Young Reito is left on his own in Tokyo after the loss of his mother. To make matters worse, he’s jobless without much headwind on a new path. A series of bad decisions and misfortune lands him in prison. Left with nothing to hold onto, he’s lost all hope for a fruitful future. Everything changes when a lawyer representing an influential family empire offers him a chance on one condition: He must become the steward of an ancient tree engulfed by a famous shrine.

An incredible anime feature adapted from Keigo Higashino’s best-selling novel, “Kusunoki no Bannin,” the film shows style and heart dripping from every drawing. But that shouldn’t be a surprise coming from A-1 Pictures; the studio behind popular anime Sword Art Online, The Seven Deadly Sins and recent smashes Solo Leveling and Fate/Strange Fake. Reito’s story of internal and external discovery is a universal adventure that welcomes audiences with religious fervor of the medium, as well as those looking for a story chock full of hope.—Casey Baron