COCOON: One Summer of Girlhood
COCOON: One Summer of Girlhood is an animated adaptation of Machiko Kyo’s manga of the same name. San and Mayu attend an all-girls boarding school on a small Japanese island. When war breaches their shorelines and times turn turbulent.. The girls struggle to find solace in their fragile lives.
Animation Studio SASAYURI had a tough story to take on. Not only because of the heavy source material, but also because the story was based on real historical figures. Director Yukimitsu Ina, producer Hitomi Tateno, and the rest of the team clearly took great care. Kensuke Ushio’s musical accompaniment matched each story beat effortlessly.
I want to start out by saying this movie does deal with heavy subject matter; those sensitive to violence or child harm: Trigger Warning.
Thoughts on Cocoon
Hikari Mitsushima and Marika Itō did a phenomenal job as the Japanese talent for Mayu and San. However, there’s also an English dub. I walked into this expecting a light-hearted story about two friends. And what I got was a summer story with two friends, but instead of a light-hearted summer, I got punched in the face- full chaos.
Things escalated so quickly; the contrast between the calm, tranquil nature of their day-to-day before. To their day-to-day, amongst the violence was so jarring. I don’t know why; my brain completely omitted the war part, but it did. So when things started going boom. I was not prepared. Imagine having to wrap your head around the potential danger of war. Needing to pitch in and act as nurses to aid your people.
San was such a gentle girl. So much so that she hesitated to give her closest friend a birthday gift. I can see how the new reality would shake her even more. Not just the bombs and looming death, but also due to the close calls she had with assault. The silkworm and cocoon symbolism was the perfect analogy for her growth. So when she stood ten-toes down, it really felt like something inside of her broke loose.
As for Mayu, she was an effective foil to San’s character. Things San lacked, Mayu filled in. The light push and pull between them moved the story forward. I was really suspicious, and it took maybe 30 minutes to confirm my suspicions. The way the story revealed it was loud but subtle at the same time.
Final Thoughts
The flowers or confetti effect they used during their encounter with enemy soldiers was so pretty; however, it was also devastating. It felt symbolic, like a manifestation of their fleeting hope, while also covering up blood. I might be thinking too deeply about it, but this movie has so much to say.
COCOON was an amazing movie. Beautiful animation. Solid storytelling and a cast of characters to connect with. The music score was gut-wrenching. And the finished body of work was devastating. But in a beautiful way. This movie was a roller coaster, but I loved every minute of it. I highly recommend it. This is one you should definitely check out for yourself.
What did you think of Cocoon: One Summer of Girlhood?
