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The article contains the following trigger warnings: child s*xual assault, abuse of power, and unlawful distribution of child p*rnography. Please proceed with caution.

Suzume was a definite hit in the anime and film industry, thanks to Makoto Shinkai’s vision and artistry. Along with Your Name. and Weathering with You, the unofficial trilogy gained a lot of fame worldwide for its gorgeous visuals, unique storytelling, and emotional soundtrack.

A still from Suzume. [Credit: Toho]

The producer of the three films, Kouichirou Itou, has been a long-time collaborator of Makoto Shinkai before even Your Name. Unfortunately, last year, Itou was arrested for violation of child pr*stitution, r*pe, and child s*xual abuse images laws in Japan.

This soured the reputation of Makoto Shinkai’s films for many fans. Even the director posted a statement about his arrest, though he did not directly name Itou, condemning the actions and...

The first trailer for Yoshitoshi Shinomiya’s upcoming anime movie for 2025 has just been released. Shinomiya, who worked with critically acclaimed anime director Makoto Shinkai on films like Your Name, is making his directorial debut with A New Dawn.

The official social media channels for A New Dawn published the first teaser trailer for the upcoming film. In the teaser trailer, the three main leads and their connection to the Taitou Fireworks factory are highlighted with gorgeous visuals that evoke the appearance of a watercolor painting. The feature film is a Japanese/French co-production between Asmik Ace and Miyu Productions.

Related Mob Psycho 100 Fans Can Smell Like Their Favorite Anime Characters in Officially Licensed Perfume Release

The Mob Psycho 100 anime series receives a new set of licensed perfumes inspired by beloved characters like Mob, Reigen, Dimple and more.

Shinomiya, the background artist for films like Children Who Chase Lost Voices,...

For going on two decades, One Piece fans in Japan have tuned in to Fuji TV at 9.30 a.m. for the latest episodes of Toei Animation's long-running shonen masterpiece. However, the franchise recently confirmed that One Piece will have a brand-new time slot when it next returns.

The One Piece anime is currently in the middle of a six-month hiatus, which is scheduled to conclude in April 2025. Per Mantan Web, Fuji Television has announced that starting that month, One Piece's traditional Sunday morning time slot, which it has held since October 2006, will be dedicated to a new collection of animated works co-produced by Aniplex and China's popular video streaming site, bilibili. One Piece's first official successor will be a new "superhero action drama" titled To Be Hero X. One Piece's new time slot has yet to be confirmed, although this will be announced at this year's Jump Festa event on Dec.

In the world of storytelling, Makoto Shinkai, the creator of 5 Centimeters Per Second, has established himself as one of the most loved storytellers of the current generation. As a result, he has risen to the status of being one of the most prominent filmmakers in the Japanese anime film industry.

A still from 5 Centimeters Per Second. Credits: CoMix Wave Inc.

One of the most intriguing aspects of his projects is that he loves to play with the natural elements. This adds a layer of depth to the characters, which showcases human nature as they are not part of the bigger picture but what occupies them.

Interestingly, the plots are not just fictional because they reflect our real world, which adds a layer of personal touch to the plot. Hence, it would touch the viewers on an emotional level, giving them a moment to introspect. And so, he has often been compared to Hayao Miyazaki,...

Many non-Ghibli films draw inspiration from the studio, offering diverse themes treated with delicacy and correctness. Ghibli-esque films often mix reality with supernatural elements, exploring life decisions, loneliness, and family. Directors like Mamoru Hosoda and Makoto Shinkai create films that have the same appeal as the films of Studio Ghibli, offering emotional, visually stunning narratives.

There is no doubt that Studio Ghibli has amassed a huge following around the world, since its unique animation style, mesmerizing themes, and endearing stories beautifully convey the adventures of its characters, showing magical worlds and nostalgic situations that can warm the hearts of even casual viewers. However, Studio Ghibli only has a limited number of films, so after seeing them all, many fans are left with an empty feeling about what to watch next.

Fortunately, Ghibli isn't the only studio capable of making movies that stay with fans forever, since its influence has created...

Earlier this year, Your Name animator Yoshitoshi Shinomiya announced that he would be directing Studio Outrigger's upcoming anime drama film A New Dawn. Now, the animation team has unveiled a gorgeous new key visual for the movie.

An anime-centric X (formerly Twitter) hub called Anime News and Facts recently shared this artwork with its followers. The image showcases a dilapidated old building with Japanese-style architecture. A lone figure stands by a railing on the building's roof. Notably, the artwork showcases a different location and character than the first teaser image, which depicts a woman standing before a billowing cloud of black smoke. Shinomiya recently presented the film at Cannes Film Festival's Annecy Animation Showcase, which features promising animated works and concepts from creators all over the world.

