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The official website for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Tomoki Izumi's horror manga series Mieruko-chan released a teaser trailer and visual today . The clip officially announced that the film is set to release in Japan on June 6, 2025. In the teaser trailer, the protagonist Miko Yotsuya played by Nanoka Hara (Suzume Iwato in Suzume ) encounters spirits everywhere and tries to pass them off by “pretending not to see them” in her daily life. Sora Amamiya , who voiced Miko in the TV anime series , serves as the narrator. Mieruko-chan Live-Action Movie Teaser Trailer Teaser visual Yoshihiro Nakamura ( Shinobi no Kuni ) serves as director and writes the screenplay. The main cast members include: Miko Yotsuya played by Nanoka Hara Hana Yurikawa played by Rinka Kumada Yuria Niguredo played by Naenano Akio Gondo played by Koki Yamashita Related: Mieruko-chan Horror Manga Gets Live-Action Movie in Early Summer 2025 The original Mieruko-chan manga is serialized...

Japanese anime studio P.A. Works is set to release Japan’s first anime film adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s timeless children’s novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Titled Fushigi no Kuni de Alice to -Dive in Wonderland- (With Alice in Wonderland -Dive in Wonderland-), the movie will debut in Japanese theaters on August 29, 2025.

This reimagining takes a fresh approach, centering on Rise, a modern-day girl voiced by Nanoka Hara, known for her roles in Suzume and Oshi no Ko. Rise finds herself mysteriously transported to Wonderland, where she meets Alice, played by 10-year-old Maika Pugh. Pugh expressed her excitement about the role, calling it a dream come true.

The film is directed by Toshiya Shinohara, recognized for his work on Black Butler and A Lull in the Sea. The screenplay is penned by Yuko Kakihara, whose credits include The Apothecary Diaries and Blue Box. P.A. Works, renowned for its visually stunning productions,...

A new anime feature film titled Fushigi no Kuni de Alice to -Dive in Wonderland- will open in Japan on August 29, 2025, with P.A. Works will handle the anime production. This is the first theatrical anime movie in Japan inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic fantasy novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , originally published in 1865. The film's official website and X (formerly Twitter) opened today, releasing a super teaser trailer and visual. Fushigi no Kuni de Alice to -Dive in Wonderland- Super Teaser Trailer Super teaser visual The main character of the film is Rise, a girl living in the present day. The story begins when Rise wanders into Wonderland and meets Alice. Actor Nanoka Hara (Suzume Iwato in Suzume ) is cast as Rise, while Maika Pugh (Platelet in the Cells at Work! live-action film) voices Alice. Toshiya Shinohara ( The aquatope on white sand ) serves as director on a screenplay by Yuko Kakihara...

The live-action adaptation of Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari’s hit manga Oshi no Ko is making history. Within just 30 days of its release, it became the most-watched Amazon Prime original in Japan, as per the series’ official website.

This massive achievement highlights the show’s popularity since its debut on November 28, when the first six episodes were released worldwide. The final two episodes followed shortly after on December 5.

Each episode of the series introduces a fresh theme song and artist, keeping things dynamic. The in-story idol group B-Komachi wraps up the film with their song ‘Shining Song.’ The unique musical choices have resonated deeply with viewers.

Adding to the excitement, the sequel film hit theaters on December 20, featuring performances by popular names like Nagisa Saitō (formerly of =Love) as Ruby, and Asuka Saitō (ex-Nogizaka46) as Ai. Aqua is played by Kaito Sakurai, while Nanoka Hara portrays Kana Arima.

The official accounts and website for the upcoming live-action movie adaptation of Hiromasa Okujima's Babanbabanban Vampire comedy manga series released a main trailer and visual today on December 12 . The trailer introduces the film's theme song " IIyu Dana 2025 imase x mabanua Mix" by singer-songwriter imase for the first time. Babanbabanban Vampire Live-Action Movie Main Trailer Main visual "Iiyu dana," literally meaning "This hot water is so good," was originally performed by Japanese chorus group Duke Aces in 1966. The song gained even wider recognition when a cover version by the comedy group The Drifters used it for decades as the ending to their own television shows. Imase covers the Showa-era classic with a relaxed and comfortable rhythmic arrangement. "When this song is played at the end roll of this film, I believe it will give you such a comfortable feeling as if you are in a really warm public bath while taking a breather,...

