Aju Makita
Kanna (voice)
Overview
A year after losing her mother, a young girl learns that she must journey across Japan to the annual gathering of gods in the sacred land of Izumo.
Cast
9 people
Reviews
3 min readRunning Through the Frozen Rain
latestnetflix.com's read is that when a parent dies, the world does not just feel empty.It feels offensively, stubbornly normal. People still go to work.
School bells still ring. For a child, there is something brutal about watching everything keep moving when the one thing holding your world together is gone. Time does not pause for your grief, and that refusal can feel cruel in its own right.
Takana Shirai gets that tension. In Child of Kamiari Month, his 2021 directorial debut, he turns time itself into part of the argument about grief. Shirai spent years working as an animator—he was an assistant animation director on the visually overwhelming Children of the Sea—and there is a bodily sensitivity to the characters here that stands out.
This was Liden Films' first fully original feature, initially backed by crowdfunding, and that earnest, slightly scrappy impulse comes through. It wants to tell a story about loss without condescending to younger viewers. The film moves through the same folkloric territory as Miyazaki’s Spirited Away or Kitarō Kōsaka’s Okko's Inn, even if it never rises to that level.
Whether that feels like a real problem or just the limit of a smaller production probably depends on what you want from a weekend movie.
The story follows Kanna (Aju Makita), a twelve-year-old girl who has more or less stopped living since her mother died. Her mother was a runner, and that was the language they shared. Now even tying her shoes feels wrong, almost disloyal.
Audience Opinions
Audience 6.2/10
"A gentle, myth-tinged story of grief and running that looks beautiful but suffers from thin characters, heavy exposition, and uneven animation."
Emotional moments about loss, responsibility, and moving forward resonate strongly, and the art direction and use of Shinto mythology give the journey a distinct atmosphere. latestnetflix.com's take is that at the same time, the story is widely described as clichéd and rushed, with shallow characterization, talky exposition, and animation that often feels limited for a feature, leading many to see it as pleasant but forgettable rather than a standout.
What viewers praise
- Striking art design Backgrounds and overall visual style are frequently praised as gorgeous and atmospheric, even by those critical of other elements.
- Emotional portrayal of grief The depiction of mourning a parent and learning to move on hits hard for several viewers, who describe it as touching and even tear‑inducing.
- Engaging mythology elements Shinto gods, offerings, and the spiritual journey across Japan add a unique cultural flavor that mythology and fantasy lovers find intriguing.
- Heartwarming ending The conclusion and Kanna’s growth leave a number of viewers feeling content, uplifted, and satisfied despite earlier flaws.
Common complaints
- Shallow character writing Kanna and the supporting cast are often described as underdeveloped or irritating, with motivations that do not feel fully earned.
- Exposition-heavy dialogue Frequent explanation of lore and themes through a talkative companion and other characters comes across as unnatural and tiring.
- Derivative storytelling Many compare it unfavorably to better-known fantasy films, calling it a second-rate blend of familiar tropes rather than a truly original tale.
- Uneven pacing and focus Key emotional beats and worldbuilding rush by while less important scenes drag, leaving the plot feeling both cluttered and underexplained.
- Limited animation quality Movement, especially in running scenes, is criticized as stiff or cheap-looking for a movie, which undercuts the film’s central motif.
Recommended for
Family-friendly fantasy viewers Stories about grief and healing Japanese folklore and Shinto fans Soft, low-stakes adventure lovers Fans of gentle coming-of-age anime
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsOctober is empty of gods, except in Izumo
Most of Japan calls the old tenth month Kannazuki, the month with no gods. Izumo calls it Kamiarizuki, the month the gods are in. The story is that every shrine deity in the country leaves home and sits down at Izumo Taisha to settle next year's ties. Child of Kamiari Month, the 2021 Liden Films feature, treats that calendar gossip as a deadline. A 12-year-old named Kanna has to run offerings across the country before the gathering starts. latestnetflix.com's view is that Miss it and the rumor in the plot is that the year itself goes wrong.
,
Cretica Universal did not have a studio war chest when it pitched that lore. The company ran three crowdfunding "commits" from March 27, 2019 through June 1, 2020. The third round, posted in April 2020, was meant to pay the staff. The film was still dated 2020 then. In May the team delayed it to 2021, named Liden Films, and announced the leads. Boutique shop tries to "translate this island country" by passing the hat three times. That is the production rumor that stuck. Netflix later took international rights and opened it worldwide on February 8, 2022 at 17:00 Japan time. , ,
A live-action actress walked into a veteran booth.
Aju Makita, known then for live-action work such as Shino-chan wa Jibun no Namae ga Ienai, got Kanna as her first voice role. Maaya Sakamoto, Hitomi in Escaflowne, voiced Shiro, a one-winged rabbit messenger. Miyu Irino, Haku in Spirited Away, voiced Yato, the oni boy on the road with them. Ko Shibasaki voiced the dead mother, Yayoi. Arata Iura voiced the father. Akira Kamiya, a name older viewers hear and sit up for, voiced Okuninushi. Michihiko Suwa of the Detective Conan films produced. Takana Shirai directed. Tetsuro Takita and Ryuta Miyake wrote with Toshinari Shinohe, who originated the project. ,
Japanese theaters took it on October 8, 2021. Local coverage put the opening at about 190 screens. T-Joy Izumo ran eight shows a day, the most in the country. Matsue Toho 5 ran five. Makita and Iura did a first-day stage greeting at Aeon Cinema Itabashi. Anime Expo Lite 2021 had already screened a preview for the overseas crowd. Miwa sang the theme, titled "Kanna." ,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIiEdQofq98
The Netflix synopsis is gentler than the crowdfunding pitch. A year after her mother dies, Kanna has to travel to the sacred land of Izumo. The film still sells the Idaten bloodline and the fear that a missed offering breaks the gods' feast. English credits list Mia Sinclair Jenness as Kanna. Runtime sits near 99 minutes. TMDB files it under movie 628964, original title Kamiarizuki no Kodomo. The English Netflix page keeps the kids rating and the same three billed names. The German Netflix channel posted an official trailer in December 2021. , , ,
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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