Brave Story

Background

The novel follows Wataru Mitani, a quiet fifth grader in Japan, who discovers a portal to the world of Vision after witnessing an old man enter an abandoned building. In Vision, he learns he must collect five gemstones—charity, bravery, faith, grace, and the power of darkness and light—to reach the Tower of Destiny and have a wish granted by the Goddess. Upon returning home, Wataru faces his parents' divorce and his mother's suicide attempt, prompting him to return to Vision to change his fate.

The manga adaptation, based on the original story by Miyuki Miyabe and illustrated by Yoichiro Ono, was serialized in Shinchosha's Weekly Comic Bunch and collected in twenty tankōbon volumes from April 2004 to May 2008. In the manga, Wataru is slightly older and already in high school. The animated film adaptation by Gonzo was released in Japan by Warner Bros. in July 2006 and was nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for Best Animated Feature Film. Three video games were loosely adapted from the novel: Brave Story: New Traveler for PSP, Brave Story: My Dreams and Wishes for Nintendo DS, and Brave Story: Wataru's Adventure for PlayStation 2, all released in July 2006.