The official YouTube channel for the live-action adaptation project based on the Oshi no Ko manga series has started streaming a final version trailer for the upcoming movie, Oshi no Ko - The Final Act- . The trailer revealed that Kazunari Ninomiya , a 41-year-old member of the idol group Arashi, plays the role of Hikaru Kamiki. And the character's boyhood is also be played by 15-year-old Soya Kurokawa . Hikaru Kamiki is a mysterious figure who knows the truth behind Ai's death, and the trailer shows a tense scene where he finally appears before Aqua and confronts him directly. Additionally, an updated poster visual including Hikaru Kamiki is also revealed. Related: Oshi no Ko Live-Action Web Drama Releases 2nd Trailer The eight-episode web drama series has streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video worldwide since November 28, 2024. The feature film that then tells the drama's sequel story will release in Japan on December 20, 2024. Smith,...

The official website for the live-action adaptation project based on the Oshi no Ko manga released a second trailer on December 3 for the web drama series. The new clip depicts idol group B-Komachi's rise to stardom while Aqua and Ruby get closer to the identity of the mastermind behind Ai's death. The first six episodes of the eight-episode drama series are streaming on Amazon Prime Video worldwide since November 28. The last two episodes will start streaming on December 5 at 21:00 (Jst). Oshi no Ko -The Final Act- , a feature film that tells the drama's sequel story, will release in Japanese theaters on December 20, 2024. Prior to the theatrical release, the beginning part of the film will release on Amazon Prime Video simultaneously with the drama's seventh and eighth episodes on December 5. Additionally, Japanese three-piece rock band Wanima released a music video for "Ranran Rhapsody," the theme song for the drama's sixth episode.

The official YouTube channel for the live-action adaptation project based on the Oshi no Ko manga series is now streaming a main trailer for the upcoming movie. The title of the movie was also officially announced as Oshi no Ko - The Final Act- . In addition to the highlight scenes from the live-action series, the clip features the film's ending theme song "Shining Song" performed by the in-show idol group B-Komachi. Oshi no Ko - The Final Act - Main Trailer The live-action project's official X (formerly Twitter) also revealed a main poster visual for the film. Poster visual Related: Oshi no Ko Live-Action Web Drama Releases Main Trailer The eight-episode web drama series will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video worldwide first on November 28, 2024. The feature film that then tells the drama's sequel story will release in Japan on December 20, 2024. Smith, best known for his music video works for NMB48 and Kishidan,...

The official accounts for the upcoming live-action movie adaptation of Hiromasa Okujima's Baban Baban Ban Vampire comedy manga series announced three new cast members today. Gordon Maeda (Yatota Yaguchi in the Blue Period live-action film) plays the role of Nagayoshi Mori, a vampire who is the elder brother of Ranmaru Mori and holds a long-standing grudge against him. Mori Nagoyoshi played by Gordon Maeda Shinosuke Mitsushima (Heki in the Kingdom live-action film) plays the role of Umetaro Sakamoto, the homeroom teacher of Rihito Tatsuno and Aoi Shinozuka, who has been pursuing Ranmaru as a vampire hunter at night for many years. Umetaro Sakamoto played by Gordon Maeda Mandy Sekiguchi (former member Generations from Exile Tribe and Exile) plays the role of Ken Shinozuka / Franken, Aoi's older brother who is the leader of a gang of school delinquents. Ken Shinozuka / Franken played by Mandy Sekiguchi Related: Baban Baban Ban Vampire Live-Action Movie Reveals Teaser Trailer,...

Oshi no Ko , the manga written by Aka Akasaka and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari, has taken the world by storm with its anime and accompanying music. That lightning seems to be striking twice as the live-action drama released its first music video today to celebrate “Good Oshi (Favorite Member) Day." The live-action B-Komachi performs an original song titled “Twilight.” A new group photo of B-Komachi was also released (above). Oshi no Ko live-action - “Twilight” Music Video by B-Komachi The song was composed by Vocaloid producer See, and the music video was directed by series co-director Hana Matsumoto. In-universe (and credited on the video) is Anemone Monemone, a friend of Mem-cho who freelance directs music videos. The full song will be released on music streaming services at midnight Japan time. Related: Oshi no Ko Live-Action Web Drama Video Showcases Live B-Komachi Performance The eight-episode Oshi no Ko drama series will...

