Anime / Who's Left Behind? Kayoko's Diary

Who's Left Behind?: Kayoko's Dairy (Ushiro no Shoumen Daare or Al Amal in Arabic) is a 1991 anime film produced by Mushi Production and directed by Seiji Arihara. It is based on the experiences of Kayoko Ebina (nee Nakane) of living through World War 2.

It is relatively unknown outside of its native Japan and Arab-speaking countries, especially when compared with the similarly themed Grave of the Fireflies and Barefoot Gen, although English-subbed versions of the movie are available online.

An even rarer remake titled Ashita Genki ni Nare (Tomorrow Will Be a Brighter Day) was released in the Summer of 2005 to mark the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War 2.

This film contains examples of:

• Abusive Parents: The father of Kayoko's friend and neighbour Yoshisuke is implied to be this due to him being The Alcoholic.
• Advertised Extra: Crossing over with Spoiler Cover, the most well-known theatrical posters for the movie depict Kayoko's younger brother Konosuke more prominently than any of her other family members, even though he isn't even born until about 40 minutes into the movie.
• All Just a Dream: Kayoko goes through this twice (thrice if you include her encounter with the spirits of her deceased family members in the ruins of her former home) when her fear of a night-time Potty Emergency gets the better of her and when she faints after seeing a dead soldier's corpse.
• Apron Matron: Kayoko's grandmother is a Japanese version of this.
• Affectionate Nickname:
  • Kayoko's oldest brother Tadayoshi is sometimes referred to as "Yoshi". This would lead to a potential One-Steve Limit as the mother is also called "Yoshi". Kayoko usually refers to him as "brother" or "big brother", presumably to remind herself he's the oldest.
  • Kayoko's younger brother Konosuke is sometimes referred to as "Kono". This leads to a really tragic Hope Spot when Kayoko returns to the devastated Tokyo and hears Konosuke's name mentioned but it turns out to be another young boy of a similar age and his parents.
• The Alcoholic: The father of the Nakanes' neighbour Yoshisuke is implied to be this and therefore violent and abusive. This prompts an awkward alcohol-related question from Kayoko, prompting her father to immediately declare No More for Me and abandon his sake.
• All for Nothing: Tadayoshi survives Typhus only to be killed in the firebombing of Tokyo.
• Aloof Big Brother: Tadayoshi, Takejiro and Kisaburo all have their moments.
• Anyone Can Die: The movie is set in Tokyo in World War 2-era Japan, the city was firebombed in March 1945. This is inevitable. Kayoko survives because she was evacuated to Numazu and Kisaburo survives because he found shelter by climbing through an open window. The rest of their family perish.
• Apathetic Citizens: Naturally, combined with Crapsack World, this is what Kayoko comes home to when she returns to Tokyo after the firebombing to search for Kisaburo.
• Artistic Licence – History: According to an English-subbed version of the movie, Kayoko is just turning 8 in the Summer of 1940 which is where the film kicks off, implying she was born in 1932. The real Kayoko Nakane was born in October 1933 and therefore would only have been 6 in the Summer of 1940.
• Author Avatar: The titular Kayoko to her eponymous real-life counterpart.
• Awful Truth:
  • The Nakane grown-ups know the War is not going well for Japan but do not have the heart to tell the children who are naively enthusiastic and optimistic about their country's chances.
  • It takes Kayoko's maternal Uncle Kotaro being Killed Offscreen for her and her brothers to realise how badly the War is going for Japan and the situation only worsens from there.
  • Kayoko's mother has to remind her that she is going to live with her Aunt Masae in Numazu for her own safety due to the increasing threat of the American firebombing campaign and even this is not guaranteed as Kayoko is nearly shot by a low-flying P51 Mustang.
  • Kayoko really goes through this when she witnesses the firebombing of Tokyo from the mountain tops above Numazu, refusing to believe her family are dead, only to realise they are when a worse-for-wear Kisaburo comes to Numazu and tells her so. Her returning to Tokyo to find her home and neighbourhood destroyed and encountering the spirits of her family members who didn't survive confirms this.
• Babies Make Everything Better: The birth of Konosuke certainly does this for Kayoko.
• The Baby of the Bunch: Kayoko, until Konosuke is born.
• Baby See, Baby Do:
  • The infant Konosuke cries when he sees Kayoko crying over having temporarily lost him after getting distracted from looking after him by playing with her friends.
  • It's possible that Konosuke was trying to imitate the cats that led him astray because, at this point in the movie, he is old enough to start learning to crawl.
• Badass Adorable: Kayoko's immediate older brother Kisaburo. He may look innocent, much like his sister, but he won't stand for her being picked on by other kids if he just happens to be in the vicinity. He chases away three young boys with a stick when he catches them bullying Kayoko by forcing her to wade through a puddle and get her dress wet. It's implied he subjected the slowest of the three boys to a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown off-screen.
