Fridae

In this sweet tale of friendship between man and machine, child
actor Kanata Hongo plays a 12-year-old boy who becomes sad and withdrawn
after the death of his mother. He refuses to go to school and play
with his friends, so his scientist father decides to build him a
robot called Hinokio to be his friend.

The robot becomes the boy's main form of contact with the outside
world. It attends classes in the boy's place and, through a sophisticated
communication system, allows the boy to learn from home. But gradually,
the robot's own interesting experiences in the outside world convince
the boy to leave his cocoon and rejoin the human race.

This sweet and touching drama boasts some interesting futuristic
ideas, as well as good acting from its lead actors. Though the film
sags at parts, there are still some moving moments involving the
boy, his father and Hinokio.