AllMovie

A child who dreams of being a bird is given a chance to become a hero in this animated adventure from Japan. Coco (voice of Ei Morisako) is a six-year-old girl with an active imagination who is still coming to terms with the death of her father. Before he passed on, her father gave Coco a penguin costume, and each night she puts it on and sneaks out of the house, convinced one day she'll be able to use it to fly. One evening, Coco is taking her usual walk when she runs into a strange creature who lures her to an underground village populated by goblins. The goblins live in fear of the evil emperor Bucca-Boo (voice of Yuji Tanaka), but legend tells of a flightless bird that will come to their aid and help them win their freedom. Even though she's not a real penguin, let alone a heroic warrior, Coco tries to help her new friends defeat their enemy. Yona Yona Penguin was an official selection at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival.