Movie

Kenya Boy

1984 · 109 min

A strange, colourful adventure that mixes wartime peril with dreamlike fantasy and a child's wide-eyed wonder.

Directed by: Nobuhiko Obayashi
Genres: Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
Starring: Tomoyo Harada, Eiko Masuyama, Ichiro Nagai

Tagline: Boy gets lost in the African wild.
Overview: An 11-year-old boy who goes to Africa with his father in 1941. Because he is Japanese, the father is detained by the British. The boy joins up with a beautiful native girl, and the adventure begins.

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: Nobuhiko Obayashi
Genres: Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
Starring: Tomoyo Harada, Eiko Masuyama, Ichiro Nagai

In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: whimsicalstrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 2 of 3
darkstrength 1 of 3
warmstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: survival
coming-of-age
isolation
family
war
Places: wilderness
countryside
Era: period
Audience: family
Form: animated
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language none
Violence mild
Sex none

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	6
Horror	2
Humour	3
Realism	3
Romance	1
Tension	5
Darkness	5
Complexity	5
Emotional weight	6

Titles like Kenya Boy

Movie

Kensuke's Kingdom

2024

A gentle, hand-drawn island adventure that balances peril with quiet warmth and a touching unlikely friendship.

Earnest · about survival and isolation · animated

Via: earnest
survival
isolation
animated
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 84 min

Details

Kensuke's KingdomHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Born in the Jungle

2026

A gentle, sun-dappled jungle adventure that turns a child's summer into a small, brave quest.

Earnest · about survival and coming-of-age · animated

Via: earnest
survival
coming-of-age
animated
Pacing: measured
Attention: easy-watch
Runtime: 72 min

Details

Born in the JungleHidden from your suggestions.

TV series

Hunter x Hunter

2011–2014

A bright adventure that slowly turns darker and more strategic, rewarding patience with tense, emotionally charged battles and a strong sense of camaraderie.

Earnest · about survival and coming-of-age

Via: earnest
survival
coming-of-age
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Seasons: 3

Details

Hunter x HunterHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

1984

A sweeping, earnest ecological adventure that blends wonder and melancholy, with tense aerial battles and moments of quiet awe.

Earnest · about survival and war · animated

Via: earnest
survival
war
animated
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 95 min

Details

Nausicaä of the Valley of the WindHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Modest Heroes

2018

Three gentle, beautifully drawn short fables that shift from tender to tense, leaving a soft ache of quiet wonder.

Whimsical, earnest · about survival and coming-of-age · animated

Via: whimsical
earnest
survival
coming-of-age
animated
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 54 min

Details

Modest HeroesHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Robinson and Company

1991

A quiet, dreamlike survival tale told through painterly images, patient and a little melancholy, best watched with full attention.

Earnest · about survival and isolation · animated

Via: earnest
survival
isolation
animated
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 70 min

Details

Robinson and CompanyHidden from your suggestions.

TV series

Kimba the White Lion

1965–1967

A gentle, earnest adventure with moments of sadness and warmth, following a young hero's journey to lead and unite.

Earnest · about survival and coming-of-age · animated

Via: earnest
survival
coming-of-age
animated
Pacing: measured
Attention: easy-watch
Seasons: 2

Details

Kimba the White LionHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Aftermath

2011

A somber, patient slog through cold woods, carrying the weight of two exhausted men against nature and war.

Earnest · about survival and isolation · animated

Via: earnest
survival
isolation
animated
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 131 min

Details

AftermathHidden from your suggestions.

TV series

Wolf Boy Ken

1963–1965

A gentle, old-fashioned adventure about a boy and animals surviving together, with simple lessons about trust and helping others.

Earnest · about survival and coming-of-age · animated

Via: earnest
survival
coming-of-age
animated
Pacing: measured
Attention: easy-watch
Seasons: 1

Details

Wolf Boy KenHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Castle in the Sky

1986

A soaring, heartfelt adventure that blends gentle wonder with thrilling chases and a touch of melancholy.

Earnest · about coming-of-age · animated

Via: earnest
coming-of-age
animated
Pacing: brisk
Attention: easy-watch
Runtime: 125 min

Details

Castle in the SkyHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The Lion King

1994

A sweeping, emotional animated epic that balances playful humour with Shakespearean tragedy and soaring musical numbers.

Earnest · about coming-of-age and family · animated

Via: earnest
coming-of-age
family
animated
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 89 min

Details

The Lion KingHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

I Am Helena

A quiet, heartfelt animated journey through inner turmoil and forest wilderness, gentle but emotionally sincere.

Whimsical, earnest · about survival and coming-of-age · animated

Via: whimsical
earnest
survival
coming-of-age
animated
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 85 min

Details

I Am HelenaHidden 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, adventure, fantasy
Directed by: Nobuhiko Obayashi
Written by: Chiho Katsura, Wataru Kenmotsu
Starring: Tomoyo Harada, Eiko Masuyama, Ichiro Nagai, Ryōichi Takayanagi, Kaneto Shiozawa, Kyouji Nanami, Masao Ohtsuka, Hidekatsu Shibata
Music: Ryudo Uzaki
Cinematography: Masatoshi Fukui
Runtime: 109 min
Country: Japan
Languages: Japanese

TMDB IMDb Letterboxd Wikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.

Kenya Boy

How it feels

More like this

Titles like Kenya Boy

Where to watch in the UK

Details