A film adaptation of the best-selling novel by Banana Yoshimoto. The story follows the heroine, who is in the depths of despair after the death of her grandmother, as she gradually regains inner peace by touching the warmth of humanity while living with a young acquaintance and his mother(actually his father) in a strange communal living environment. The main character is played by Ayako Kawahara, who was selected through auditions from among some 30,000 people. The film was shot on location in Hakodate in Hokkaido, where streetcars come and go, creating a fantastical and realistic worldview. The trans parency and delicate conversational drama that pervades the film's visuals throughout are highly acclaimed.