Related Your Name Artist Reveals Release Window for Directorial Debut Film, 'A New Dawn' Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, a key animator for Makoto Shinkai's popular film Your Name,...

“A New Dawn,” the feature debut of Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, an animator on Makoto Shinkai’s blockbuster “Your Name,” is one draw in a five-title Annecy Animation Showcase which involves producers of real impact on the global independent animation scene.

The showcase will unveil a second brand-new animation project, “Mu-Ki-Ra,” co-produced by “Unicorn Wars” backer Abano Producións. The Showcase also features two key French prestige animation titles: “Conference of the Birds,” now backed by Le Pacte, and “In Waves,” from Silex Films, Anonymous Content, and leading sales agency Charades. Rounding up the selection is the anticipated Mexican feature “The Language of Birds.”

The Annecy Festival has long been the most important date on the international animation calendar, unfolding on the picturesque shores of Lake Annecy in France each summer.

In 2016, Cannes’ Marché du Film started providing a spring sneak peek at a small collection of work-in-progress titles that would...

Cinephiles will have plenty to celebrate this April with the next slate of additions to the Criterion Channel. The boutique distributor, which recently announced its June 2024 Blu-ray releases, has unveiled its new streaming lineup highlighted by an eclectic mix of classic films and modern arthouse hits.

Students of Hollywood history will be treated to the “Peak Noir: 1950” collection, which features 17 noir films from the landmark film year from directors including Billy Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock, and John Huston.

New Hollywood maverick William Friedkin will also be celebrated when five of his most beloved movies, including “Sorcerer” and “The Exorcist,” come to the channel in April.

Criterion will offer the streaming premiere of Wim Wenders’ 3D art documentary “Anselm,” which will be accompanied by the “Wim Wenders’ Adventures in Moviegoing” collection, which sees the director curating a selection of films from around the world that have influenced his careers.

Contemporary cinema is also well represented,...

April’s an uncommonly strong auteurist month for the Criterion Channel, who will highlight a number of directors––many of whom aren’t often grouped together. Just after we screened House of Tolerance at the Roxy Cinema, Criterion are showing it and Nocturama for a two-film Bertrand Bonello retrospective, starting just four days before The Beast opens. Larger and rarer (but just as French) is the complete Jean Eustache series Janus toured last year. Meanwhile, five William Friedkin films and work from Makoto Shinkai, Lizzie Borden, and Rosine Mbakam are given a highlight.

One of my very favorite films, Comrades: Almost a Love Story plays in a series I’ve been trying to program for years: “Hong Kong in New York,” boasting the magnificent Full Moon in New York, Farewell China, and An Autumn’s Tale. Wim Wenders gets his “Adventures in Moviegoing”; After Hours, Personal Shopper, and Werckmeister Harmonies fill...

The following content contains discussion of sensitive and potentially triggering topics.

Makoto Shinkai has released an official statement following the arrest of the producer of many of his films, Kouichirou Itou.

Shinkai detailed his sadness and sympathy with Itou's victims after the producer was arrested on suspicion of violating the Child Prostitution Act this week. In a post to X (formerly Twitter), he said, "I have seen the news about the arrest of people related to my work, and I am deeply shocked. First and foremost, my heartfelt condolences go out to the victims. Additionally, I sincerely apologize to everyone who loves and supports the work for causing anxiety. While I believe that the value of the work will not be diminished by this recent incident, I understand that it’s only natural for people to be skeptical. It’s incredibly frustrating and sad."

Related Studio Ghibli Veteran Offers a...

The following content contains discussion of sensitive and potentially triggering topics.

Kouichirou Itou, producer of some of the biggest anime films, including Makoto Shinkai's Suzume, your name. (Your Name) and Weathering With You, has been arrested on suspicion of violating the Child Pornography Prohibition Act.

Several Japanese media outlets, including Nhk, report that Itou was arrested on Feb. 21, 2024, after soliciting nude images from a female high school student and saving them on his phone. According to the Wakayama Prefectural Police, Itou met the 15-year-old child in September 2021 via social media and asked for her to take nude images while aware that she was a minor. It's reported that Itou's crime came to light during the investigation of another child prostitution case. Itou generally admitted to the crime, with the producer conceding, "I have received images from underage women several times in the past, but I can't remember which one this time belonged to.

