Featuring simple yet gorgeous animation, this dark fairy tale from directors Yutaro Kubo and Satomi Maiya is set in a fantasy world that is both sparsely populated and filled with strange dangers. The Girl From the Other Side (also known as Totsukuni no shôjo, 2022) follows the story of Shiva, a young girl with a troubling past, and the cursed yet kind demon who discovers her wounded and alone on the border between two lands known as the Inside and the Outside.

Although his touch will transfer his curse to the young girl, the demon brings her back to his home to convalesce in safety. When told that he cannot remember his own name, Shiva christens him Sensei, or Teacher, and the two develop a sweet and mutually fulfilling companionship. Expecting Shiva to flee in fear, Teacher is instead astonished to find that his young ward accepts him wholeheartedly—a development that helps him begin to reconnect with his own long-forgotten human past. As the film explores the unlikely duo’s blossoming friendship, it also explores the themes of self-discovery, grief, and acceptance. The conflict arrives in the form of another cursed beast, one seeking Shiva’s soul for its own mysterious ends. Shiva and her guardian embark on a journey to keep her from this unknown harm and discover more than either of them has bargained for.

A loving and sure-handed adaptation of the manga The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún, The Girl From the Other Side is a quiet and contemplative masterpiece — and a gentle hug for the heart and soul.

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