The Day I Bought a Star (2006): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2006, The Day I Bought a Star is a fantasy and animation film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, running about 16 minutes.

What it’s about. The short film is about a boy who lives and works on a farm. One day when going to sell vegetables at a market, his cart breaks down. Two strangers, a frog and a mole, offer him a strange seed in exchange for the vegetables. The boy accepts and finds that the seed grows into a miniature planet. It continues growing as he tends to it, forming an atmosphere, weather systems and life. After being taken back to the city, he meets the stranger who sold the seed to him, and they release the planet into a galaxy of similar planets, where it will grow for years until becoming a real planet.

Who’s in it. The Day I Bought a Star stars Ryunosuke Kamiki as Nona (Voice), Kyoka Suzuki as Ninya (Voice), Genzō Wakayama as Scopello (Voice) and Yo Oizumi as Maykinso (Voice).

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.4/10, The Day I Bought a Star has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Day I Bought a Star page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Day I Bought a Star tend to enjoy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Green Mile, Spirited Away and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.