MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for My Grandfather Is a Nihonjin

My Grandfather Is a Nihonjin

2025 · 84 min

A gentle, reflective animated journey through family memory, quietly moving as a boy pieces together where he comes from.

Directed by
Celia Catunda
Genres
Animation, Drama
Starring
Ken Kaneko, Pietro Takeda, Kazue Akisue
Overview
Noboru is a 10-year-old boy in search of his cultural identity. He turns to his grandfather Hideo, to find out more about his family. Despite always avoiding his past, his grandfather agrees to tell his story. As Noboru delves into his family history, he discovers he has an uncle he’s never heard about.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Celia Catunda
Genres
Animation, Drama
Starring
Ken Kaneko, Pietro Takeda, Kazue Akisue
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • warmstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • identity
  • family
  • immigration
  • memory
  • coming-of-age
Places
  • big city
  • home
Era
contemporary
Audience
family
Form
  • animated
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language none
  • Violence none
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror0
Humour3
Realism6
Romance1
Tension2
Darkness3
Complexity4
Emotional weight6

More like this

Titles like My Grandfather Is a Nihonjin

Movie

Only Yesterday

1991

A gentle, nostalgic journey through memory and quiet self-discovery, slow and reflective but emotionally resonant.

Warm, melancholic · about identity and family

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • identity
  • family
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
119 min
Details
Only YesterdayHidden from your suggestions.
Short film

The Locksmith

2026

A gentle, bittersweet slice-of-life that quietly draws you into a child's world, balancing small everyday moments with tender emotional undercurrents.

Warm, melancholic · about identity and family · animated

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • identity
  • family
  • animated
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
19 min
Details
The LocksmithHidden from your suggestions.
Short film

Us Four

2024

A quiet, tender little piece that drifts through memory and gently aches with the sadness of growing up and moving on.

Warm, melancholic · about identity and family

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • identity
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
5 min
Details
Us FourHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Journal with Witch

2026

A quiet, tender watch that lets grief and everyday moments breathe, slowly warming into a story about two people learning to lean on each other.

Warm, melancholic · about family and coming-of-age · animated

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • coming-of-age
  • animated
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Seasons
1
Details
Journal with WitchHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Anne Shirley

2025

A gentle, heartfelt coming-of-age story with warm characters and a nostalgic rural setting, easy to watch and emotionally rewarding.

Warm, melancholic · about identity and family · animated

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • identity
  • family
  • animated
Pacing
measured
Attention
easy-watch
Seasons
1
Details
Anne ShirleyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Salma's Big Wish

2019

A gentle, colorful quest through a Mexican town's folklore, mixing family warmth with a soft ache of longing.

Warm, earnest · about identity and family · animated

Via
  • warm
  • earnest
  • identity
  • family
  • animated
Pacing
measured
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
95 min
Details
Salma's Big WishHidden from your suggestions.
Short film

TRANSBORDANDO

2025

A quiet, tender short that drifts through memory, feeling like a gentle reckoning with who you used to be.

Warm, melancholic · about identity and family

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • identity
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
8 min
Details
TRANSBORDANDOHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Renoir

2025

A quiet, tender coming-of-age story that immerses you in a child's perspective amid family illness and urban loneliness, balancing sadness with warmth.

Warm, melancholic · about family and coming-of-age

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • coming-of-age
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
120 min
Details
RenoirHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Miss Hokusai

2015

A gentle, painterly slice of life that lingers on small moments, family bonds, and the quiet struggle to find your own voice.

Warm, melancholic · about identity and family · animated

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • identity
  • family
  • animated
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
90 min
Details
Miss HokusaiHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Ana, en passant

2026

A quiet, reflective journey through grief and self-discovery, with moments of warmth and connection.

Warm, melancholic · about identity and memory

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • identity
  • memory
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
90 min
Details
Ana, en passantHidden from your suggestions.
Short film

All Heart

2025

A quiet, tender short that sits with loss, unfolding gently toward a fragile moment of connection and release.

Melancholic, earnest · about family and memory · animated

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • family
  • memory
  • animated
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
9 min
Details
All HeartHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Usagi Drop

2011

A gentle, quietly heartwarming slice of life that unfolds with patience, letting small domestic moments build into deep affection.

Warm, earnest · about family and coming-of-age · animated

Via
  • warm
  • earnest
  • family
  • coming-of-age
  • animated
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
easy-watch
Seasons
1
Details
Usagi DropHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
animation, drama
Directed by
Celia Catunda
Written by
Rita Catunda
Starring
Ken Kaneko, Pietro Takeda, Kazue Akisue, Edson Kameda, Fabio Matsuoka, Li Martins, Luiza Porto, Pedro Galvão
Runtime
84 min
Country
Brazil
Languages
Japanese, Portuguese

TMDBIMDbWikidata