I first heard about this movie through some reviews of the director, Nobuhiro Yamashita. It is a simple "slice of life" story with a meandering romance of sorts between teenager Soya and the new boy in her village, Hiromi. The town's children are the main characters - they study, socialize and scare each other - but that doesn't mean viewers don't catch glimpses of adult life and troubles as well. Soya and Hiromi both grow and change during the film - it's a bit like watching a plant grow from a seed to a bloom. Enjoy it as it happens. I think it would be an easy film to re-watch every so often just as it is charming to look at pictures from your youth.