Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window Takes Home Best Animated Feature at Anima 2025!
Dive into the captivating world of Akihito Izuhara's award-winning short film 'Kawauso'—a tale that resonates with emotion and artistry.
Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window Wins Big at Anima 2025
Akihito Izuhara's short film Kawauso also received accolades at the festival.
© 黒柳徹子／2023 映画「窓ぎわのトットちゃん」製作委員会
The anime film Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window, also known as Madoigwa no Totto-chan, triumphed at the Anima 2025 film festival in Belgium, winning both the Best Animated Feature Jury Award and the Audience Award last week.
In addition, Akihito Izuhara's 2023 short film Kawauso was honored with the Press Award for Best Short Film (UPCB and UCC) at the same event.
The film premiered in Japan in December 2023.
About the Film
Totto-Chan is based on the memoir of Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, who recounts her experiences at Tomoe Gakuen, a school where she found acceptance after struggling at her original elementary school. Set against the backdrop of Japan's descent into war, the story highlights her encounters with unique classmates and the lessons she learns.
Originally published in Japan in 1981, Kuroyanagi's memoir quickly became a bestseller and was required reading for elementary students in the 1980s. It has since been translated into English and many other languages.
Cast and Crew
- Liliana Ohno, a seven-year-old actress, stars as the protagonist, Totto-chan.
- The film is directed by Shinnosuke Yakuwa, known for his work on various Doraemon films.
- The script was co-written by Yakuwa and Yōsuke Suzuki.
- Character designs were created by Shizue Kaneko, who has worked on notable projects like Monster Strike The Movie and Adachi and Shimamura.
Awards and Recognition
Shinei Animation, the studio behind the film, recently won the Hiroshi Ōkawa Award at the third Niigata International Animation Film Festival on February 7. Additionally, the film received the Paul Grimault Award for feature films at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2024.
Sources: Anima 2025, Deadline (Melanie Goodfellow)