Kuro ga Ita Natsu

From Nakazawa Keiji, the creator of Hadashi no Gen (Barefoot Gen) and Kuroi Ame ni Utarete (Beaten by the Black Rain). Kuro ga Ita Natsu (Summer with Kuro) aired in June of 1990, making it the last movie made by GEN Productions. It’s a strange movie to end on. Summer with Kuro is a simplistic movie that I can safely assume is targeted at younger kids. This one isn't as impactful or memorable, which is probably why hardly anyone has seen it.

Summary (spoilers!):
In the summer of 1945, a schoolgirl named Nobuko saves a malnourished kitten from being eaten by crows. She takes the kitten home, ... but her parents don't want her to keep it. After sneaking the kitten back in the house, being discovered, and running away with the kitten, Nobuko manages to convince her parents to allow her to keep the kitten. Nobuko and her brother name it Kuro. Nobuko catches fish for Kuro to eat and plays with Kuro frequently. The cat grows & becomes stronger. It eventually becomes cat-Jesus. Kuro saves Nobuko's life on several occasions and sacrifices himself so that she may survive the Hiroshima atom-bombing. You may think I’m joking, but I’m not. That actually happens. After Kuro saves Nobuko, he dies in a bomb shelter. It’s very sad. Considering her cat and her house were the only losses, I’d say Nobuko made it out of Hiroshima in fairly good condition.

Final thoughts:
Silly? Yes. It's very silly. Parts of it are quite endearing, as well. It’s similar to Hadashi no Gen in the sense that the tone can jump from cute and whimsical to terrifying & sad in the span of a few seconds. Unlike Hadashi no Gen this movie isn’t semi-biographical in nature, so the tone shifts feel a little clumsy. Hadashi no Gen, its sequel, and Kuroi Ame ni Utarete are all interesting, relevant, and worth watching if you’re interested in Hiroshima pieces, but you can skip Kuro ga Ita Natsu. Of all the anime released by GEN Productions, this one is the strangest. Why did Nakazawa Keiji feel the need to adapt this story to film? I don’t know, it’s a very ill-fitting choice. I wouldn’t call it a waste of time, just time better spent watching more culturally and/or historically relevant pieces.