Yoru no Kuni

22-ji no Annaibito (The 22 O'Clock Guide)
Refusing to accept the death of her beloved dog, Choco, a young girl named Chiyo falls asleep, only to wake up in the Night World. She is greeted by Yoru, an entity that guides her through the realm of the darkest, most beautiful time of day. As Chiyo learns to cope with the loss in her heart, the starless world around her begins to light up.

26-ji no Sagashimono (The 26 O'Clock Search)
Since childhood, best friends Hina and Tsumugi have used an exchange diary as a token of their friendship. Angered that Hina wants to open up the diary to include a new girl she has befriended, the jealous Tsumugi throws it away. Upon falling asleep, she wakes up in front of a labyrinth within the Night World. Initially refusing to take Yoru's help, Tsumugi searches for an answer to her predicament, but she is confronted by her feelings of loneliness instead.

4-ji no Tegami (The 4 O'Clock Letter)
Another morning is approaching, and the thought fills Akatsuki with dread. Dejected from her inability to build a career, she begins to throw away her art pieces, stumbling upon an old sketchbook in the process. Within the book is a letter from a former friend who, a long time ago, had given her hope. As she continues going through her belongings, Akatsuki starts to remember the friend's identity—and she might even discover her fading passion for painting.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Yoru Main

Suwabe, Junichi Japanese

Tsumugi Main

Nitta, Emi Japanese

Chiyo Main

Kuno, Misaki Japanese

Akatsuki Supporting

ryo-timo Director, Storyboard

Tobinai, Masahiro Theme Song Composition, Theme Song Arrangement

Aimer Inserted Song Performance

Aoi, Takashi Art Director

Reviews

Jan 3, 2024

whiteflame55

Recommended

This one is interesting, punching well above its weight class given how short it is. It's not exactly breaking new ground, but what it does is impressive, showcasing some excellent visuals that evoke storybooks and providing a mental space for its characters to work through issues relating to acceptance, whether that includes acceptance of life events, of others and their choices, or of yourself in the face of rejection. And they're handled with appropriate depth and breadth as Yoru walks with varying ages of girls and women as they go through what are often difficult stages in their lives. Yoru is just kind of there ... as a guide, meant to enhance the visual aspects without contributing much beyond little insights and expositing, but the character is functional, albeit a little simple. It's beautifully realized, the music, given that it's Aimer, is consistently strong, and some of the messages, especially from the third piece, are very strongly delivered.

I'm not super fond of the "I worked this out in a dream" type of story-telling, and while I keep in mind that these are shorts that are somewhat limited in their abilities to tell about what happens beyond a very short timeframe, things do feel a little too neatly wrapped up for the first two stories, especially, both of which I think are pretty but only just fine.

But again, it's the third piece that does it for me. Following a character who has already had this experience far back in her rear view mirror trying to rediscover what she learned in the face of the more complex difficulties of adulthood was powerful and anchors the work well, driving home the message that acceptance, both of ourselves and of the lives we live, is a journey.

This is one of the more underrated treasures I've seen recently, and deserves more attention.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Oct 19, 2021

Veerm

Recommended

[Updated]
I just stumbled upon this hidden underrated gem, and oh boy I didn't regret watching it. I don't write reviews since I'm too lazy to write, but this anime needs some attention, so this is my first review. (it's not gonna be that long)

This is such a unique anime for me because it's not like any other mainstream anime such us today, and it's just shocking that it's not well known considering it's a short anime with such a fantastic narrative and heartwarming story.

The third episode hit me like a truck, It's just so relatable. Finding the path on what you'd love to do, you ... work hard to be the best, but realized you can't beat talent and being average is just your limit. It's just the harsh reality you have to face and you have nothing to do but accept it. You question yourself "Is the path I chose really the right one?", you can't help but feel regret, anxiety and panic. Some people say it's going to be alright. just be yourself. I didn't listen until I'd suddenly stumbled upon this anime. I teared up a little on how beautiful and amazing this anime is.

I don't watch short animes but this is an exception, this is just a beautifully heartwarming anime for me. I definitely recommend you to watch this if you have free time.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Sep 12, 2021

ACasualViewer

Recommended

Yoru No Kuni tells stories about problems kids face like moving on from loss or jealously between friends, its an age old story with very common themes and nothing new or original is necessarily presented, the characters are not especially memorable either.

However the music and visuals are stunning and make this short series stand out in an absolutely magical way, if you enjoy series that are short and to the point but carry strong emotional impact with how they are presented, you will enjoy this story and beautiful night world it takes place in.

This work seems like a first time production for a new studio, ... not sure if they will continue, but I definitely wouldn't mind seeing more of these shorts in the future.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Bittersweet Melancholia

by Tyrraell

48 Entries · 97 Restacks

Visual Feasts

by Hendy

29 Entries · 257 Restacks

Quiet contemplative

by Jentax

14 Entries · 6 Restacks

	Poll: Yoru no Kuni Episode 3 Discussion NextUniverse - Sep 12, 2021	9 replies	by Titadou »» Nov 18, 2023 6:07 AM
	Poll: Yoru no Kuni Episode 1 Discussion SheyCroix - Apr 16, 2021	16 replies	by TayPhox »» Sep 23, 2021 3:15 PM
	Poll: Yoru no Kuni Episode 2 Discussion TheCeeJayz - Jun 5, 2021	4 replies	by lizzziziz »» Sep 20, 2021 12:12 AM
	How many episodes and when's the next one coming out? madelajn3 - Apr 17, 2021	13 replies	by Firechick12012 »» Aug 30, 2021 4:53 PM
	Yoru no Kuni Ep 2 CodeMoon - Jun 4, 2021	4 replies	by CaptainKenshiro »» Jun 4, 2021 10:20 PM