Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.

I’ve never heard of this one, but anything that expands the understanding of Japanese animation beyond the two or three “big names” is a good thing, and I’m pleased when I hear about something like this that’s not already on my radar.

Hi Harry & Drew – I’ve sent in a few reviews in the past (username: “Nicky”) and yesterday I saw the US premiere of the Japanese anime, “Summer Days with Coo” at the NY International Children’s Film Festival. Here’s a review if you or your readers are interested:

I haven’t seen any of filmmaker Keiichi Hara’s other films, but my son is a Miyazaki freak, so that’s my main point of reference. While it’s probably not a classic, I’d say “Summer Days with Coo” compares favorably with Miyazaki ’s mid-level films. Its got his familiar themes of a pre-teen coming of age in a society where modern man has lost touch with nature and the magical spirits that once inhabited it.

One of those spirits is a “Kappa” – a kind of water sprite that is discovered after an accidental 200 year hibernation. Predictably, it’s a lonely boy, Koichi, who digs up the creature and names him “Coo,” and the plot that follows has similarities to “ET,” “Lilo & Stitch” and other family films. But what makes this movie special is the unhurried and occasionally unpredictable way it tells Coo’s story. Although the central relationship is the boy and his sprite, Koichi breaks kid-movie convention by immediately sharing his discovery with his family, who become involved in caring for Coo and keeping his existence a secret. The behavior of both kids and grownups has realistic imperfections: Koichi treats his supernatural friend well, but is cruel to an already ostracized girl in his class; his little sister acts her age and is hilariously jealous of Coo; his parents worry about paying the bills and getting old. Also, Coo develops a secret relationship with the family dog – they share a psychic bond that gives them, and the audience, a unique perspective on the strangeness of humans.

While not as complex and beautiful as Miyasaki’s films, there is a real aesthetic to “Coo.” When Koichi & Coo escape to the outskirts of Tokyo , there’s a relaxed lushness to the trees and flowing rivers. And the designer’s deck isn’t stacked against cities and suburbia. There’s also an appreciation and attention to detail given to the colorful vehicles, clothing and assorted aspects of modern life. Trains, at least, seem to be an important link between the old world and the new. The look is refreshingly naturalistic, and the characters not as identically doe-eyed as the usual anime adolescents.

There are also a few, surprising splashes of blood that remind you this is no Disney movie. But despite a violent opening sequence, “Coo” doesn’t really have villains – just grownup glimpses of how bad decisions – about the environment, or exploiting Coo – get made. There’s a King Kong-ish chase near the end that leaves one character dead, but there’s no greedy capitalist baddie to blame. Just too many curious people. Coo can’t co-exist with us, and you really feel for the little guy: is there anywhere left he can live and are there any left like him?

This is a movie that takes its time – possibly too much time for some, especially younger, audiences. (It about 2 ½ hours long.) But I liked the way it contrasted Koichi’s crowded neighborhood pool, full of stuck up kids, with his long, leisurely swims with Coo in a mountain stream. The film’s lyrical ending may seem corny but is true to its spirit - and hopefully not lost on kids, suggesting that its not too late for us to regain a balance with nature and magic.

“Nicky”