One fine day, the mirror in Kokoro's room starts to glitter. No sooner has the young girl touched it than she finds herself in a wonderful fairy-tale castle. There, a mysterious little girl wearing a wolf mask sets her a challenge. She has one year to complete it and thus make a wish come true. However, Kokoro is not alone: six other teenagers have the same goal as her.

"If the book is loved by so many people, it is because there are many children who, like Kokoro and her friends, lead difficult lives. The seven junior high school students in the story have different back- grounds and the reader can emotionally invest in one or another of these characters, while also identifying with them... The message I want to convey in this film is that most trials can be overcome. Films may not be able to save our lives but they can at least change our fee- lings. I really believe that and it is my firm intention to continue making this sort of film." Hara Keiichi