• Berserk Button:
  • Kayoko's grandmother has several of these, mainly Kayoko being a crybaby, her parents seemingly spoiling her and Kayoko not putting more effort into her music lessons and skiving off them but she understands and repents accordingly when she finds out the reason for the latter.
  • For Kayoko's father, this would be anything that conflicts with his being a Neat Freak and Kisaburo getting into trouble.
  • Kayoko being bullied is this for Kisaburo.
  • Kayoko's music teacher won't allow even the slightest of mistakes without berating her students accordingly. Poor Kayoko ends up on the receiving end of this so often, she stops attending her music lessons and eventually gives them up once her family understands why.
• Big Brother Bully: Kayoko's two oldest brothers Tadayoshi and Takejiro. Her immediate older brother Kisaburo not quite as much, at least not as long as he's not getting involved in his brothers' roughhousing.
• Big Brother Instinct: Kisaburo to Kayoko, at one point, he chases a trio of young boys with a stick after they upset Kayoko by forcing her to walk through a deep puddle and get her dress wet.
• Big Brother Mentor: Tadayoshi, Takejiro and Kisaburo all occasionally have such moments with Kayoko.
• Big Brother Worship: Kayoko looks up to her three older brothers, especially Kisaburo.
• Big Sister Instinct: Kayoko to Konosuke.
• Big Sister Mentor: Kayoko tries to be one to Konosuke.
• Biopic: The whole movie is an animated one of Kayoko Ebina's experiences of living through World War 2.
• Birthday Beginning: The film kicks off with Kayoko's birthday (her 8th, according to an English-subbed version of the movie) that is implied to take place sometime in the Summer of 1940.
• Bittersweet Ending:
  • Kayoko survives the War after she is evacuated but her home and neighbourhood are destroyed in the firebombing of Tokyo and she loses her entire immediate family, except her immediate older brother Kisaburo. The film ends with Kayoko walking through the devastated city as the sun sets. (She is actually searching for Kisaburo and the end credits reveal she found him as they are shown conversing with each other.)
  • To make matters worse, if what the real Kayoko had to go through in the immediate aftermath of World War 2 is anything to go by, then the situation for Kayoko and Kisaburo is likely going to get much worse before it gets better.
• Blank White Eyes: One of the "bathroom ghosts" in Kayoko's nightmare has these, though they could also be interpreted as Empty Eyes.
• Blitz Evacuees:
  • Kayoko's friends Yoshisuke and Shigeko are evacuated as part of a group.
  • Played with in Kayoko's case as she is sent to live with her paternal Aunt Masae in Numazu when Tokyo is under threat from American firebombing raids.
• Bloody Horror:
  • Kayoko experiences this when she discovers the bleeding corpse of a soldier shot by an American fighter plane that just attacked her. The resulting shock is enough to cause her to faint.
  • To a lesser extent, Kayoko cracks her head open when she trips over her kimono and crashes into a screen door. She cracks her head again when she dives down a rocky embankment to escape the American fighter plane that's attacking her.
• Blush Sticker: Some of Kayoko's neighborhood friends have these.
• Book Ends: The first time we see Kayoko, she's playing with other kids in her neighbourhood. At the end of the movie, we see her reminiscing about playing with other kids in her neighbourhood which, by this time, has been completely razed to the ground.
• Bratty Halfpint: Kayoko's grandmother believes her to be this though, if anything, she is more Spoiled Sweet than anything else.
• Break the Cutie:
  • Doesn't take much to break Kayoko and this is before the War situation takes a considerable turn for the worst.
  • Although, not quite to the same extent, given that he's the oldest sibling, Tadayoshi is beyond consolation when his father berates him for developing Typhus due to his own neglectfulness, laziness and disregard for cleanliness.
  • Hardly surprisingly, this happens to both Kayoko and Kisaburo (and Aunt Masae), when Kisaburo comes to Numazu to confess that the rest of the family have perished in the firebombing of Tokyo.
  • Naturally, returning to Tokyo and particularly to her destroyed home and neighbourhood is what really breaks Kayoko, especially all the memories this brings back.
• Brother–Sister Team: Implied with Kayoko and Kisaburo, he stands up for her when he overhears her being bullied and she agrees to cover for him when he tries to run away in response to the mother of the kid he beat up coming to complain, knowing that it was not his fault since he was simply defending her. They effectively end up like this due to the need to support each other after the rest of their family are killed in the firebombing of Tokyo.
• Butt-Monkey: Shared between Kayoko and Kisaburo. Whenever accidents or embarrassing incidents happen in the Nakane family, it is usually one of them two on the receiving end.
• Cerebus Call-Back: When we first see Kayoko, she is playing a game with the other kids in her neighbourhood that serves as a Title Drop and involves her crouching down in the middle with her hands over her eyes and she briefly peeks through her fingers while the other kids dance around her. She repeats this routine while mourning for her deceased family after discovering her now-destroyed home and neighbourhood.
