Movie
Description
Kokone Morikawa is a high school senior facing college choices, living with her single father, Momotarō, a car mechanic, in near-future Japan just before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Her mother, Ikumi, died in an accident during Kokone's early childhood, and her father shared little about her, sparking unresolved questions about her family history.
Kokone experiences recurring vivid dreams during naps, transporting her to the automotive manufacturing realm of Heartland. In these dreams, she becomes Princess Ancien, a younger version of herself wielding a "magic tablet" that animates objects like the stuffed bear Joy and the motorcycle Heart. Heartland is threatened by the molten metal Colossus and political intrigue involving the king's adviser Bewan. Confined to a tower by the king for using her tablet, Ancien allies with the motorcycle rider Peach to fight the Colossus.
Events in Kokone's waking life increasingly mirror her dreams. Her father is arrested, accused of stealing automotive technology secrets from Shijima Motors, led by her grandfather Isshin Shijima. A corporate executive, Watanabe, resembling Bewan, pursues Kokone and her father's cracked tablet. With help from childhood friend Morio Sawatari, Kokone evades Watanabe and secures the tablet. She discovers her mother was Ikumi Shijima, daughter of the Shijima Motors chairman and a pioneer in self-driving car technology. The tablet holds Ikumi's unfinished research, completed by Momotarō after her death. This technology is central to Shijima Motors' Olympic showcase, driving Watanabe's pursuit.
As Kokone's dreams intensify, she witnesses Ancien's final battle with the Colossus from a detached viewpoint. Ancien merges into Ikumi, who sacrifices herself to reignite a giant robot's engines, falling to her death and cracking the tablet. Kokone realizes her dreams reinterpret bedtime stories her father told about Ikumi's life: Ancien symbolizes Ikumi, Peach represents Momotarō, the Heartland king corresponds to Chairman Shijima, and Bewan embodies Watanabe.
During the climax, Watanabe confronts Kokone and her father at Shijima Motors. He sabotages a demonstration, endangering them. They survive a fall through safety measures and the intervention of a self-driving motorcycle prototype embodying Ikumi's legacy. Kokone reconciles with her grandfather and deciphers her name as a fusion of "heart" (kokoro) and "wing" (hane), reflecting the company's values, solidifying her understanding of her mother's influence and family legacy.
A short spin-off film, "Ancien and the Magic Tablet: Another Princess," explores Heartland further without expanding Kokone's real-world background. Manga adaptations retell the film's events without introducing new character arcs.
Kokone experiences recurring vivid dreams during naps, transporting her to the automotive manufacturing realm of Heartland. In these dreams, she becomes Princess Ancien, a younger version of herself wielding a "magic tablet" that animates objects like the stuffed bear Joy and the motorcycle Heart. Heartland is threatened by the molten metal Colossus and political intrigue involving the king's adviser Bewan. Confined to a tower by the king for using her tablet, Ancien allies with the motorcycle rider Peach to fight the Colossus.
Events in Kokone's waking life increasingly mirror her dreams. Her father is arrested, accused of stealing automotive technology secrets from Shijima Motors, led by her grandfather Isshin Shijima. A corporate executive, Watanabe, resembling Bewan, pursues Kokone and her father's cracked tablet. With help from childhood friend Morio Sawatari, Kokone evades Watanabe and secures the tablet. She discovers her mother was Ikumi Shijima, daughter of the Shijima Motors chairman and a pioneer in self-driving car technology. The tablet holds Ikumi's unfinished research, completed by Momotarō after her death. This technology is central to Shijima Motors' Olympic showcase, driving Watanabe's pursuit.
As Kokone's dreams intensify, she witnesses Ancien's final battle with the Colossus from a detached viewpoint. Ancien merges into Ikumi, who sacrifices herself to reignite a giant robot's engines, falling to her death and cracking the tablet. Kokone realizes her dreams reinterpret bedtime stories her father told about Ikumi's life: Ancien symbolizes Ikumi, Peach represents Momotarō, the Heartland king corresponds to Chairman Shijima, and Bewan embodies Watanabe.
During the climax, Watanabe confronts Kokone and her father at Shijima Motors. He sabotages a demonstration, endangering them. They survive a fall through safety measures and the intervention of a self-driving motorcycle prototype embodying Ikumi's legacy. Kokone reconciles with her grandfather and deciphers her name as a fusion of "heart" (kokoro) and "wing" (hane), reflecting the company's values, solidifying her understanding of her mother's influence and family legacy.
A short spin-off film, "Ancien and the Magic Tablet: Another Princess," explores Heartland further without expanding Kokone's real-world background. Manga adaptations retell the film's events without introducing new character arcs.