Japanese fantasy adventure anime movie Suzume’s producer Koichiro Ito was arrested in Japan for allegedly forcing a teenage girl to send him n*ked pictures on social media.

According to Tellerreport Ito, the individual in charge of a production company in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, was arrested and charged by Wakayama Prefectural Police with allegedly facilitating child pr-stitution and p*rnography involving underage girls.

Suzume

He is accused of allegedly pressuring a high school student he met on an internet social networking site (Sns) to send him pictures of herself in her underwear. The prefectural police are looking into the potential existence of other victims.

He worked on and contributed to numerous very important anime productions, although he has become best known for Suzume (2022), Your Name (2016), and The Garden of Words (2013). It seems that his involvement came to light when the Police were looking into a different case.

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Takehito Inoue's The First Slam Dunk and Makoto Shinkai's Suzume were both nominated for the best animated film category for the 16th Asia Pacific Screen Awards this week.

According to the Apsa's website, the two films will be competing in a crowded field that also features Tian Xiaopeng's Deep Sea, Sepideh Farsi's The Siren and Ricard Cussó and Tania Vincent's Scarygirl. This is the fifth nomination in the best animated film category for Suzume director Makoto Shinkai, who has won the award twice in the past for Weathering With You in 2019 and 5 Centimeters Per Second in 2007. It's the first nomination for Slam Dunk author Takehiko Inoue, who makes his directorial debut with The First Slam Dunk.

Related: The First Slam Dunk Is One Of The Best Sports Movies of All Time

Suzume released nationwide in Japan on Nov. 11, 2022, to great critical acclaim and box office success.

Partnership

Entertainment One (eOne) has solidified its collaboration with U.K. independent production company Hardcash Productions through an exclusive first-look agreement. Under the deal, brokered by Kate Cundall, eOne’s VP of acquisitions, and Robin Barty-King, Hardcash’s business affairs consultant, the partnership aims to develop and produce investigative factual content for the global market. eOne will handle international rights for all projects resulting from this collaboration.

Previously, eOne and Hardcash worked together on the distribution of award-winning documentaries such as “Inside China,” “Fearless: The Women Fighting Putin” and “Outbreak: The Virus that Shook the World,” which have been sold to over 160 territories worldwide.

Cundall said: “Through this collaboration, we’ve secured a unique access to one of the most prestigious documentary makers in the world of factual and documentary programming, and we look forward to continuing to provide award-winning unscripted storytelling to audiences worldwide.”

Esella Hawkey, creative director at Hardcash Productions,...

Collecting two stories based on the works of director Makoto Shinkai with “5 Centimeters per Second” penned by the iconic director himself. The release is accompanied by Children who Chase Lost Voices adapted by Asahi Akisaka.

“5 Centimeters per second When Takaki meets Akari in elementary school, they are as thick as thieves. She always teaches him the important things, while he does his best to protect her. After they are separated in middle school, though, they have to find their paths in life without each other…”

Children Who Chase Lost Voices Asuna is a shy and diffident girl who lives in the mountain town of Mizunofuchi. One day, she meets Shun, a boy who claims to be from a mythical land known as Agartha. However, just as a bond is beginning to form between them, Shun vanishes. As Asuna wishes she could see him again, she encounters Shin, another boy who looks just like Shun,...

Go on an adventure without leaving the house with epic fantasies and enthralling Sci-Fi from a selection of anime’s most celebrated creators this month on the Screen Anime channel. Children Who Chase Lost Voices, an ambitious first foray into fantasy from Weathering With You director Makoto Shinkai headlines the latest rotating monthly line-up, that will be available from 25th March 2021 until 25th April 2021.

Joining the ensemble teamup of great anime films this month is Tiger & Bunny: The Rising, the big-screen follow-up to Sunrise’s cult TV series about corporate sponsored superheroes who fight to save both their city and their place on the leaderboard! A classic manga is also brought back with a modern twist that will test the idea of “justice” in an increasingly technological world with 009 Re:Cyborg from director Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex).

Looking for a bite-sized introduction to anime? From a...

Shinkai Makoto, the fiercely idiosyncratic anime filmmaker whose long-simmering career exploded into legend when “Your Name” became an international phenomenon in 2016, has always been infatuated with the environment. The likes of “5 Centimeters per Second” and “Children Who Chase Lost Voices” may not express the same ecological concern that courses through Studio Ghibli’s work, but few movies of any kind have ever devoted more energy to — or divested more emotion from — the worlds around their characters. From unknown alien planets to rural Japanese footpaths, Shinkai’s backdrops are so lush, saturated, and ephemeral that the space between characters is best measured by heartache. And that heartache always rises, lifting our eyes towards the heavens like the light from a distant star. If Miyazaki is obsessed with airplanes, Shinkai is compelled by the sky.

