The original novel 'Hotarubi no Mori e' by Yuki Midorikawa, on which the movie is based, was first published, introducing the story that inspired the film adaptation.
The anime film adaptation of 'Hotarubi no Mori e' was released, bringing the story to a wider audience and contributing to its popularity.
I need to rewatch this and see if it moves from a like to a favorite for me. I forget about it, see it mentioned, and remember that it was way better than I thought it was going to be. This is a great one to watch if you haven't yet.
Finally got to see this in theaters - it's a lovely movie. One of the higher quality family-friendly sci fi movies in a LONG time. The part I liked least about the book was the humor - movie was the same. Which speaks to how good the adaptation was.
This is the best action movie of all time!