凧になったお母さん

"Kite Mother" (Tako ni Natta Okaa-san) is a short story by Akiyuki Nosaka, later adapted into an animated film. Set during the Pacific War, it tells the poignant tale of a mother who continuously gives her own bodily fluids to her child to prevent dehydration amidst the ravages of war. This work is the second in Nosaka's "War Tales" series, and it was broadcast on Japanese television on August 15, 2003. The story unfolds in Kobe, Japan, where a young boy named Kacchan and his mother are forced to seek refuge in a park during an air raid. Kacchan becomes dehydrated due to the heat, and his mother, in an attempt to save him, first sweats, then cries, and finally gives all of her blood, transferring all her moisture to her child. Ultimately, the mother, having lost all her moisture, becomes as light as a kite and floats up into the sky. Kacchan also eventually flies into the sky with his mother, symbolizing the cruelty of war and the greatness of maternal love. This work is regarded as an anti-war masterpiece that criticizes the war and praises maternal love. The animation version was produced by Shin-Ei Animation and features voice actors such as Ai Orikasa.