THE STORY – Follows a 12-year-old orphaned girl in post-WWII Tokyo who disguises herself as a boy to survive the underworld, while her former teacher retraces her path.
THE CAST – Ami Koyae & Fumi Nikaido
THE TEAM – Miwa Nishikawa (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 150 Minutes
From the recent and beloved Ryan Gosling-led “Project Hail Mary” and Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” to the upcoming Taika Waititi flick “Klara and the Sun” starring Jenna Ortega, book-to-screen adaptations have been both box office hits and highly anticipated titles this year. And with the immense success of original films such as “Obsession” and “Backrooms,” audiences seem to be more than eager to be seated for original ideas on the big screen. Following this trend and hailing from Hiroshima, director Miwa Nishikawa has taken her own unpublished novel and adapted it into a post-war drama, “Children Untold”, which had its world premiere at TIFF 2026.
“Children Untold” is set in Tokyo, Japan during the tumultuous last days and aftermath of WWII and follows 12-year-old orphan Kotoko (played by a fresh-faced Ami Koyae), who disguises herself as a boy in an attempt to survive the harsh world into which she finds herself and her community thrown. The daughter of classically-trained musicians and quite the musical talent herself, Kotoko is forced to leave everything comfortable and familiar behind and adapt to this new, cruel environment. She gives herself the pseudonym Shigeo and adopts a boyish demeanor, shedding her past and identity in a last ditch attempt to make it out alive.
As we follow Kotoko’s rugged day-to-day survival, encounters with gangs and black market trades, and run-ins with other orphans, her journey is paralleled with that of her former teacher Fumiko Sone, played by Fumi Nikaido (“Shōgun”). Through clues in newspaper clippings and word of mouth, Fumiko relentlessly tries to follow the harrowing bread crumb trail that the young girl has left behind. Struggling with her own guilt, pain, and desperately trying to find reason to keep going, the former teacher uses her search for Kotoko as her sole purpose in the unfair world in which she finds herself.
Water serves as a unique theme and symbol throughout Nishikawa’s feature, as Kotoko continuously survives the rain as well as the sea, and imagines herself drowning as a way to meet her late parents once again. It’s a cleansing element, one that erases, transforms, and ultimately changes the course of not only Kotoko’s life, but those around her as well. This idea of water being an important facet of both Kotoko and Fumiko’s journeys is accentuated by the film’s commitment to deep blues, high saturation, and purposeful color grading.
On a technical level, “Children Untold” is exceedingly impressive, with cinematographer Norimichi Kasamatsu (“Unforgiven”) capturing a devastated Japan with a plethora of satisfyingly symmetrical shots that are strikingly unique considering the upsetting and unkempt environment in frame. The first half of the film appears more dark, saturated, and gritty, which further embellishes the characters’ seemingly hopeless circumstances and post-war mood. But in the latter half, “Children Untold” becomes more warm and pleasing to the eye as Kasamatsu invites more delicate rays of sun and pastel colors into his frame – symbols of hope and perhaps hints of healing and closure. Though a bit long-winded at times, with purposeful and clean editing by Tomomi Kikuchi and a heartstring-tug of a score reminiscent of Ryuichi Sakamoto composed by Marihiko Hara, the technical elements of Nishikawa’s debut feature only elevate the film to a higher, more impactful level.
“Children Untold” boasts impressive performances throughout, with the standout being child star and newcomer Ami Koyae. Young Koyae fully immerses herself in the hefty and daunting role of a traumatized orphan navigating 1940s Japan with ease, and holds her own against the established actors with whom she shares the screen. One of these actors being the incredible Fumi Nikaido, who, in her role as a struggling teacher, commands every frame she’s in, delivering a not only authentic and believable but deeply moving performance as her inspirational character. Ryota Bando, Yō Yoshida, and Kaito Sakurai also fit in seamlessly in their secondary roles against the war-torn backdrop.
Ultimately, “Children Untold” is a weighty yet tender film that has a knack for getting under one’s skin. With an understated emotional pull and a compassion for its characters and the real life people they represent, Miwa Nishikawa’s impressive debut feature proves to be a thoughtful and affecting adaptation. It’s a film that – uplifted by its stellar performances and immersive technicals – is a poignant tale that trusts its own subtlety, reservations, and humanity. Much likes its thematic use of water, “Children Untold” leaves behind its own cleansing idea, one that provides a quiet sense of hope, resilience, and the timeless power of human connection.
