We Can't Wait! : Makoto Shinkai's New Film

Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below

Makoto Shinkai is the most favorite Japanese anime director, as well as Hayao Miyazaki. His debut work is "Voices of a Distant Star"(2000) by drawing a picture of a girl in a cockpit grasping a cell phone. It was huge success and led Shinaki direct the next project "The Place Promised in Our Early Days" which was released nationwide in Japan in 2004. It was critically acclaimed, winning many honors. And then Shinkai directed "5 Centimeters per Second" in 2007.It secured and established his fame as the anime artist. 

"Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below" is for the first time in 4 years of his directing anime movies.

The main character is Asuna, a girl who spends her solitary days listening to the mysterious music emanating from the crystal radio she received from her father as a memento. One day she meets a boy, named Shun. He comes from Agartha, where is a legendary city that is said to reside in the earth's core. Asuna and Shun have a sympathy each other, but he is suddenly lost from her view. Asuna,  always hopes to see him again and meets another boy named Shin, who is exactly alike Shun. She also meet a man, named Morisaki, who is a teacher to look for the existence of Agartha for the purpose of meeting his wife again. Asuna, Shin, and Morisaki reach a opening-door to Agartha. They embark on a journey of adventure and thus come to know the cruelty and beauty of the world, as well as loss.

Asuna

According to Wikipedia, during 4 years, Makoto Shinkai spent 2008 in London and returned to Japan in 2009 to start work on his next project. He released two concept drawings for this film in 2009 and noted that most of his works in the past decade were stories about characters who have to part ways with those they hold dear, but he wanted to take that theme further and wanted to deal more specifically on how to overcome that loss.

As with his previous films, Shinkai is the director and screenplay writer. Takayo Nishimura is designing the characters and overseeing the animation process, as well as "5 Centimeters Per Second". Takumi Tanji is directing the art, and musical composer Tenmon, who is a regular attender for Shinkai's works, is collaborating with Shinkai again. 

I wrote articles about Makoto Shinkai three times on this blog. If you want to know him more, refer to below. They include some pictures and videos. They are really beautiful.

Setsunai: Makoto Shinkai

Makoto Shinkai Again

Great Review: Haibane and 5 cm/second