Shinkai has never been known to shy away from his favorite subjects, and so it was always...

A funny and moving fantasy romance, Makato Shinkai's Your Name is an unmissable animated movie. Here's our review...

There are some movies that don’t just deserve repeat viewings, but actively demand them. Japanese animator Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name is so intricately woven and heartfelt that it could withstand being watched over and over again.

See related Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection book announced Japan's getting its own Classic Mini - a tiny version of Nintendo's 8-bit console

Your Name introduces two teenagers united by longing: Mitsuha, a girl who lives in the small, sleepy town of Itomori and feels stifled by its traditions, and Taki, a boy works part-time at a Tokyo restaurant and harbours a crush on Miki, an older student and co-worker. On random days, Mitsuha and Taki, strangers who live miles apart, abruptly switch bodies; Taki is astonished to find himself in a girl’s body and vice versa.

Feature Ryan Lambie Feb 7, 2013

As well as providing extra information about a film's production, DVD booklets were a great extra for film fans, Ryan argues...

In early January, several pieces of news appeared to signal the beginning of the end for physical media. First, there was the announcement that more than £1bn had been spent on digital goods - movies, games, books - in 2012. At the same time, the sales of physical stuff, whether on disc or printed on bits of paper, had plummeted by an estimated 17.6 per cent.

These statistics coincided with the news that two of the UK's major entertainment outlets - HMV and Blockbuster - were going into administration, putting thousands of jobs at risk and leaving gaping holes in highs streets up and down the country. When it comes to the consumption of entertainment, it seems, we're voting with our wallets - gradually, more and more...

It’s Monday, so we all know what that means! Yes, it’s time for another rundown of DVDs and Blu-ray’s hitting stores online and offline this week. It’s a very light week this week, so let us breakdown the new releases and highlight what you should – and shouldn’t – be buying from today, January 28th 2013.

Pick Of The Week

ParaNorman (DVD/Blu-ray)

In ParaNorman, a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst of all, moronic grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits. ParaNorman review

And the rest…

Looper (DVD/Blu-ray)

In the futuristic action thriller Looper,...

[With the very Ghibli-esque Hoshi O Ou Kodomo playing at Fantasia, we revisit Niels Matthis' review which I am inclined to almost completely agree with.]Whenever Makoto Shinkai (5 Centimeters Per Second, Hoshi no Koe) releases a new film it always feels like somewhat of an event. With just a few films to his name Shinkai launched himself as one of the most fresh and unique anime directors of this age, Hoshi O Ou Kodomo (Children Who Chase Lost Voices Deep Below) only reaffirms this status as he once again manages to deliver a film that underlines all of his trademark perks.With Hoshi O Ou Kodomo Shinkai once again returns to a more fantastical setting, though instead of creating something similar to "Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho",...

By MoreHorror.com

Starting next week, on May 4th through May, 20th, Porto Alegre will be the Latin American Capital of Genre Cinema as Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival 2012 unleashes.

Fantaspoa – International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre, the biggest genre film festival of Latin America will be back for its 8th edition, with 17 days of pure cinephilia, exhibiting 150 films – including 87 features from 32 countries: 5 having their world première, 12 in national première and 43 in their Latin America première. The festival will also bring more than 35 guests, including the duo that will be getting a Career Achievement Award: David Schmoeller and Stuart Gordon. Schmoeller, in the occasion, will also have the première of his first feature in 14 years: “Little Monsters”.

The festival will open and close with two world premières: “Nervo Craniano Zero”, directed by Paulo Biscaia Filho will open the festival and “Cell Count”, directed by Todd E. Freeman will close it.

Whenever Makoto Shinkai (5 Centimeters Per Second, Hoshi no Koe) releases a new film it always feels like somewhat of an event. With just a few films to his name Shinkai launched himself as one of the most fresh and unique anime directors of this age, Hoshi O Ou Kodomo (Children Who Chase Lost Voices Deep Below) only reaffirms this status as he once again manages to deliver a film that underlines all of his trademark perks.With Hoshi O Ou Kodomo Shinkai once again returns to a more fantastical setting, though instead of creating something similar to "Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho", Shinkai seems to have found a lot of inspiration in the collective work of Studio Ghibli. People like to compare Hoshi to...