A supernatural tree with the power to make wishes come true and the young man entrusted with its care are the subjects of “The Keeper of the Camphor Tree,” the new anime film from director Tomohiko Ito (“Sword Art Online“) and studio A-1 Pictures.
The film is based on a bestselling 2020 novel by Keigo Higashino (with an English-language release set for June in the U.K.) and adapted by Taku Kishimoto, who also wrote Ito’s series “Silver Spoon” and “Erased.” It centers on a young man named Reito (voiced by Fumiya Takahashi) raised in an orphanage and living on the edge of society. Desperate for money, Reito botches an attempt to steal from a former employer and ends up behind bars, but is soon bailed out by an aunt he never knew he had, a successful businesswoman named Chifune (Yuki Amami).
Chifune takes Reito under her wing on one condition: He must become caretaker to a sacred camphor tree said to grant people’s wishes. With little interest (but little choice), Reito takes the job.
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