• Character Development: Kayoko goes from being a crybaby to developing a sense of responsibility following the birth of her younger brother Konosuke to a strong and confident preteen by the end of the film.
• Character Narrator: A grown-up Kayoko narrates the movie. This also serves as Foreshadowing.
• Cheerful Child: Kayoko, when she's not being a crybaby at least.
• Chekhov's Skill: Kisaburo's knack for jumping across rooftops and climbing through windows ultimately saves his life when he finds an alternative way of getting into the local middle school to escape the firestorm.
• Coming of Age Story: The movie gradually evolves into a bleak one for Kayoko.
• Cool Aunt: Kayoko feels this way about her paternal Aunt Masae and doesn't hesitate to express how keen she is to go and live with her in Numazu, even if it is mainly for her own safety.
• Cool Big Bro: Kisaburo is this to Kayoko though he, Tadayoshi and Takejiro all take turns in this respect, when they are not picking on her at least.
• Cool Big Sis: Kayoko tries to be this to Konosuke.
• Cool Cat: The stray cats that lead Konosuke out of the playground while Kayoko and Kisaburo are distracted from looking after him.
• Cool Uncle: How Kayoko sees her mentioned but never seen maternal Uncle Kotaro, a soldier and military physician serving in China.
• Covers Always Lie: Most posters for the movie depict a happy Kayoko with a shot of Tokyo (or her neighbourhood) in the background with little, if any, hint that the movie is set during World War 2.
• Crapsack World: Japan becomes this as the War situation gradually worsens, Kayoko only realises the full extent of this when she returns to Tokyo after the firebombing.
• Cute Kitten: One of the stray cats that lead the infant Konosuke out of the playground when Kayoko and Kisaburo are distracted from looking after him by playing with their friends.
• Cyclops: One of the "bathroom ghosts" in Kayoko's nightmare has only one eye.
• Death of a Child:
  • Kayoko's younger brother Konosuke is implied to have been killed in the firebombing of Tokyo, along with the rest of the family, except for Kisaburo.
  • Averted with Kayoko when she narrowly avoids being shot by a P51 Mustang.
• Death Seeker: Kayoko wishes to die once she discovers her destroyed home and neighbourhood and realises her family, except for Kisaburo, are deceased. It takes encouragement from the spirits of her family members for her to pluck up her courage and avoid losing the will to live, especially as she is supposed to be looking for Kisaburo.
• Delicate and Sickly: At one point, Kayoko's oldest brother Tadayoshi comes down with Typhus and is forced to spend an undetermined amount of time in hospital. Their parents are implied to stay with him until he recovers as they are absent from home the whole time he's there.
• Disney Acid Sequence: Kayoko's nightmare, brought on by her fear of the need for a nighttime Potty Emergency.
• Domestic Abuse: This is the unfortunate implication of what Kayoko's friend and neighbour Yoshisuke and his mother have to put up every day from his drunk and violent father. Thankfully, we don't see any of this on-screen, but it's implied to be enough to drive Yoshisuke to the point of trying to run away from home with his infant sibling just so they will be safe.
• Doomed Home Town: Tokyo, Japan, World War 2, this is inevitable.
• Dreadful Musician: Poor Kayoko seems destined to be this due to being pushed into taking music lessons by her grandmother, only to be constantly put down by her unsupportive teacher and peers. This is eventually averted but it takes Kayoko skipping and then giving up her music lessons and learning to play her Uncle Kotaro's harmonica to discover her musical talent.
• Drowning Pit: Kayoko's fear of having a night-time Potty Emergency causes her to have a nightmare in which water leaks out of the bathroom and floods the house until she is in danger of drowning.
• Embarrassing Damp Sheets: As a result of Kayoko having a nightmare-induced Potty Failure, owing to her fear of having a night-time Potty Emergency.
• Empathy Doll Shot: Played with, Kayoko gives up her favourite doll (which she'd been using to entertain Konosuke) in order to help with the War effort, it is last seen being carried away in a wagon.
• Empty Eyes: One of the "bathroom ghosts" in Kayoko's nightmare has these, though they could also be interpreted as Blank White Eyes.
• Establishing Character Moment: When we first meet Kayoko's immediate older brother Kisaburo, he is covered in mud and bruises from having got into a fight and fallen into a ditch off-screen, he tries to get his siblings to cover for him but he is quickly caught in the act by their father. This quickly establishes that Kisaburo is always doing things that are likely to get him into trouble and trying to get his siblings to help him avoid the consequences.
• Everybody's Dead, Dave: In the case of the Nakane family, only Kayoko and Kisaburo survive.
• Evil Aunt: Not Aunt Masae, the other aunt, the one who has a young daughter named Tomiko. We don't see her long enough to get an idea of what she is like towards Kayoko but if the real Kayoko's experiences are anything to go by, it's implied that she turned nasty enough to wish death upon her niece.
• Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The movie is subtitled Kayoko's Diary because it is basically a grownup Kayoko reminiscing about her life in Tokyo before and during World War 2.
