Movie
Description
Kanna possesses dark brown hair and reddish-brown eyes dulled by grief following her mother Yayoi Hayama's death. She dresses in a red high-necked jacket over a white short-sleeved shirt, black knee-length shorts, long white socks, and yellow shoes. Her mother's amulet hangs around her neck—a red coiled cord secured with purple thread and centered by a jade stone carved like a curved teardrop; this amulet grows progressively dirtier during her travels.
Her mother's loss defines her background, extinguishing Kanna's former passion for running under crushing guilt and grief. She blames herself, believing her mother fatally worsened an existing illness by attending one of Kanna's races, where Kanna subsequently lost. This trauma surfaces physically when she freezes mid-race during a school marathon, collapsing in a panic attack near the finish line. At home, she silently shoulders household duties like cooking and leaving notes for her forgetful father, concealing her pain.
Her transformation begins at Ushijima Shrine when the amulet activates, slowing time and unveiling her lineage as a descendant of Idaten, the Buddhist deity of footraces. Charged with gathering chiso food offerings from shrines across Japan for the gods' feast at Izumo-taisha Shrine, she embarks on the quest driven chiefly by the hope of reuniting with her mother. Accompanied by Shiro, a divine rabbit messenger, and Yasha, an oni boy seeking to restore his clan's honor, she races over 500 miles while time remains nearly 静止.
Her journey forces confrontations, such as with Ryūjin, the dragon god of Lake Suwa, who initially judges her motives selfish but relents upon recognizing their shared yearning for lost parents. Kanna's emotional turmoil peaks when a malevolent spirit born of modern apathy impersonates her mother, exploiting her grief to steal the offerings. Tricked into despair, she removes the amulet and abandons her mission until memories of her mother's encouragement rekindle her love of running and resolve. At the climax, she delivers the offerings past the deadline. Ōkuninushi, Izumo's supreme deity, welcomes her, acknowledging her effort while gently dispelling her hope of resurrection. He grants her temporary divinity, marked by celestial raiments, before returning her to human life.
Kanna's arc concludes with her accepting her mother's death and rediscovering running as personal joy. She moves forward with renewed purpose, training independently along Tokyo's riverwalks.
Her mother's loss defines her background, extinguishing Kanna's former passion for running under crushing guilt and grief. She blames herself, believing her mother fatally worsened an existing illness by attending one of Kanna's races, where Kanna subsequently lost. This trauma surfaces physically when she freezes mid-race during a school marathon, collapsing in a panic attack near the finish line. At home, she silently shoulders household duties like cooking and leaving notes for her forgetful father, concealing her pain.
Her transformation begins at Ushijima Shrine when the amulet activates, slowing time and unveiling her lineage as a descendant of Idaten, the Buddhist deity of footraces. Charged with gathering chiso food offerings from shrines across Japan for the gods' feast at Izumo-taisha Shrine, she embarks on the quest driven chiefly by the hope of reuniting with her mother. Accompanied by Shiro, a divine rabbit messenger, and Yasha, an oni boy seeking to restore his clan's honor, she races over 500 miles while time remains nearly 静止.
Her journey forces confrontations, such as with Ryūjin, the dragon god of Lake Suwa, who initially judges her motives selfish but relents upon recognizing their shared yearning for lost parents. Kanna's emotional turmoil peaks when a malevolent spirit born of modern apathy impersonates her mother, exploiting her grief to steal the offerings. Tricked into despair, she removes the amulet and abandons her mission until memories of her mother's encouragement rekindle her love of running and resolve. At the climax, she delivers the offerings past the deadline. Ōkuninushi, Izumo's supreme deity, welcomes her, acknowledging her effort while gently dispelling her hope of resurrection. He grants her temporary divinity, marked by celestial raiments, before returning her to human life.
Kanna's arc concludes with her accepting her mother's death and rediscovering running as personal joy. She moves forward with renewed purpose, training independently along Tokyo's riverwalks.