Now's your chance to watch B-Komachi perform live! A brand new video from Oshi no Ko , the upcoming live-action web drama based on the hit manga, shows the idol group performing together onstage. Watch as Ruby, Kana and Mem-Cho perform the original song "Warera Kanzen Muteki no Idol!!": Live-Action Oshi no Ko Preview Related: Oshi no Ko Live-Action Web Drama Releases Main Trailer A full version of the song will be released on various streaming services starting tomorrow, October 19. Check out the cover image: Related: Oshi no Ko Live-Action Drama and Movie Reveal Teaser Trailer, Visual The eight-episode drama series will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video worldwide on November 28, 2024. Then the feature film that tells the drama's sequel story will release in Japan on December 20, 2024, distributed by Toei. Smith, best known for his music video works for NMB48 and Kishidan, serves as the feature film's director. He also...

The official accounts for the upcoming live-action movie adaptation of Hiromasa Okujima's Baban Baban Ban Vampire comedy manga series released a teaser trailer and visual today introducing the three main cast members. Ryo Yoshizawa (Sougo Okita in the Gintama live-action films) plays 450-year-old vampire Ranmaru Mori. Rihito Itagaki (Norman in The Promised Neverland live-action film) plays Rihito Tatsuno, whom Ranmaru is after for his blood. Nanoka Hara (Suzume Iwato in Suzume ) plays Rihito's first love, Aoi Shinozuka. Baban Baban Ban Vampire Live-Action Movie Teaser Trailer Teaser visual The site also confirmed that the Shinji Hamasaki -directed adaptation will open in Japan on February 14, 2025. Shinji Hamasaki has been active as a commercial director since the mid-2000s, and this is his second feature film directorial work, following Ichido Shindemita ("I Died Once") in 2020, in which Ryo Yoshizawa also appeared. "I honestly spent many days trying to figure out what the right...

Tomoki Izumi’s Mieruko-Chan manga is getting a live-action film set to release in the early summer of 2025 in Japan.

An official website and X account have been launched for the live-action film, which unveiled a teaser visual featuring Nanoka Hara, who has been cast to play the role of the protagonist Miko Yotsuya.

Yoshihiro Nakamura is serving as the director as well as the scriptwriter for the film.

Nanoka Hara expressed her excitement about the role, saying, “I’m Nanoka Hara, and I’ll be playing Miko Yotsuya in the live-action film Mieruko-chan. I remember being really happy when I was offered the role of Miko. I was instantly captivated by how unique and interesting the premise was. It’s a horror film, yet my role is to simply ignore the ghosts, which made me laugh out loud while reading the script. Working with Nakamura-sensei was both nerve-wracking and exciting.

A live-action film adaptation of Tomoki Izumi's horror manga series Mieruko-chan is officially set to release in Japan in the early summer of 2025. Yoshihiro Nakamura ( Shinobi no Kuni ) serves as director on a screenplay also by himself. The film's official website and X (formerly Twitter) have opened with a teaser visual introducing Nanoka Hara as the protagonist, Miko Yostuya. The manga has been serialized in the ComicWalker (now KadoComi) website since 2018 and has published ten tankobon volumes. It has been viewed more than 85 million times on the site and has printed more than three million copies in Japan. Nanoka Hara has been active as a child actor since she was six. Among anime fans, she is best known as the voice of Suzume Iwato, the protagonist of Makoto ShinkaI's 2022 anime feature film, Suzume . "I remember how happy I was to be offered the role of Miko. I was instantly...

