Little Amélie or the Character of the Rain Review — A Beautiful Tale of Growing Up and Finding Love in People

Tales of growing up are essential to the art of storytelling. Yet sometimes one arrives that surprises in its brilliance. Little Amélie or the Character of the Rain, is one of those unique pictures that is not only full of life, but in the belief of our connections. Directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, the adaptation of Amélie Nothomb’s autobiography is a brilliant exploration of culture and love.

Little Amélie or the Character of the Rain Plot

Born as a silent child while her family lives in Japan, Amélie watches the world in silence. Her parents care for her, despite her lack of verbal language. The Belgian family receives a visit from their grandmother who helps Amélie wake up to the world with a piece of white chocolate. With all of the language in the world, she quickly starts conversing with the adults in her life.

As she grows up, Amélie finds herself struggling with the changes life throws at all of us. She experiences the joy of life and the tragedy of death as she gains a better understanding of the world. With the help of her family and her best friend, the nanny Nishio-san, Amélie navigates fear and discovery.

A shockingly deep exploration of cultural assimilation and echoes of colonialism

On its face, Little Amélie is a story about growing up and the mysteries of life. Much of the film focuses on these ideas and about the brilliance of a life well lived, but the underlying concepts are far deeper than you might expect. In the ways that Ghibli and Pixar films sneak up on the audience, Little Amélie does the same. Mixing the joy of childhood with the complex emotions of adulthood, Little Amélie appeals to every age group.

The story of a young girl coming to grips with her place in the world would be intriguing enough. Given Amélie’s young age (the film follows her between her second and third birthday), the emotional bonds with her parents, her siblings, and Nishio-san are compelling enough. The raw emotion of a young child opens the door for frustrations, mood swings, and the ways we slowly gain an understanding of others. Early in the movie, Amélie calls herself a god, but as she comes to love others, we see her emotional maturity grow.

Perhaps most shocking is the depth of the complex emotional struggles explored with Nishio-san and Kashima-san. Both characters remain scarred by the trauma of the war. Because they cannot move on from their grief, they openly discuss the melancholy and pain. 

Many post-World War II stories have explored Japanese culture after the war, but Little Amélie‘s unique approach opens new doors. Resentment towards Anglo-Christian citizens is a fresh perspective in a post-war Japan story, yet it’s an honest one that we have not seen explored in animated films. 

Gorgeous animation unlocks the brilliant themes

Vallade and Han each arrive to the project with a wealth of experience. While it is their first time in the director’s chair as the head of a project, they have been collaborating for over a decade. They first met on the 2015 animated film The Little Prince and later collaborated on Long Way North. With each serving on additional landmark French films, including Ethel & Ernest, I Lost My Body, and L’Illusionist, they’ve honed their visual style for decades.

This experience allows them to take big swings with the material. Not only do they allow for a more surrealist set of visuals, but they embrace the attitude of a toddler in the process. Little Amélie shifts its imagination to meet the infant’s changing perspectives on the world. As the moments anger and enrage Amélie, the visuals reflect the anger. When she receives life-altering news, the world literally crumbles around her. The scale of things feels massive through her eyes, and as her mind expands, so too does the visual palette around her.

The brilliance of the hand-drawn animation cannot be denied. Not only are settings given the full vibrancy of flowers and fields, but the characters are incredibly active. The energy pulsing from the images and their ever-shifting animation makes for a compelling experience for that reason alone. Yet Little Amélie is also heartfelt in every frame, showing incredible patience to let scenes develop. The fact that the film can be full of energy, yet still have a calming feeling might feel impossible, but that is part of Little Amélie’s brilliance.

Is Little Amélie or the Character of the Rain worth watching?

Yes, Little Amélie is one of the very best animated films of 2025. Not only is it gorgeously animated, but it features storytelling that most films would kill for. It’s a movie that can work as a pure coming-of-age story and also one that explores post-war anxiety. To tackle heavy subjects effectively through the eyes of a child is quite the narrative feat. It speaks to the talent Han and Vallade have in balancing the visual style of their film with the nuance of the story.

GKIDS has continued to find brilliant animated features from around the world, and Little Amélie adds to that legacy. The animation house continues to highlight some of the best achievements in the medium. It’s no wonder they wanted to pick up Little Amélie. In its simplicity and raw emotion, it’s one of the best animated movies of the year.

Little Amélie or the Character of the Rain releases in select theaters on October 31, 2025. It releases nationwide on November 7, 2025. GKIDS distributes.