Summary of the works of director Makoto Shinkai, an artist who continues to explore his own “world”

A person who changed history through anime. Makoto Shinkai is at the forefront of this in 2020.

47 years old, born in 1973. He did not come from an animation studio, but after entering the workforce, he taught himself how to make animation and pursued an unusual career path, aiming to become a director. After The Graduate from university, he got a job at The Game company, and in his spare time from his hard work, he devoted himself to independent production. He has been attracting the attention of anime fans by releasing outstanding works that overturn conventional concepts of anime, such as delicate emotional expressions and realistic landscape depictions.

Then, we finally teamed up with a major studio for ``Your Name.'' ” (16) was a historic blockbuster hit (4th in history) with domestic box office revenue exceeding 25 billion yen. There are almost no people in the country who don't know his name. His momentum continues, and director Shinkai has gained worldwide attention, to the point where he has been invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts the Academy Awards.

With the release of Blu-ray and DVD of Weathering with You(2019) on May 27th, more and more people will be fascinated by Shinkai's works. This time, director Shinkai, who is currently ``developing ideas for his new work,'' will introduce all seven films he has worked on to date.

Index

Director Makoto Shinkai's works summary (2002~2004)

• 1. “Voices of the Star” (02) 25 minutes
• 2. “Beyond the Clouds, the Promised Place” (04) 91 minutes

Director Makoto Shinkai's works summary (2007~2013)

• 3. “5 Centimeters per Second” (07) 63 minutes
• 4. “Children Chasing Stars” (11) 116 minutes
• 5. “Garden of Words” (13) 46 minutes

Director Makoto Shinkai's works summary (2016~2019)

• 6. “Your Name.” ” (16) 107 minutes
• 7. “Weathering with You” (19) 114 minutes

Director Makoto Shinkai's works summary (2002~2004)

1. “Voices of the Star” (02) 25 minutes

This is the memorable theatrical debut of director Shinkai, who began to attract attention in the industry with his independent short films such as ``The Distant World'' (1999) and ``She and Her Cat'' (2000). On the first day of release, there was a line at the Shimokitazawa Tollywood venue.

Science fiction set in the near future. The tragic love story between a girl who goes into space on a mission to fight extraterrestrials and a boy who waits for her return on Earth revolves around ``email.'' Director Shinkai's artistry, which can be seen in his subsequent works, is already in full bloom as he poignantly depicts the physical distance between men and women. The ``time lag between space and Earth,'' which is similar to `` Interstellar '' (2014), is expressed through the ``time lag'' between sending and receiving emails, and the production is truly spectacular.

Director Shinkai demonstrated his multi-talented abilities by handling almost all the roles of director, screenplay, video, and production by himself.

Watch “Voices of a Star” for free! "U-NEXT" is now free for 31 days

2. “Beyond the Clouds, the Promised Place” (04) 91 minutes

Director Shinkai, who depicted the separation between Earth and space in ``Voices of a Star,'' this time depicts the misunderstanding between men and women, centering on the ``division of the Japanese archipelago.'' Director Shinkai has been in charge of many tasks including directing and writing the screenplay as before, but there has been a clear evolution in the "zagumi" as he takes on the challenge of making his first full-length feature, including the use of actors such as Hidetaka Yoshioka and Masato Hagiwara. It will be done.

Two boys spend all their time building airplanes, aiming for a huge tower on the other side of the "border" that divides Japan into north and south. A girl they have a vague crush on. The three's secret plan is torn apart by cruel fate.

The various expressions of "clouds" in the title are also beautiful, and the shape of the clouds, which change their expression depending on the scene, such as thunder clouds against a blue sky, sunset clouds, and a cloudy sky with snow, seems to reveal the inner thoughts of the characters.

Watch “Beyond the Clouds, The Promised Place” for free! "U-NEXT" is now free for 31 days

Watch “Beyond the Clouds, The Promised Place” for free! "Hulu" now free for 2 weeks

Director Makoto Shinkai's works summary (2007~2013)