This film deserves to be acknowledged alongside Isao Takahatas Grave of the Fireflies as another important depiction of war through a childs eyes. It shares the same kind of lost innocence that Takahata tackled in his own depiction of World War 2 and that Nobuhiko Obayashi House Hanagatami also oriented his films around. Its a reality that I hope future generations will never have to experience. In Kayokos Diary the titular heroine is just one face out of millions but her story remains just as important. Kayoko is the youngest in a family of seven thats soon to be a family of eight because of the pregnancy of her mother. She also happens to be the only girl out of her siblings composed of three brothers but that doesnt stop her from being close to each of them. Shes a child just like any other child shes scared of her strict grandmother and is noted to be a mamas girl. She also cries easily. Her innocence is weighted through the ways in which she stands up for her country with the kind of childlike eyes that havent yet processed grief. The film is set in the 1940s after all a time in which World War 2 was in the air and was just about to reach its climax a climax that will reach Kayokos hometown. Before that Director Seiji Arihara is more concerned with breathing life into his characters. He does so by giving this film a sliceoflife aesthetic thats important to digest. The entire film is actually a collection of memories narrated by an older version of Kayoko. On one occasion we see her being bullied by another kid whose parents constantly argue with each other. On another she celebrates her birthday with her family. She even innocently proclaims at one point that she wants to be a nurse in order to help with the war effort thats looming in the background. We also get glimmers of Kayokos siblings one of them loves books and science the oldest is being taught to inherit the family business and another is a rambunctious individual who encourages Kayoko to never let herself be picked on by bullies. These children have futures and they dont know any better than to chant Banzai in the face of their countrys growing interactions with America and England. When the film is brutal Arihara conveys that with devastating imagery that looks you directly in the eyes and says This is what I am and this is what I could be again. Even before the war reaches Kayoko the film understands maturity. It adopts a sort of comingofage story one which helps us understand who Kayoko is and what she means not just as an individual but as a representation of a generation. Arihara handles both Kayokos internal conflicts as well as the comforting dynamics of her family and he emphasizes this scenic life in order to convey just how tragic war is. When the film hits it hits with such brazen emotion. Its a bittersweet portrait of two worlds: an image of innocence and its deterioration. Loss. It comes in many forms the loss of your loved ones your future your childhood. A world of promise thats stripped away from you at a young age. Its such a shame that Kayokos Diary never received the attention that Grave of the Fireflies did because its just as significant in the land of child perspectives. It actually serves as the antithesis to Grave of the Fireflies despite initially showing bleak worldviews. It may have burned the innocence of its heroine to the ground but it also knows hope. Kayokos Diary chooses to show kindness in the face of tragedy. Arihara paints a picture of the unalterable complexities of fate but also lends a guiding hand. He guides Kayoko into hardening her resolve. The film and the people behind it truly care about her. They care about Kayoko and the millions of children who were Kayoko.