• Extra Eyes: One of the "bathroom ghosts" in Kayoko's nightmare has a Third Eye.
• Faint in Shock: Kayoko does this when she comes across the bleeding corpse of a soldier who was shot by a P51 Mustang that had also attacked her.
• The Favourite:
  • Of her immediate family members, Kayoko is closest to her mother. Fittingly, her mother's spirit is the first one she encounters when she mourns for her deceased family members in the ruins of her former home.
  • Kayoko and Kisaburo are this to each other though Kayoko also dotes on Konosuke during his infancy.
  • Kayoko also holds her maternal Uncle Kotaro and paternal Aunt Masae in this respect.
• Foregone Conclusion:
• At one point, the Nakane grown-ups comment on Japan allying with Germany and Italy. Anyone who knows the history of World War 2 knows this is not going to end well.
• In accordance with the life and times of the real Kayoko Nakane, her immediate family, with the exception of Kisaburo, are destined to perish in the firebombing of Tokyo.
• Foreshadowing:
  • The whole movie since, as the title suggests, it is basically Kayoko Ebina narrating an extended recollection of her memories of growing up in Japan before, during and in the immediate aftermath of World War 2.
  • At one point in the film, Kayoko's friend and neighbour Yoshisuke tries to run away from home with his infant sibling. He is later evacuated as part of a group.
  • Yoshisuke being evacuated, along with Kayoko's other best friend Shigeko, also serves as this for Kayoko going to Numazu to live with her Aunt Masae for her own safety.
  • Kayoko's maternal Uncle Kotaro is Killed Offscreen, the same thing later happens to her immediate family, apart from Kisaburo, when Tokyo is firebombed.
  • Kayoko has a nightmare about her entire family suddenly disappearing into nothingness before her eyes, with the exception of Kisaburo, they all eventually die in the firebombing of Tokyo.
• Forgot to Mind Their Head: Kayoko is constantly bumping her head in various ways over the course of the film, although it can't always be helped.
• Fragile Flower: She may be a Cheerful Child but Kayoko does get upset very easily.
• Friend to All Living Things: Kayoko, well sort of, since the only non-human creatures she encounters throughout the movie are the stray cats that lead the infant Konosuke away.
• The Ghost:
  • Aside from a brief flashback, we never see Kayoko's maternal Uncle Kotaro although he is mentioned often until he is Killed Offscreen.
  • Yoshisuke's parents, we only ever hear them arguing off-screen due to his father's alcoholism and abuse.
• Girlish Pigtails: Kayoko's cousin Tomiko.
• Gory Discretion Shot:
  • We don't actually see how Kayoko's family died, we only see Kisaburo find his way into the local middle school and expecting the rest of the family to follow, only to discover to his horror that they didn't.
  • We don't actually see the soldier being shot by the Mustang but we do get to see his bleeding corpse (so, unfortunately, does Kayoko).
• Gruesome Grandparent: Kayoko's grandmother borders on this at first, believing her to be a Spoiled Brat and forcing her to take music lessons in which she constantly struggles and has to deal with an unsupportive teacher and being laughed at by her peers, until she finally resorts to skiving off said lessons and giving them up. Her grandmother initially chews her and her parents out for this when she finds out.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: Kayoko's music teacher gets increasingly short with Kayoko every time she makes a mistake.
• He Who Must Not Be Seen:
  • Kayoko's maternal uncle Kotaro, aside from a brief flashback.
  • Yoshisuke's parents.
• Heartwarming Orphan: Kayoko and Kisaburo end up as two of these.
• Heroic BSoD:
  • Kayoko briefly goes through this when she loses Konosuke in the playground.
  • She almost instantly loses the will to live when she discovers her destroyed home and neighbourhood and realises her whole family, apart from Kisaburo, are deceased. It takes her encounter with the spirits of her dead family members to snap her out of it.
  • Kisaburo is on the verge of this when he comes to see Kayoko in Numazu, having just experienced the firebombing of Tokyo firsthand and survived, but failed to save the rest of the family.
• Heroic Suicide: According to Kisaburo, the family willingly stayed outside to burn or die from smoke inhalation or get crushed by other people trying to find cover while Kisaburo managed to find a way into the local Middle School, hoping the rest of the family would follow.
• High-Pressure Emotion: Kayoko when she tries to stop herself from crying after she trips over her new kimono, causing her to hit her head on a screen-door and knock it over.
• Hope Spot:
  • When Kayoko returns to Tokyo, she overhears Konosuke's name being mentioned, it turns out to be another young boy of a similar age to her younger brother. Her encounter with her family's spirits confirms Konosuke's death.
  • Kayoko's reason for returning to Tokyo was to find Kisaburo after she heard he had mysteriously disappeared. Her encounter with her family's spirits gives her a sign that Kisaburo is still alive as his spirit isn't amongst them. She later explains in a voiceover that she found Kisaburo and the two of them are shown together in the end credits.
