Most teens
can relate to the feelings of inadequacy that follow Kimi throughout her
day. She does best in her own imagination,
where she can socialize and navigate family issues perfectly. Her
greatest skill is making colorful clothing out of unusual materials that make
her stand out in a crowd. However, not
everyone appreciates the way she uses her artistic skills. Kimi’s mom, who would like her to be serious
about painting, blows her top when she finds out Kimi has been skipping art class. As if on cue, a plane ticket to Japan arrives
from Kimi's estranged grandparents fora visit during spring break. Kimi jumps at
the chance to put some space between her mother and herself, while embarking on
a cultural adventure to discover her heritage.
Besides meeting her maternal grandparents, Kimi meets her love interest,
Akira, at his uncle’s mochi stand. As
they embark on sight-seeing excursions around Kyoto, Akira encourages Kimi to
develop her design skills, rather than go to art school because her mom wants
her to. As it turns out, her
grandparents agree, giving Kimi the courage to stand up for herself and apply
to design school instead. As Kimi
discovers more about her family, she begins to understand herself better and
paves a path to her future.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
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