The official YouTube channel for the upcoming live-action web drama and feature film adaptation of the Oshi no Ko manga series has released a main trailer for the drama series. In addition to introducing the main cast members, "Warera Kanzen Muteki no Idol!!" ("We are the perfect and invincible idol"), an original song performed by the in-show idol group B-Komachi, is revealed for the first time in the clip. Related: Oshi no Ko Live-Action Drama and Movie Reveal Teaser Trailer, Visual The eight-episode drama series will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video worldwide on November 28, 2024. Then the feature film that tells the drama's sequel story will release in Japan on December 20, 2024, distributed by Toei. Smith , best known for his music video works for NMB48 and Kishidan, serves as the feature film's director. He also directs the drama series alongside Hana Matsumoto , who has also worked on music videos for HKT48, TrySail,...

‘Don't Call it a Mystery' took domestic cinemas by storm, amassing significant viewership and grossing over 30 million Usd since its premiere in fall of 2023. Following ten volumes of commercially successful manga by Yumi Tamura and a Fuji TV drama series in 2022, a live-action film was the cherry on top of the expanding franchise. Starring Masaki Suda as Totono Kuno (reprising the same role from the earlier TV series), and helmed by Hiroaki Matsuyama (who was involved in the TV series format as the director as well), the film is an accessible and layered detective story with various technical shortcomings. “Don't Call it a Mystery” can be mostly enjoyed by the fans of the franchise. As for the newcomers, they might initially have a hard time tuning into the plot. After embracing the chaos of the opening sequences even those who are new to the Totono Kuno universe may get swept...

Oshi no Ko Live Action Unveils November Release Date: Where to Watch the Idol Series - Main Image

The release date of the Oshi no Ko live action has been confirmed in a new teaser video, and with it comes a new visual that shows fan-favorite characters such as Aqua Hoshino and Mem-Cho.

As the release date approaches, the live-action series is expected to closely follow the manga’s storyline, capturing the intense drama and unexpected twists that have made the series a huge hit.

Oshi no Ko Live-Action Series Gets November Release Date

On November 28, the Oshi no Ko live-action series will begin streaming its eight episodes, which will follow the story of the beloved idol Ai Hoshino and her twin babies in front of and behind the cameras.

The live-action series' staff released a new teaser trailer featuring the cast, including Kaito Sakurai (Ryu Sanada in the Kimi...

The official website for the upcoming live-action web drama and feature film adaptation of the Oshi no Ko manga series has released a teaser trailer and visual introducing its main cast members. And it was also confirmed that the eight-episode drama series will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video worldwide on November 28, 2024, while the additional feature film will be released in Japan on December 20, 2024, distributed by Toei. Smith , best known for his music video works for NMB48 and Kishidan, serves as the feature film's director. He also directs the drama series alongside Hana Matsumoto , who has also worked on music videos for HKT48, TrySail, and Kana Hanazawa. The main cast includes: Aqua Hoshino played by Kaito Sakurai (Kou Mabuchi in Blue Spring Ride live-action drama) Ai Hoshino played by Asuka Saito (ex-Nogizaka 46 member) Ruby Hoshino played by Nagisa Saito (ex-=Love member) Kana Arima played by Nanoka Hara (the voice...

The Japan Academy Film Prize Association held the 47th edition of its awards ceremony on March 8, 2024. The nominees are selected by the Nippon Academy-Sho Association of industry professionals from the pool of film releases between January 1 and December 31, 2023 which must have screened in Tokyo cinemas.

Following its success at the recent Blue Ribbon Awards and leading with 12 nominations, Toho Studios' and Takashi Yamazaki's kaiju cinema masterpiece “Godzilla Minus One” takes top honours winning Picture of the Year and a slew of technical awards. Sakura Ando cements her place as one of Japan's top actresses securing both awards for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (for “Monster”) as well as Supporting Role (for “Godzilla Minus One”).

The full list of winners is described below.

Picture of the Year

Monster

Godzilla Minus One

Mom, Is That You?!

September 1923

Perfect Days

Animation of the Year

Kitaro Tanjo – GeGeGe no...

Japan’s Toei Company has teamed with Amazon to produce a live-action feature and TV series adapation of Oshi No Ko, a hit manga series that has sold more than 15 million copies.

Prime Video will premiere the series on its global streaming platform in winter 2024 and the feature will be distributed in Japan by Toei Company, which is also expected to introduce the title to international buyers at the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin next month.

The manga, written by Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari, was launched in 2020 followed by an anime series in 2023, whose theme song Idol became...

