in their fields as well as help from the kindly neighbours - bit all whilst still keeping her children’s dual identity as under wraps as possible. An altercation at school sees “Yuki” lose the plot with new pupil “Sôhei” and that changes the family’s dynamic and with “Abe” becoming less and less interested in his human persona, “Hana” faces some visceral maternal choices that challenge the very essence of nature and nurture, true love and dedication. The animation is entertainingly and finely drawn with plenty of playful mischief throughout and the story is powerfully imbued with three characters who exude something really quite enigmatic. There is a darkness to the latter stages of the plot, but even that is a natural evolution that epitomises the powers of instinct - even when they seemingly are pitched against each other, or when it causes conflict amongst people who care deeply for each other. The fear of the unknown, of the rumour-mongers, the superstitious and the value of trust are all explored a little here, too, and the conclusion is heart-rending but somehow a symbol of progress for them all.
