Distributor Eleven Arts recently held a series of limited screenings of Studio Colorido’s film adaptation of Tomohiko Morimi’s 2010 novel “Penguin Highway” in the U.S. and Canada.

Aoyama is a fourth grader that claims to have the maturity of an adult. He follows his father’s footsteps and looks at the world with keen eyes of a scientist. His meticulous notes and vast knowledge receive a challenge when a sudden swarm of penguins run through town. While it seems to be no reason behind their appearance, his research brings him closer to the Lady, a woman who he has a crush on. She gives him the task to solving the mystery, not knowing what strange things lurk beyond.

Many anime fans are familiar with Morimi’s works through other adaptations such as “The Tatami Galaxy”, “The Eccentric Family” and recently “The Night is Short, Girl on Walk”. He has a way of presenting a story of affection in a very unique way that deserves to be given a visual form. He dives into the sci-fi genre with “Penguin Highway” and Studio Colorido brings the adventure out with very clean scenes and animations. The production staff has many seasoned members including screenwriter Makoto Ueda (“The Tatami Galaxy”, “The Night is Short, Girl on Walk”) and character designer Yojiro Arai (“From Up on Poppy Hill”, “Napping Princess”). The film is a wonderful blend of adventure, action and drama with a drop of the strange thanks to the crew’s experience and talent. It is easy to get invested into Aoyama’s research as both he and his audience will learn more about his world and himself.

For those that missed the theatrical release, Yen Press recently translated Morimi’s novel. Though there are no illustrations, the detailed narration from Aoyama will lay a strong foundation to his town. There are some information that are found only in the book that give extra flavor to film viewers. Whether or not they have seen the adaptation, fans should pick up the book to enjoy.

For more information on the “Penguin Highway” movie, visit Eleven Arts’s webpage. Check out the review on “The Night is Short, Girl on Walk” to find out where to learn about that film along with “The Tatami Galaxy.” Crunchyroll also has the anime series adaptation of “The Eccentric Family” available for streaming.