The upcoming animated film Cocoon - One Summer of Girlhood is drawing comparisons to the works of Studio Ghibli, bolstered by the involvement of several veterans from the famed Japanese animation house. The film, which is the debut feature for director Yukimitsu Ina and animation studio Sasayuri, is set to release in North America on September 4.
Sasayuri was founded in 2018 by Tateno Hitoma, a former Studio Ghibli employee who contributed to films such as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Akihiko Yamashita and Shinji Otsuka, also ex-Ghibli staff, are working on Cocoon. Distributor GKIDS recently acquired the North American rights to the film and released an English subtitled trailer.
The synopsis provided by GKIDS describes the story as follows: San and Mayu attend an all-girls school on a warm and tranquil island. When war reaches their shores, they are ordered to help nurse the wounded in a military hospital hidden away in a cave. Amidst escalating death and brutality, the friends struggle to find solace in their fragile lives.
This narrative adapts the manga of the same name by Machiko Kyo, which is based on the real-life tragedy of the Himeyuri students during the Battle of Okinawa in the final months of World War 2. The film premiered in Japan last year, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the war's end, and received acclaim for its depiction of gendered violence and suffering. Critics have noted the animation's quality, attributing it to the talent at Sasayuri. One review from Scrmbl stated that "through the story’s grounding in San and Mayu’s relationship we are brought into the trenches of their hopeless fight to survive with equal love and anger."
Cocoon - One Summer of Girlhood is expected to include both Japanese and English dubs upon its North American release. Mitsushima Hikari, known for Mary and the Witch's Flower, voices Mayu in the Japanese cast, with Itō Marika as San. GKIDS has not yet revealed the English voice cast. The film is slated for theatrical release on September 4.