Anime, Romance

Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom

金の国水の国

Directed by: Kotono Watanabe
2023 / 117 minutes / Unclassified all ages

Cats and dogs, deserts and trees: will these kingdoms ever get along?

Glistening with gold and water beneath the same sun, Alhamit and Baikari are two warring kingdoms that have come to a diplomatic agreement: Alhamit will gift their most beautiful woman and Baikari their cleverest man, to wed the nations into peace. But apparently, they are too stubborn to even honour such a simple deal, and trouble sparks when a dog and a cat arrive in place of the promised bride and groom! In a strange twist of fate however, Princess Sarah of Alhamit and Naranbayar of Baikari meet in the forest by chance, without realising who the other is… 

A sublime fantasy with stunningly animated landscapes, this film is a lively adventure into two vastly disparate worlds. As the soon-to-be star-crossed lovers seek alternative answers to their kingdoms’ dispositions, this diplomatic film instils hope in the midst of spiteful conflict, and cross-cultural connection as a means to overcome it. Breathtakingly magical with paper art and watercolour sequences, what begins as a classic fairytale proves to be wonderfully and unconventionally current.