• Hopeless War: This being Japan before and during World War 2, this is inevitable as well as Truth in Television.
• I Want My Mommy!: Kayoko is generally closer to her mother and tends to resort to this when she gets upset, which is a Recurring Element throughout the film. Kayoko's mother is the first of her deceased family members to appear when she mourns for them in the ruins of their former home.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold:
  • Kayoko's grandmother, she at least has the decency to lay off Kayoko once she learns why Kayoko stopped going to music lessons.
  • Tadayoshi, Takejiro and Kisaburo all have their moments as it's very easy for them to torment Kayoko, given she's (initially) the youngest and the only girl but they generally love their little sister and look out for her as well as each other.
  • Kisaburo is more of a jerk to other kids than he is to his siblings, mainly for the purpose of standing up for his siblings, especially Kayoko.
• Jerkass:
  • Kayoko's grandmother borders on this in the first half of the movie, believing Kayoko to be a crybaby because her parents spoil her and pushing her to take music lessons, and berates her and her parents accordingly when she skives off said lessons.
  • Kayoko's music teacher initially comes across as encouraging but her attitude quickly takes a turn for the worse and she ends up driving poor Kayoko to just stop attending the music lessons and giving them up completely.
• Jerkass Has a Point: Kayoko's grandmother is quite right in that eventually, Kayoko will have to learn to be strong and can't be a crybaby forever, whether this is due to her parents spoiling her or not. This doesn't stop her from picking bad times to emphasize this though, such as when Kayoko is clearly distressed after hitting her head on a screen door and knocking it over as a result of tripping over her new kimono.
• Kick the Dog:
  • Kayoko's music teacher scolds her every time she strikes a wrong note or makes some other form of mistake and the other students harass and bully her for it.
  • The three boys who bully Kayoko by forcing her to wade through a puddle, getting her dress wet, when she's already on edge after being harassed by her teacher and peers in her music lesson.
  • Kayoko's grandmother scolds her for getting upset in response to her already scolding her for skipping her music lessons.
  • She even warns Kayoko not to get upset after tripping over her new kimono, causing her to crash into a screen door and knock it over and cracking her head open, just because she was supposed to start learning to be strong for the sake of her as-yet unborn younger sibling.
  • Kayoko's father scolds Tadayoshi for his laziness and lack of regard for cleanliness and hygiene causing him to develop Typhus when he's only just recovered from the virus.
• Kid Hero: All the kids in the playground rally together to help Kayoko and Kisaburo search for the infant Konosuke after he crawls away while no one is looking.
• Kids Are Cruel:
  • Kayoko's brothers throw a pillow at her when she tells them to stop fighting.
  • The other kids in Kayoko's disastrous music lessons.
  • The three boys who force Kayoko to wade through a puddle and get her dress wet.
• Killed Offscreen:
  • Kayoko's maternal uncle Kotaro.
  • Kayoko's entire immediate family in the firebombing of Tokyo, with the exception of Kisaburo.
• Kill the Cutie:
  • Kayoko's younger brother Konosuke is one of the members of the Nakane family to die in the firebombing of Tokyo.
  • Averted with Kayoko and Kisaburo.
• Kind Hearted Cat Lover: Kayoko to the cats who kept the infant Konosuke safe after leading him astray.
• Le Parkour:
  • Kisaburo is able to jump across the rooftops of houses. This allows him to attempt to discreetly run away while Kayoko stalls their father.
  • This skill later saves Kisaburo's life when Tokyo is firebombed and the family (sans Kayoko, who has been evacuated) are forced to leave the air raid shelter and find cover elsewhere.
• Like Mother, Like Daughter: According to Kayoko's father, she inherited her crybaby tendencies from her mother. This is why her grandmother is the Apron Matron of the family.
• Littlest Cancer Patient: Played with in that Tadayoshi is the oldest of the Nakane siblings. He comes down with Typhus but thankfully he gets better. Sadly however, he later dies in the firebombing of Tokyo.
• Massive Numbered Siblings: The Nakane family already have three sons (Tadayoshi, Takejiro and Kisaburo) and one daughter (Kayoko) and gain a fourth son (Konosuke) later in the film.
• Mature Work, Child Protagonists: The movie gradually evolves into this as it focuses on Kayoko growing up in Tokyo before and during World War 2, starting in 1940. She eventually gets evacuated to Numazu for her own safety and this ultimately saves her life as the rest of her family (save for her immediate older brother) are killed in the firebombing of Tokyo.
• Memento Macguffin: Uncle Kotaro's harmonica becomes this to Kayoko after her mother gives it to her. It ends up as a Tragic Keepsake after Kotaro is Killed Offscreen.
• Monochromatic Eyes: One of the "bathroom ghosts" in Kayoko's nightmare has blank white eyes.
• Morality Pet:
  • You could say Kayoko is this to Kisaburo, as out of her three older brothers, he is by far the most protective of her.
  • Konosuke quickly becomes this Kayoko.
