We continue our series of reviews chronicling all of the (non-Studio Ghibli) animated films distributed by GKIDS Films — some of the most original and breathtakingly beautiful animated films from around the world — and how they hold up for a young American audience.

The entire retrospective is found here, and this time we’ve got…

Summer Days with Coo (2007): Keiichi Hara, director

What’s it about?

On the way home from school one day, fourth-grader Koichi Uehara discovers a large stone with an even bigger secret. Inside is a baby kappa (a mythical water spirit) who has been buried (and dehydrated) for 300 years. Koichi brings the creature home, revives it, and names it Coo (after the gentle cooing sounds it makes… before it starts speaking). As these things happen, the two quickly become inseparable friends.

Though he’s happy to be alive, Coo finds it difficult to adjust to modern life in the mostly swamp- and river-free Tokyo suburbs, and he sorely misses his father. Koichi and Coo then set off on a road trip in search of other kappa.

And even though the family does their best to keep Coo a secret from the rest of the world, rumors inevitably start swirling. Pretty soon, the Uehara house becomes a focal point for hundreds of curious onlookers and media desperate for pictures and a story. And Coo becomes THE story of the century.

This… presents many problems.

What are the cultures at play? And how about the languages?

Since the film centers on Coo, it’s steeped in the Japanese folklore about kappa. Kappa are a very “real” yokai (demon) in Japanese mythology. And by real, I mean they exist in the folklore (and weren’t made up for this movie) – not that they actually exist in real life. But… maybe they do?

In any case, kappa are water spirits, about the size of children, and green with scaly skin. They’re typically trickster creatures, and they have webbed hands and a cavity on top of their head that retains water. If they dry out, they could die.

Director Keiichi Hara and the rest of the team incorporated almost all these traits (and more) into the character of Coo. But don’t worry if you’re unfamiliar with kappa or Japanese folklore in general. All you need to know is that he’s a water spirit… that and everything else is explained in the movie.

Also, even though Coo is fairly cute, be warned if you decide to do a little research into kappa. There are some truly horrifying images online. (This is a tame example.)

Will my kids like it? Is there anything objectionable for young kids?

For the most part, Summer Days with Coo is a fun movie about friendship and summer. Fourth-grade Uehara discovers Coo, brings him home, and they have some adventures together. However, I should mention a few things.

(1) The movie is long. Almost 2 1/2 hours long. And it moves pretty slowly at times, so keep that in mind.

(2) There are a couple moments of unexpected violence. The first comes just a few minutes into the movie and will likely cause a shock. Though it’s how the movie opens, it doesn’t set the overall tone for the film – the event is backstory for Coo and helps explain many of his motivations later on. The second moment comes late in the movie and, without overtly spoiling what happens, I’ll just let you look at the picture below and draw your own conclusions.

Aside from these, there’s really nothing objectionable, per se. Coo goes on an emotional journey and has difficulty dealing with his trauma, which might confuse some younger viewers. But the movie does a great job of holding kids’ hands through anything that’s potentially unfamiliar to their lived experiences.

Will I like it?

As I said above, it’s long. There was a moment while watching it that I thought was the end, but when I checked, I was only halfway through the movie. I’ll be honest – the film could certainly have been shortened. By a lot. A good 30-45 minutes could’ve been cut, and the film would’ve been just as powerful, emotional, and fun. But that’s not to say Summer Days with Coo is bad. It’s quite good; it’s just long.

It’s a fascinating window onto a part of Japanese culture and folklore than many audiences likely know nothing about. It also tells a more universal story about friendship, privacy, found families, and the importance of embracing one’s cultural heritage (especially when it’s in danger of disappearing).

How can I see it?

GKIDS and Shout Factory recently released a Blu-ray edition of the film, which is about as bare-bones as it’s possible to be. Aside from the film (original Japanese audio only; no English dub), there’s a small selection of trailers and TV spots. That’s it. It’s available from all the usual outlets, including Amazon.

Final word?

It’s not my favorite animated film, but I don’t regret the time I spent watching it. Summer Days with Coo is certainly unique, and it deals with some important issues… along with mythology/folklore that isn’t usually depicted in animated films.