From creating films in his apartment to being one of Japan’s most successful anime directors, Makoto Shinkai has made a name for himself with only five feature films. Now I will finally decide the order in which I enjoy them.
5. The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
Starting off with one of Shinkai’s lesser known works, ‘The Place Promised in Our Early Days’ gave fans a glimpst at what the rest of the 31 year-old director’s career would contain – beauitful imagery, soothing piano tunes, and stories that found a comfortable border between realism and fantasy.
Set in an alternative history where the USSR controls Japan, two childhood friends grow apart after the disappearence of a shared friend. Years later, a tower built by the Union begins to repalce matter around it with matter from a universe which causes the two disconnected friends to cross paths once they realize their missing friend may hold the key to saving the world.
While earning an ‘Award for Art’ at the Seiun Awards, ‘Best Animated Film’ at the Mainichi Film Festival, and featuring a soundtrack of dreamy piano keys which are accompanied by a heartful collection of violins from Tenmon (a frequent composer of Shinkai’s works), ‘The Place Promised in Our Early Days’ quickly peaked interest in the newbie director. While the plot is occasionally harder to follow than some of Shinkai’s later works, fans of the director’s earlier short films were delighted to see fresh and memorable talent enter into the full-length film industry. It can be argued that the story suffers from a need of replays in order to completely understand it but the music, animation, and the entertaining moments of the plot make up for it and kindly reassure you of how great a re-watch will be.
Overall this film is a promising start for a director making his first feature-length film and I am more than glad that he learned from the mistakes.
Score: 6.5/10
4. The Garden of Words (2013)
Following the life of a 15 year-old high schooler who is desperately wanting to leave his education behind in favor of shoemaking, the beginning of the film is reminiscent of Shinkai’s earlier work ‘5 Centimenters per Second’ without a soundtrack that grabs your immediate attention. Throughout the film, beautiful rainy scenes provide the finest animaton that was currently featured in Shinkai’s work and as the piano keys dare to lock you into a mindset of rain drops slowly hitting your bedroom window, the music begins to gradually pull you in. This all comes to a climax that is predictable but the atmosphere of the film begs you to allow it and enjoy it for what it is – a dramatic romance between two people that shouldn’t be.
Featuring some of Shinkai’s finest animation, a soundtrack worthy of rainy afternoons, and emotional stakes, the 46 minute film features some of the highest marks of what fans have come to expect but it doesn’t deliver anything new and leaves me desiring more. Ultimately, this is a film that is great on its first watch but isn’t a film that I’d pick over the rest of Shinkai’s filmography.
Score: 7/10
3. Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Below (2011)
Taking influence from conspiracy theories on the hollow Earth, ‘Children Who Chase Lost Voice’ fully owns up to its challenge of bridging fantasy with Shinkai’s signature animation and atmospheric score (this is the last film to feature Tenmon). A young girl has a spiritual experience with a young boy and, after hearing about rumors regarding a location in the hollow Earth called Agatha, she and her teacher decide to begin a journey that soon finds itself to be more than they imagined. While this film features more action than usual for a Shinkai film, it still delivers on its heartbreak and has enough time to develop interesting characters worth knowing.
Escaping from his previous material, Shinkai takes a dive into Ghibli-related territory to give an unexpected and adventurous film of fantasy that doesn’t lose it’s place in his filmopgraphy. So far, this has been the most fantasy-driven film that Shinkai has directed and that’s a good thing. This equilibrium between grounded romance and out-of-the-box imagination is something that might only be accomplished once.
Score: 8/10
2. 5 Centimeters per Second (2007)
Arguably, Shinkai’s first breakout film, ‘5 Centimeters per Second’ showcases a lack of traditional film narrative for a tale centred on realism; both in animation and in story.
Through the process of three “episodes”, this film centers on a young boy who creates a friendship with a young girl in elementary school only for them to be separated once the girl moves. Distance and time become the antagonists of the film in a plot that somehow doesn’t have a climax or definite resolution. The animation takes a step towards brilliance as Tenmon’s score delivers tear-worthy music box that doesn’t offer to pull on your heart strings lightly.
This was the first film of Shinkai’s I came across and it continues to be one of my most visited. I frequently find myself listening to the score and finding popular wallpapers across the internet that are a testament to the groundbreaking visual achievements of the film. While heartbreaking and ending without a silver lining, ‘5 Centimeters per Second’ takes its viewers down a path of feelings that are reminiscent of the “one who got away” and leaves a bittersweet taste of melancholic satisfaction. With slightly over an hour in length, there isn’t much more to ask for if you’re a fan of Shinkai’s work.
Score: 8.5/10
1. Your Name (2016)
To the surprise of no one following Shinkai or the anime film scene during the last three years, ‘Your Name’ features Shinkai at his highest we’ve experienced yet. Top-of-the-notch anime, a full soundtrack featuring the post-rock band ‘RADWIMPS’, and featuring a story that even Hollywood executives are wanting to adapt, this is a film that even non-anime fans will enjoy.
The film begins as an entertaining and relaxed drama focusing on two individuals who begin to swap bodies once they realize they are unhappy with their current lives. After a surprising twist, the second-half of the film features comet strikes, time-travel, and heartache that echoes until the final moments. Being a surprising hit, ‘Your Name’ ended up becoming the highest-grossing anime film of all time while earning a spot in many international ‘Top 10’ lists. After winning multipe awards in Japan, United States, and Europe in categories ranging from ‘Best Screenplay’ to ‘Best Film’, Shinkai become a globally-recognized name while setting a high bar for those that follow.
Unlike Shinkai’s earlier works, the film features not only a beautiful score but a selection of songs written and recorded by ‘RADPWIMPS’ which brings a more modern and energetic atmosphere to the film. The animation alone makes this a must watch and allows the viewer to be entertained with each play. The icing on the cake is a narratively dense and thoughtful script that not only pushes Shinkai’s abilities but increases the entire field of anime for the better. There is more than one reason why this film continues to be frequently brought up three years after its release and we should all expect many more years.
Score: 9.5/10
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