• Neat Freak: Kayoko's father often berates Kisaburo for getting dirty, he also chews out Tadayoshi for developing Typhus as a result of his disregard for cleanliness and hygiene.
• Nerd Glasses: Takejiro, which makes him distinct from his older brother Tadayoshi and younger brother Kisaburo.
• Nightmare Sequence:
  • Kayoko has one as a result of her fear of the need for a night-time Potty Emergency.
  • She has another one later in the movie about suddenly losing her entire family after witnessing a soldier being shot and killed by an American fighter plane.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: The slowest of the three boys who upset Kayoko by forcing her to wade through a puddle and get her dress wet is implied to have received one from Kisaburo as he ends up with a broken arm and the rest of his limbs and his head in plaster.
• No More for Me: Kayoko's father abandons his sake after Kayoko asks an awkward question about alcohol upon overhearing her neighbour Yoshisuke's father getting violent and abusive due to being drunk.
• Not Blood Siblings: Kayoko's other aunt has a young daughter named Tomiko who sees Kayoko as her big sister.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Two of the three boys who bully Kayoko by forcing her to wade through a deep puddle when she gets her dress wet and starts crying and her brother Kisaburo comes at them with a stick.
  • Kisaburo when the mother of the third of said kids, whom he beat severely, comes to complain to the Nakanes. He attempts to run away with Kayoko covering for him.
  • Kayoko when Kisaburo points out that the infant Konosuke has crawled away while she was distracted playing with her friends.
  • Kayoko has the worst possible example of this when she realises the American fighter plane that almost killed her succeeded in killing a soldier. She actually faints upon seeing his bleeding corpse.
  • Kayoko sees American bombers flying in the direction of Tokyo and, from what the other residents of Numazu have to say next, quickly realises what is happening.
• One-Steve Limit:
  • Played with, Kayoko's mother is called "Yoshi", her oldest brother Tadayoshi is nicknamed "Yoshi" and her friend and neighbour is called "Yoshisuke", which could be shortened to "Yoshi".
  • A tragic example near the end of the movie as Kayoko's younger brother is called "Konosuke" or "Kono" for short. She overhears a young boy of a similar age to her younger brother being referred to as "Kono" when she returns to the devastated Tokyo.
• One-Word Title: Sort of with the Arabic dub which changes the title of the movie to Al Amal which means Hope (or The Hope).
• Parental Substitute: Mainly for the purpose of trying to help her mother and trying to act more grown up, Kayoko decides right away to become this to the infant Konosuke.
• Pink Means Feminine: Kayoko tends to wear pink for most of the movie. Even if her civilian clothing isn't pink, she makes up for this with a pink nightdress.
• Pint-Size Powerhouse: Being her immediate older brother, Kisaburo isn't much older than Kayoko (their real-life counterparts were born in January 1932 and October 1933, respectively) but he won't hesitate to resort to roughhousing, especially if it means standing up for his younger sister. At one point, it's implied he beat up another young boy to the point of breaking said boy's left arm and injuring his other limbs and head enough for all of the above to be covered in bandages, just for upsetting Kayoko by forcing her to wade through a deep puddle and get her dress wet.
• Potty Emergency: Kayoko fears the possibility of having one during the night and prays that such an event won't occur, cue Nightmare Sequence resulting from said fear, leading to Potty Failure and Embarrassing Damp Sheets.
• Potty Failure: Kayoko has one during the night after having a nightmare relating to her fear of the need for a night-time Potty Emergency.
• Prayer Pose:
  • Kayoko assumes one when she opens up about her fear of going to the bathroom by herself in the middle of the night and hopes she will not have a night-time Potty Emergency.
  • She does it again when she witnesses the firebombing of Tokyo from the mountain tops above Numazu and frantically promises to correct all her character flaws and be a better person in general just as long as her family remains safe and well.
• Prone to Tears: Kayoko, especially in the first half of the film. She does try to grow out of it as the movie progresses, particularly when her younger brother Konosuke is on the way.
• Protagonist Title: It's called (or at least subtitled) Kayoko's Diary, it's about Kayoko, specifically her experiences of growing up in Tokyo before and during World War 2.
• Rage Against the Heavens: When Kayoko discovers the remains of her home several months after the firebombing and recognises the few family possessions that remain intact, she begs for death and begins to mourn. Cue the Really Dead Montage in which she is visited by the spirits of her deceased family members.
• Really Dead Montage: Sort of, when Kayoko encounters the spirits of her deceased family members in the ruins of her former home.
• The Reason You Suck:
  • Kayoko's father subjects Tadayoshi to this after he recovers from Typhus, berating him for his laziness and lack of consideration for cleanliness and hygiene as this is how he became ill in the first place.
  • Kayoko's grandmother dishes this out to her granddaughter big time when she finds out she's been skipping her music lessons without telling anyone (She had planned to tell her mother, knowing this would happen if she told her grandmother directly, but her parents were absent due to Tadayoshi's illness). It gets worse when Kayoko inevitably reacts by getting upset as the grandmother just berates her further and then proceeds to chew out her parents.
