Japanese animation is in a class of its own, with a style that is hard to match. While many countries produce visually impressive animated films, very few reach the same level of thoughtful storytelling that Japanese animation delivers. Its real strength is not just the beauty of the artwork or the technical skill behind it, but the way it understands and expresses human feelings.

Over the years, filmmakers from studios like Studio Ghibli and directors such as Hayao Miyazaki, Makoto Shinkai, and Satoshi Kon have shown that animation can explore human relationships just as powerfully as live-action cinema, sometimes even more so. We Are Aliens is one of those gems that explores friendship, bullying, guilt and the long shadow childhood leaves behind.

Directed by Kohei Kadowaki, We Are Aliens is set in a small Japanese town. The story follows two boys, Gyotaro and Tsubasa, whose friendship changes over time after a betrayal during childhood. The film stays powerful by keeping things simple, using small details that slowly build meaning without ever pushing emotion too hard.

We Are Aliens looks at bullying in a much more complex way, with Kadowaki showing how children can hurt one another through fear and the need to belong, creating a sense of honesty that may be familiar to many viewers who can see the child who was left behind and the one who stayed silent within themselves.

The film shows childhood in a calm, natural way, without exaggeration, and Kadowaki presents the kids as real people full of energy, questions, and the confusion that comes with growing up. There are also clear influences from European animation, especially in its careful attention to everyday life, similar to Sylvain Chomet’s The Illusionist, though the emotional tone remains distinctly Japanese.

Kadowaki suggests that even a brief moment shared between two children can influence the way their lives develop later on. The meaning of We Are Aliens becomes clearer, pointing to the distance that can exist between close people yet still struggle to truly understand one another, even when there is a desire for connection or forgiveness. In the end, the film is not only about bullying or friendship, but also about guilt and growing up. Kadowaki created a sensitive and honest portrait of human relationships where what is left unsaid often matters most.

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Written by Maggie Gogler

Featured image courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to film, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. As we continue to grow, we aim to deepen our coverage of Asian music while remaining committed to exploring and celebrating creativity across the global arts landscape.}