Sep. 17, 2011|Japan|45 Min.
Genre: Animation;Fantasy;Romance
Description: **To the Forest of Firefly Lights (2011): A Heartfelt Tale of Love and Loss**
The 2011 anime film *Hotarubi no Mori e* is based on the original *shōjo* manga of the same name. The story revolves around Hotaru Takegawa, a six-year-old girl who gets lost in a mysterious forest inhabited by a mountain spirit named Gin and other supernatural creatures known as *yōkai* from Japanese folklore. Gin, a human-like entity who wears a mask, rescues Hotaru but warns her that if a human touches him, he will vanish forever. Despite this limitation, Gin guides Hotaru out of the forest, and the two form a deep bond.
Every summer, Hotaru returns to the forest to visit Gin, and their friendship grows stronger. As the years pass, Hotaru matures physically while Gin remains ageless. Their relationship evolves into a bittersweet romance, with Hotaru grappling with their uncertain future and Gin yearning to touch the woman she has become.
During high school, Gin takes Hotaru to a festival in the forest hosted by the spirits. However, the night takes a tragic turn when Gin accidentally touches a human boy, causing him to disappear. Before vanishing, Gin and Hotaru share a heartfelt embrace and confess their love. The story concludes with Hotaru learning to cope with her grief and move forward in life.
The 2011 film faithfully adapts the manga, adding a few extra scenes. A special edition, *Hotarubi no Mori e Tokubetsu-hen*, released in the same year, offers an additional episode from Gin’s perspective. In this short story, the *yōkai* try to cheer Gin up with persimmons, a treasured treat, after Hotaru leaves at the end of the summer.
*To the Forest of Firefly Lights* is a poignant tale of love, longing, and acceptance, beautifully capturing the fleeting nature of human connections.
Cast director: Takahiro Omori
Cast actor: Ayane Sakura, Koki Uchiyama, Shinpachi Tsuji, Hayato Taya, Izumi Sawada, Kanehira Yamamoto, Masanori Machida
Original name: 蛍火の杜へ