There are some truly innovative and ambitious storytellers who work in the anime film industry, and Makoto Shinkai has made a remarkable name for himself after only two decades. Makoto Shinkai is responsible for some of the biggest cinematic anime events of this generation, with movies like Your Name, Weathering With You, and his latest masterpiece, Suzume.
Each of Shinkai’s films grows more confident and ambitious as the writer/director further refines his interests. Makoto Shinkai is a name that holds as much weight as Hayao Miyazaki, and each of his movies become must-see events. That being said, there are some unusual and recurring touches throughout Shinkai’s filmography that astute viewers have picked up on.
10 Voices Of A Distant Star Is Set In A Fictional Solar System
Voices of a Distant Star is a 2002 OVA from Makoto Shinkai that clocks in at just under a half-hour. The succinct anime story examines the cost of war and how two individuals’ desire to stay in touch is made impossibly difficult through the expanse of outer space.
Set in the future, Voices of a Distant Star looks at Mikako’s displaced status on Agartha, the fourth planet in the Sirius Solar System. This is a completely fictional realm that differs from humanity’s standard solar system. However, there’s confusion on this front since the film begins with references to Earth, Mars, and other familiar solar system elements.
9 Cats Are Perpetually Important Players
Makoto Shinkai explores recurring themes and ideas through his works, and there’s an extra level of affection present toward felines. Cats play important roles throughout Shinkai’s works, and their significance even bookends Shinkai’s career. Shinkai’s first animated work, She and Her Cat, focuses on the tender bond between pet and owner, albeit expressed through the cat’s perspective.
Shinkai returns to this idea in Someone’s Gaze. Suzume also makes Souta’s rival, Daijin, a special cat who’s uniquely able to impede their progress. Anyone who has seen enough of Shinkai’s works will notice this cat fancy.
8 Your Name’s Leads Appear In Weathering with You
Cinematic crossovers and connected universes are at an all-time high, and Makoto Shinkai is no stranger to this level of indulgence. Hardcore Shinkai fans will notice that several of his movies are technically set within the same universe and even concurrently take place. Your Name’s star-crossed lovers, Taki and Mitsuha, make appearances in Weathering With You as their adult selves.
Additionally, the leads from The Garden of Words also make brief appearances in Your Name and the character Yukari is actually Ms. Yukino. Audiences expected that Suzume would also exist in the same world, but they’ll have to wait for Shinkai’s next movie to connect more dots.
7 Sequences Can Resemble Video Game Boss Battles
Makoto Shinkai is a revolutionary name in animation, but he initially cut his teeth in the video game industry. Shinkai has properly transitioned over to film. However, the director’s video game sensibilities still sneak out into some of his movies. Shinkai has opened up on how Suzume’s big chase sequences with Daijin and the massive door-closing spectacles that follow draw inspiration from lengthy RPG boss battles.
Many of Suzume’s major action set pieces function like this, particularly the abandoned roller coaster sequence. It’s fascinating to see how Shinkai uses one storytelling medium to influence another and keep younger audiences invested.
6 Weather & Nature Are Always In Peril
There’s nothing wrong with a filmmaker who continually returns to the same ideas as they revise and refine what they have to say on the subject. Shinkai’s filmography covers a wide berth, but by and large, there’s a fascination with nature, weather, and the ways in which humankind has failed the planet.
The Garden of Words and Your Name feature pivotal environmental events, but they’re actual causes for concern in Weathering With You and Suzume. Shinkai’s movies repeatedly reinforce humanity’s hubris when it comes to the natural world around them. It’s clearly material very dear to Shinkai.
5 Age Gaps Between Characters
Romance can be difficult to sell in anime, especially when a sizable age difference between romantic partners is involved. Connection through characters who are divided by a sizable age gap becomes an odd trend in Shinkai’s works that some fans have picked up on. The Garden of Words has leads who are 15 and 27, respectively, while Voices of a Distant Star looks at a couple who are nine years apart.
Suzume’s lead characters, Suzume and Souta, also have a discernible age difference. Suzume is 17, and Souta is 21, which is less extreme than in Shinkai’s past films, but it’s still something that’s been debated within Shinkai’s fandom.
4 The Place Promised In Our Early Days‘ Alternate History
There is no shortage of anime films that lean into real historical tragedies as a way to generate tension and pathos. Grave of the Fireflies and In This Corner of the World are two excellent examples, and Shinkai attempts something similar in The Place Promised in Our Early Days.
There’s enough actual World War II history to pull from, but Shinkai’s film is actually set in an alternate universe where half of Japan is occupied by the Soviet Union following the war. The Place Promised in Our Early Days tells a beautiful, cathartic story about loss, legacy, and growth, but some viewers feel like the same message could be achieved in a story that doesn’t reinvent history.
3 Souta’s Three-Legged Chair Transformation In Suzume
Suzume is Makoto Shinkai’s movie that most closely resembles Studio Ghibli stories, especially when it comes to Souta’s fantastical transformation. Souta spends the better part of Suzume trapped as a sentient three-legged chair. This unconventional transformation leads to many obstacles for Suzume and Souta.
Suzume has plenty of fun with Souta’s embarrassment and confusion over his new state, but the movie doesn’t properly deduce why he’s stuck as a broken chair. Shinkai has spoken about the appeal of a three-legged creature and how they move in the world, but this still doesn’t explain why a chair makes the most sense.
2 Backgrounds & Nature Have More Detail Than Humans
Makoto Shinkai’s filmography is full of deeply human stories where it’s easy to connect with these authentic characters who look for meaning. Shinkai has created some iconic heroes and heroines, many of which have inspired countless cosplays. However, Shinkai’s interest in humanity frequently comes second to the immaculate attention to detail that’s applied to the settings and nature of his movies.
Shinkai films are full of expressive individuals, yet a greater level of meticulous detail exists in the recreation of Tokyo communities and nature. It’s easy to get lost in the detail of these environments, some of which almost look real. Alternatively, there’s no mistaking Shinkai’s characters as drawn individuals.
1 Shinkai’s Movies Are Among The Highest-Grossing Japanese Films
Makoto Shinkai’s movies are all held in very high regard, but they’re methodical and melodramatic tales that don’t always make a huge impact on mainstream audiences. It’s much easier for feature film installments from popular shonen series like Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, or One Piece Film: Red to dominate the Japanese box office.
Surprisingly, three of Shinkai’s movies are in the top ten highest-grossing Japanese movies of all time. Your Name and Suzume are currently the 3rd and 4th highest, while Weathering With You is in the number ten spot. Shinkai’s success proves that anime doesn’t need to purely be action spectacles in order to perform well.
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