  • Kayoko's mother (who, by this point in the movie, has already lost her brother to the war and almost lost her oldest son to Typhus) has to angrily remind Kayoko that she is going to live with her Aunt Masae in Numazu for her own safety.
• Recurring Element:
  • Kayoko getting upset for various reasons.
  • Kayoko is prone to getting hit on the head in various ways, ranging from harmless (having a pillow thrown at her) to more severe (cracking her head open by tripping and crashing into a screen door).
  • Kayoko wearing pink and even when she doesn't wear pink (which happens increasingly often in the second half of the movie), she usually wears other bright colours such as yellow and red.
  • Kisaburo getting roughed up, dirty, injured or all of the above, usually as a result of getting into fights offscreen or escaping from the firestorm.
• Kisaburo trying to discreetly enter or escape from buildings in order to get out of trouble.
• Resentful Outnumbered Sibling: For the most part, averted, but Kayoko is the only girl of four (later five) siblings.
• Roman à Clef: The film is a fictionalised take on Kayoko Ebina's memories of growing up in 1940s Tokyo before and during World War 2, the most prominent clues being the nightmares Kayoko has about bathroom ghosts and her family disappearing, as well as her encounter with her deceased family members' spirits in the ruins of her former home.
• The Runaway:
  • Kisaburo tries to run away when a boy he roughed up (for upsetting Kayoko) and the boy's mother come to complain to the Nakanes and even persuades Kayoko to cover for him. Their father quickly catches him in the act though.
  • Kayoko's friend and neighbour Yoshisuke attempts to run away with his infant sibling when his father's alcoholism and abuse become too much to bare. He is later implied to be evacuated and presumably so is his sibling.
  • The infant Konosuke crawls after some stray cats while Kayoko is distracted playing jump-rope with her friends.
• Sadist Teacher: Kayoko's music teacher gradually becomes this, constantly putting the girl down in front of the other students, even going as far as to declare she has no musical talent at all.
• Shout-Out:
  • Kayoko refers to Florence Nightingale when expressing her desire to become a military nurse when she grows up.
  • To Grave of the Fireflies.
    • Kayoko has the same hairstyle as Setsuko.
    • Both are the only girls of the family and the youngest sibling (though Setsuko has only one older brother, Kayoko has three and Kayoko eventually gains a younger brother).
    • Both go to live with their Aunts (although the circumstances in which they do so are very different).
    • Both lose their homes and mothers to firebombings.
    • Both have a doll as their most prized possession (although Kayoko gives hers up to help with the War effort).
    • Both end up being left with only their teenaged older brother as surviving immediate family members.
    • Kayoko's neighbour Yoshisuke tries to run away with his younger sibling just as Seita does with his.
  • To Barefoot Gen
    • Both Gen and Kayoko lose their younger brothers.
    • Both gain a new sibling who ends up dead by the end of the movie.
    • Both end up losing all but one member of their immediate family due to the War.
    • Both Kayoko and Gen (In the sequel) end up losing their mothers, albeit in different circumstances.
    • Both movies depict at least one person being shot and killed by a plane.
    • Both Kayoko and Gen (in the sequel) have nightmares about losing their families.
  • To My Neighbor Totoro
    • Kayoko's cousin Tomiko appears to be a similar age to Mei and has near-identical Girlish Pigtails.
    • Both Kayoko and Mei wear pink for most of their screen-time, and when they're not wearing pink, they're usually wearing yellow.
    • Both are implied to be afraid to go to the bathroom alone in the middle of the night.
• Sibling Team: The Nakane siblings in general, they genuinely do love each other and try to support each other, especially when one of them is upset, though in the case of the latter, they do not always know how and their efforts do not always work so they usually just resort to giving each other space when this becomes the case.
• Skyward Scream: Combined with Rage Against the Heavens, Kayoko does this [[spoiler: when she begs for death upon discovering her destroyed home and neighbourhood and realising Kisaburo was right about the rest of their family perishing.
• Sole Survivor: With Kayoko being evacuated to Numazu, Kisaburo is the only one of her brothers, and immediate family, to survive the firebombing of Tokyo.
• Spoiled Brat: Kayoko's grandmother believes her to be this and believes this to be the reason why she is such a crybaby at first.
• Spoiled Sweet: If anything, Kayoko is more this than she is a Bratty Halfpint.
• Spoiler Cover:
  • In addition to Covers Always Lie, one theatrical poster depicts the preteen Kayoko from the end of the film.
  • The most well-known theatrical poster for the film depicts four screenshots that include Konosuke, who isn't even born until about 40 minutes into the film.
• Stern Teacher: Kayoko's music teacher, to the point of becoming a Sadist Teacher.
• Survivor's Guilt: Kayoko and Kisaburo, they are the only members of their family to survive the War.
