Okko's Inn (2018)

With disc deliveries slowed again, I opted to stream a movie, and not wishing to spend a long time on selection, I went straight for the first anime on my list. Hey, it had been more than seven months. All I really knew going in was what the one-sentence Netflix summary said, plus the inviting art style.

Elementary schooler Okko (Seiran Kobayashi) is curiously uninjured from a car crash that kills her parents. She moves into the small-town inn run by her grandmother, Mineko (Yôko Asegami), where she soon discovers a rare effect of a near-death experience: She can see and hear spirits. The first one she meets is the ghost of a young boy, Uri-bô (Satsumi Matsuda), who hangs around the inn because he was Mineko's close friend in life. At Uri-bô's urging, Okko offers to become the assistant innkeeper, set to allow Mineko to retire eventually.

The other ghost is Miyo (Rina Endô), who died at age seven and happens to be the formerly older sister of another junior innkeeper, Matsuki (Nana Mizuki). Matsuki is Okko's most hostile classmate, priding herself on a fancier and less personally attentive inn, so it figures that Miyo first makes herself known to Okko through shenanigans. Then there's Suzuki (Etsuko Kozakura), a childlike demon whom Okko unwittingly releases from a trap. All three of the secret companions drive Okko crazy sometimes (brace yourself for Uri-bô constantly picking his nose), but they do care about her, and she comes to miss them when they're not apparent during her emotional moments.

You may expect a story of a recent orphan and ghosts who died in childhood to be quite bleak, but it's not much more so than stories of Casper the Friendly Ghost. They don't dwell much on the circumstances that led to their current situation. Okko shows so little sadness, even usually when thinking about her parents, that I took a long time to feel sure they had actually died. OK, that has something to do with Okko herself feeling unsure. It's not clear whether she occasionally sees their ghosts too or imagines them.

This is a rather quintessentially Japanese animation, at least in terms of trappings. Mineko demands a strict observance of old-fashioned etiquette. Matsuki's inn looks less antique but still has decidedly Japanese decor. Okko is interested in a traditional fan dance. And the spirits evidently follow Shinto rules.

Once again, I'm unsure what decade we're dealing with. The cars and urban developments look modern enough, but I don't recall seeing any electronics, and it's not like Japan is behind the curve on these things. Maybe the '90s?

I also wonder what age Okko is supposed to be. On one hand, she and her classmates look very petite to me, and she fondly fantasizes or flashes back to crawling under the covers with her parents. OTOH, she looks significantly older than Miyo, and while she hasn't dated yet, she doesn't seem averse to the possibility. I estimate 10. In any case, the overarching theme is her growing up fast. When she first arrives in the countryside, she freaks out at the sight of a moth in a window; by the end, everyone is impressed at her maturity and responsibility.

Indeed, I find the story a good deal more heartwarming than heartbreaking. It helps that there's no true antagonist. Suzuki hails from a lore with less evil demons, so he does nothing worse than eat from others' plates. Eccentric guest Glory (Chiaki Horan) scares Okko at first but proves a trusty adult friend. Akane (Mikako Komatsu), a freshly half-orphaned guest, lashes out a lot but learns to appreciate Okko's version of hospitality. Even Matsuki comes to help and respect her.

I hope you don't think I've given away too much. It can be hard for me to stop when I'm so charmed by the subject. OI makes a fine choice when you want something vaguely serious yet whimsical and cute.