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In 19th century Belgium, in the Flanders countryside, lived a young boy with an artistic flair named Nello, and his faithful companion Patrash. Though poor in the physical sense, the two friends shared a rich life along with Alois, one of Nello's neighbors, and his grandfather, his last living relative. Though great sorrow and hardship looms closely in the future, one thing is for certain, the devotion and companionship of Nello and Patrash will never fade...
Five-year-old Gilson and his blind sister Gami are orphans who wander the countryside searching for their mother. By chance, the pair are discovered by monks who inhabit the hillside, and are taken under their wing in body and spirit. Throughout the seasons, Gilson and Gami lead a quiet life in the monastery, learning about life and the teachings of Buddha, until one day, Gilson decides to accompany one of the monks to a temple in the mountains. With the snowfall comes great change, and soon, nothing will be the same...
Both main characters are pure hearted and are trying their best to overcome the trials set in front of them. Heartwrenching and dealing with the pain of survival, if you liked one check out the other.
The year is 1945, and the Japanese war effort is grinding to a halt. In Hiroshima, the Nakaoka family is working hard to survive in the midst of poverty and persecution. With his father constantly working, six year old Gen has been left in charge of his family, yet stays relentlessly optimistic in the face of hardship. Then, on August 6th, the atomic bomb Little Boy detonated in the center of town, and the people's lives were changed forever. As Gen struggles to cope with the horrific event, his youthful innocence and refusal to give up brings a renewed sense of hope to those around him...
Dog of Flanders and Barefoot Gen, while about very different subjects, have a main character who refuses to give in and let go when hardships arise. If you liked the tragedy and strong will in one, you'd like the other.
With their father serving overseas in the Navy towards the end of the World War 2, Seita and his younger sister Setsuko are living as normally as they can. One day during a firebomb raid on the city their mother suffers fatal wounds and the two siblings' lives are turned upside down as they go to live with a relative. After suffering the cruel treatment of their aunt, who makes it clear that their very presence is a nuisance, Seita and Setsuko decide to leave and go to live in an abandoned bomb shelter. With no one else to rely on, Seita and Setsuko try their hardest to live from day to day. Though when food becomes ever more scarce and no one is willing to sell what little provisions they have, life for the pair is increasingly difficult. Then when Setsuko falls ill, Seita begins to realize just how fragile life is...
If you're in the mood for an anime about a pure hearted main character trying their best to overcome the trials set in front of them, then both of these animes are for you. Heartwrenching and dealing with the struggle to survive, both of these movies are definitely classics in their own right.
In the poverty stricken city of Genoa, Italy, a young man named Marco's mother departs for Argentina, where she can work to help support her family. One year after her departure, Marco still lives in Genoa with his physician father and handful of friends, and misses his mother terribly. When her usual letter fails to arrive, Marco decides to do something drastic -- go alone to Argentina to find her! With only a small amount of money and no one to turn to, this brave little boy sets off on an adventure through continents, storms and treachery, all for a chance to see his mother again...
Eight-year-old Remi lives in a quiet village with his mother. His father, Jerome Barbarin, lives in Paris and provides the family with money to stay afloat; but soon they receive word that Jerome has been in a terrible accident and cannot support them further. After struggling through a tough winter, Remi and his mother are soon elated to see that their father has returned home - but he is not the man that he used to be. Cold and distant, Jerome soon secretly sells Remi to a traveling entertainer; and thus Remi's hardships begin. Moving from place to place, Remi experiences tragedy on a large scale. Friends come, go, and die; newfound families are torn apart; and otherwise Remi is abused, abandoned, and mistreated. Can Remi ever find his place in the world?
Dog of Flanders and Nobody's Boy Remi are tragedies; people die, bad things happen, and you generally feel flat out crappy for the lead character in either case. Set in a similar time period and having an animation style, fans of one would definitely appreciate the other.
