Death is the one thing that is guaranteed for all living things. We are born, we live, and then we die. And the cycle continues. However, death may happen when we least expect it, and we find ourselves losing our loved ones when we least expect it. Whether it be an accident , a murder, or a sickness, death comes whenever it feels necessary without any warning. It's frustrating and miserable to lose a loved one at a young age. You feel that you have barely lived your life with that person, and in a few moments, he or she is gone. However, what if you had the chance to bring that person back to life? Like the old myths of Orpheus and Eurydice. A quest to the underworld to bring back that one person back to life.

Meet Asuna, a star student, but a lonely girl who spends her time listening to her late father's radio. She meets a strange boy named Shun and the two quickly become friends. However, after a nasty turn of fate, the two are separated and Asuna is thrown into a quest to retrieve her friend back from the Underworld, or in this case, Agartha. With her teacher, Mr. Morisaki, who is searching for his late wife, Asuna travels throughout Agartha, fighting its creatures and enjoying its beauty with the hopes of resurrecting her friend Shun.

Hoshi wo Ou Kodomo or Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below is a film detailing Asuna and Morisaki's attempts to find their loved ones in the land of Agartha. The plot is relatively basic: a typical adventure story to find someone. At first, Asuna seems a bit two dimensional and a bit too perfect, perhaps to entail the innocence and purity of childhood, but as the story progresses, we see her flaws and her true feelings begin to surface. Morisaki on the other hand, portrays the true essence of human nature with all its flaws and desires. The movie is two hours and it starts off at a very slow pace, but soon it manages to pick up and keeps you entertained. The animation is beautiful and extremely detailed. While I did have some issues with a few plot holes, I still think that Hoshi wo Ou Kodomo is a wonderful movie for anyone who likes fantasy, adventure, and is willing to journey to the underworld.