• Third Eye: One of the "bathroom ghosts" in Kayoko's nightmare has three eyes.
• This Is My Story: The movie is narrated by a grown-up Kayoko, talking about her experiences of life before and during World War 2, hence the subtitle "Kayoko's Diary".
• Time Skip: The whole movie is an extended version of this, as it starts off as being set in June 1940, gradually progressing to December 1941 by the 50-minute mark. At this point, it skips to June 1944, gradually progressing to Kayoko's eventual return to Tokyo in November 1945.
• Title Drop:
  • "Who's Left Behind?" Is one of Kayoko's first lines in the movie while she is playing with her friends in her neighbourhood.
    • This receives a tragic Call-Back at the end of the movie when Kayoko finally plucks up the courage to return to her home and neighbourhood after they are destroyed in the firebombing of Tokyo. (Although she's mainly there for the purpose of trying to find Kisaburo who has gone missing.)
  • This could also be seen as Foreshadowing, given that Kayoko later moves to Numazu to live with her paternal Aunt Masae, while the rest of the family stays in Tokyo.
• The Tokyo Fireball: Given the setting and time period, this is ultimately what the movie is building up to.
• Tragic Keepsake: The harmonica Kayoko inherits from her Uncle Kotaro becomes this after he is Killed Offscreen.
• Train-Station Goodbye: Actually a bus station goodbye, Kayoko's family and friends (except her father who is escorting her) come to see her off as she leaves for Numazu. Kisaburo, being the sibling Kayoko is closest to, runs alongside the bus until he can no longer keep up. Only then does Kayoko realise the extent of what she is leaving behind. It gets worse as, apart from Kisaburo, this ends up being the last time Kayoko sees anyone in her immediate family alive.
• Truth in Television:
  • The film is set in Japan before and during World War 2, see Hopeless War.
  • Kayoko being evacuated to Numazu and Kisaburo surviving the firebombing of Tokyo and the two being the only members of their immediate family to survive the war. All of which happened in real-life.
• Trying Not to Cry: Kayoko does start trying to make more of a habit of this due to the need to start being stronger for the sake of her (as-yet unborn) younger brother. The most prominent of such moments being when she tries not to burst into tears after tripping over her new kimono, banging her head on a screen door and knocking it over, leading to a High-Pressure Emotion moment for her.
• Uncanny Valley: The "bathroom ghosts" in Kayoko's nightmare.
• The Un-Favourite:
  • Kayoko sometimes feels like this due to being the only girl and, initially, the youngest sibling as well as being a crybaby.
  • Kisaburo is often described as "hopeless" and generally always getting into trouble.
• The Voice: Yoshisuke's parents.
• War Is Hell: Kayoko inevitably learns this hard way but only after she is evacuated to Numazu.
• What Happened to the Mouse?:
  • The unsupportive music teacher and her other students are never seen again after Kayoko starts skipping lessons and her grandmother finally understands why and stops pressuring her accordingly.
  • We never find out what happened to Kayoko's friends Yoshisuke and Shigeko after they are evacuated as part of a group.
  • Aunt Masae leaves without even telling Kayoko after they return to the outskirts of Tokyo.
• What Have I Done:
  • Takejiro quickly realises this when he unintentionally upsets Kayoko with a joke about the Typhus virus (which Tadayoshi has just come down with) and she promptly starts trying to rough him up.
  • Kayoko has such a moment when Kisaburo points out to her that the infant Konosuke has crawled away while she was distracted from looking after him by playing with her friends.
    • She has a silent one after boarding the bus and leaving Tokyo to go and live in Numazu. It gets worse when Tokyo is firebombed and her entire family, with the exception of Kisaburo, are killed.
• Where Are They Now: Kayoko mentions in a voiceover that she eventually found Kisaburo and during the end credits, we see the two of them talking.
• Would Hurt a Child:
  • Kayoko's friend and neighbour Yoshisuke is implied to live with constant threat of this from his father who is implied to be drunk, abusive and violent. At one point, he tries to run away with his infant sibling because he feels they are no longer safe in their own home and Kayoko catches him in the act.
  • Despite being a kid himself, Kisaburo won't hesitate to rough up any kid who dares to pick on him or his siblings, especially Kayoko.
  • A P51 Mustang nearly shoots Kayoko when she is unable to take cover when it is flying over Numazu.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are:
  • Kayoko's grandmother constantly tries to emphasize this to her (and her parents) but has a tendency to go about it the wrong way by berating Kayoko for being a crybaby and her parents for spoiling her and pushing her into taking music lessons from a very unsupportive and harassing teacher.
  • Kayoko's parents start to emphasize this when Konosuke is on the way, in order to encourage Kayoko to try to be strong in preparation for becoming an older sister.
  • Kayoko's parents and grandmother emphasise this when Kayoko encounters their spirits in the ruins of their former home, mainly to help her pluck up her courage and help her maintain her will to live and seek out Kisaburo so they can help and support each other in the aftermath of World War 2.