
Giovanni's Island
2014·Animation·1h 42m
7.1
★














In the aftermath of the most devastating conflict mankind had ever experienced, the tiny island of Shikotan became part of the Sakhalin Oblast... and on the unhealed border in this remote corner of the world, friendship among children from two different countries timidly blossomed, striving to overcome language barriers and the waves of history. Inspired by true events.
Directed by Mizuho Nishikubo
dancing
friendship
island
loss of loved one
language barrier
tragedy
disaster
post war
anime

Trailer

IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch



Cast

Masachika Ichimura
Tatsuo Senou (voice)

Yukie Nakama
Sawako (voice)

Kanako Yanagihara
Micchan (voice)

Yusuke Santamaria
Hideo (voice)

Kota Yokoyama
Junpei Senou (voice)

Junya Taniai
Kanta Senou (voice)

Saburo Kitajima
Genzou Senou (voice)

Hiroshi Inuzuka
Chief (voice)

Kaoru Yachigusa
Older Sawako (voice)

Tatsuya Nakadai
Older Junpei Senou (voice)

Polina Ilyushenko
Tanya (voice)
Crew

Mizuho Nishikubo
Director

Shigemichi Sugita
Screenplay

Taiki Sakurai
Screenplay

Masashi Sada
Original Music Composer

Taiki Sakurai
Producer

Mitsuhisa Ishikawa
Executive Producer

Sachiko Matsumoto
Compositing Artist

Eiji Inomoto
CGI Director

Mizuho Nishikubo
Storyboard Artist

Masaki Tachibana
Storyboard Artist

Nobutoshi Ogura
Key Animation

Takayuki Hamana
Key Animation
Popular Reviews
17 reviews
N.I-LS
9.0★ · 04/17/26

Le tombeau des lucioles en plus leger, plus metaphorique.
Magnifique finalement, j'ai lache ma larme je crois ca m'atteint trop les trucs avec des enfants
Magnifique finalement, j'ai lache ma larme je crois ca m'atteint trop les trucs avec des enfants
Le tombeau des lucioles en plus leger, plus metaphorique.
Magnifique finalement, j'ai lache ma larme je crois ca m'atteint trop les trucs avec des enfants
Magnifique finalement, j'ai lache ma larme je crois ca m'atteint trop les trucs avec des enfants
Worf
7.0★ · 04/14/26

I remember watching this with my dad its awesome
I cried when Kanta died :(
would watch again!
I cried when Kanta died :(
would watch again!
I remember watching this with my dad its awesome
I cried when Kanta died :(
would watch again!
I cried when Kanta died :(
would watch again!
aerish
9.0★ · 11/16/25

sobbing, how can a little boy died that way? and why did the have to pretend like he wasn't dead? the world is cruel fo sure, AND the timeskip tho
sobbing, how can a little boy died that way? and why did the have to pretend like he wasn't dead? the world is cruel fo sure, AND the timeskip tho
Danni Chamberlin
8.0★ · 01/19/24

i did not expect this too be so gooood
i did not expect this too be so gooood
Gabriel Silva
8.4★ · 01/09/24

With beautifully rendered backgrounds that feel scratchy and illustrative that give it a charm that more rendered images do not, Giovanni’s Island tale of children who live on Shikotan, a disputed territory between the Soviets and the Japanese. Under Soviet occupation, the populations mingle and interact although not without tension. However, the children, who all go to the same elementary school, are able to cross these barriers. It’s a beautiful story about how children are not inherently divisive as society is and that these prejudices have to be taught in order to survive. The children who end up speaking combined Japanese and Russian form fast friendships, ones that are still in threat of the conflict between the Soviets and Japanese on the island. The constant framing device of songs and fiction, particularly that of Night on the Galactic Railroad, add a flair of the fantastical to it all. The animation itself is great too, being able to handle more exaggerated expression and more subtle acting choices thanks to how the characters are designed.
With beautifully rendered backgrounds that feel scratchy and illustrative that give it a charm that more rendered images do not, Giovanni’s Island tale of children who live on Shikotan, a disputed territory between the Soviets and the Japanese. Under Soviet occupation, the populations mingle and interact although not without tension. However, the children, who all go to the same elementary school, are able to cross these barriers. It’s a beautiful story about how children are not inherently divisive as society is and that these prejudices have to be taught in order to survive. The children who end up speaking combined Japanese and Russian form fast friendships, ones that are still in threat of the conflict between the Soviets and Japanese on the island. The constant framing device of songs and fiction, particularly that of Night on the Galactic Railroad, add a flair of the fantastical to it all. The animation itself is great too, being able to handle more exaggerated expression and more subtle acting choices thanks to how the characters are designed.