This film is too sad.Yes, it was well made and acted but I honestly can not understand how anyone could claim to enjoy this miserable story.

What a beautiful movie this is. The story of abandoned kids doesn't necessarily be associated with streets and rags. 'Nobody Knows' is one such movies , set in Tokyo, of kids that are result of a careless mothers who abandons them and the struggles they go though. This has taken me through an emotional roller-coaster with out any actual major drama but huge shift in characters maturity. The performance of kids is mind blowing. Story was told in very subtle tone with great intensity. Superb photography and great background soundtracks . There are very less verbal conversations in this movie which makes it easy for an non Japanese like me.

The movie will leave you helpless and shocked for your life(i think). Everyone have lost something in their life,the only thing everyone wants is happy and cheerful childhood."Nobody knows" goes through every dream of a child with its innocence.There is one seen in the movie where youngest child(Yuki) holds the shirt of Akira(eldest child) and looks into each other eyes, like both knows something is wrong and telling that you are my caretaker, please don't leave me.As movie goes like a thriller in its own way, you will notice every emotions falling apart one by one, piece by piece in your mind. The more you want to understand Akira the more you lose hope.His dream to go school, play baseball,have friends etc. The second child Kyoko leaves you in a world of loneliness and silence. Her fantasy with nail polish, dream to be a pianist, hiding under cupboard. All i could say is "Losing hope is more painful than losing your life". The third child gives you feeling of happiness and joy.Which gives the whole movie a different perspective.All the things which make a child was there in his character.

Nobody Knows was a very touching film. I found the plot of this film is quite similar to the Japanese Animation film, The Grave Of Fireflies (1988), which I happened to watch several moths after I had watched Nobody Knows. Definitely the motives of these two films are different. While the director of Nobody Knows was inspired by the true story of abandoned children in Tokyo in 1988, The Grave Of Fireflies is based on the autobiographical novel of an author who experienced the World War II as a young boy in Japan. Nevertheless, the way these two films move audiences' hearts is almost the same in the sense that the leads in both films are all innocent children who are exposed to a tough situation without any proper protection. If you have already watched either one of these two films, I'd like to recommend the other. Because your heart would be moved the same as when you watched the other. Despite the similarity between these two films, none would diminish the level of touching impression of the other. It is just the same manner that the audience who already knows much about King Lear would still receive the fresh, strong and touching impression from the Kurosawa's Ran. Of course, in case of Nobody knows and The Grave Of Fireflies, none is the adaptation of the other. (*)