The Whispering Star

The Whispering Star is a Japanese science fiction drama set in a future where humans have become a scattered minority and robots make up most of the population. The android Yoko Suzuki travels the galaxy delivering packages to the remaining human settlers, accompanied by a talking computer. With long stretches of empty time between deliveries, she begins to reflect on the parcels she carries and on what it means to be human. Her route eventually brings her to a planet where even the faintest sound can be dangerous to its inhabitants.

Sion Sono directed and wrote the film, the sixteenth of the nineteen features listed in his filmography, following The Virgin Psychics and preceding Madly. Megumi Kagurazaka, who also produced alongside Takeshi Suzuki, plays Yoko. Yūto Ikeda voices the ship's computer, with Kenji Endo and Kōko Mori in supporting roles.

Released in 2015 and running 102 minutes, the film has drawn a modest response: on IMDb it holds a 6.5 rating from around 1,400 votes, while on TMDB its average sits at 7.3 from a much smaller pool of viewers. The gap suggests a limited but appreciative audience rather than broad consensus.