The official Twitter for Prime Video Japan announced today that the Oshi no Ko manga series will get a live-action adaptation in winter 2024. The drama series will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video worldwide, while the additional feature film will be released in Japan and distributed by Toei. The live-action project's official Twitter account also opened with a teaser visual featuring the six main voice cast members. The main cast includes: Aqua Hoshino played by Kaito Sakurai (Kou Mabuchi in Blue Spring Ride live-action drama) Ai Hoshino played by Asuka Saito (ex-Nogizaka 46 member) Ruby Hoshino played by Nagisa Saito (ex-=Love member) Kana Arima played by Nanoka Hara (the voice of Suzume Iwato in Suzume ) Akane Kurokawa played by Mizuki Kayashima Mem-cho played by ano (singer/YouTuber) The manga is serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump since April 2020, with its total circulation surpassing 15 million copies. The TV anime adaptation...

The official website for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Fujimomo's romance shojo manga Lovesick Ellie (known as Koiwazurai no Ellie in Japan) has posted a 60-second main trailer. The clip features the film's theme song, "Sweet Nonfiction," performed by nine-member girls unit NiziU. "We were really happy when we were offered to perform the theme song for the film 'Lovesick Ellie.' The story takes place in a high school, so it feels familiar to us, and we are really looking forward to the film," NiziU said. "The song 'Sweet Nonfiction' matches the worldview of the film. We think this song will cheer you up if you listen to it when you are wondering 'Is this love?' or 'Is this feeling - love?' Please enjoy the film and the theme song 'Sweet Nonfiction' together!" 60-second main trailer 30-second trailer 15-second trailer Related: Fujimomo's Romance Shojo Manga Lovesick...

This post contains spoilers for Makoto Shinkai's "Suzume."

Makoto Shinkai's strengths as an animator lie in his ability to mesh vividly beautiful visuals with thoughtful fantastical narratives, where the mundane and magical come together to tell emotionally-resonant stories. Shinkai's highly acclaimed "Your Name" underlines this thread of wonder that is ever-present in his work, as it delves into a mystical, inexplicable connection between two teenagers, whose love for one another is rooted in the spiritual. Shinkai's latest, dazzling entry in his impressive oeuvre, "Suzume," follows a similar format, where the love shared between Suzume (Nanoka Hara) and Sōta (Hokuto Matsumura) is eclipsed by a need to return to the self and honor the past to make way for the future.

Shinkai's art style and narrative prowess have often been compared to legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki and the artistic identity of Studio Ghibli as a whole — and for good reason.

Ah, Suzume.

You want me to review the latest feature from top anime director Makota Shinkai? But, of course. Though, to be fair, you had me the moment you mentioned that two key characters of the action were Japanese Gods who fight as giant felines to prevent ancient chthonic forces from breaking loose from the underworld and wreaking chaos in the world above.

Go, cats!

But, to begin at the beginning. Suzume is about loss. We learn, early on, that our hero, Suzume (voiced by Nanoka Hara) lost her mother to some awful, unspecified event a dozen years previously. Since when she has been brought up, for better or worse, by aunt, Tamaki (voiced by Eri Fukatsu). It is not an easy relationship, as the now 17-year-old Suzume strains at the restriction of life in quiet southern...

A schoolgirl and a haunted chair waft through a land of sunsets and cherry blossom in this fleeting tale set in the wake of the 2011 tsunami

The apocalypse rarely looked so appealing as it does in Makoto Shinkai’s latest anime – a painterly coming-of-age tale that’s back-shadowed by the spectre of the 2011 tsunami. Suzume (voiced by Nanoka Hara) is the schoolgirl heroine on a mission to close various portals to hell, wafting cross-country through a world of pink sunsets and cherry blossom. She’s on the trail of a talking cat, accompanied by a haunted three-legged chair. Her mother is dead; she needs whatever friends she can find.

Shinkai has fun with his big fantasy set pieces, but he’s brilliant with the little details too, conjuring up a vivid sense of modern-day Japan, right down to the lobster traps and the level crossings and the snaking freeways outside Tokyo.

Hollywood doesn’t make movies like Suzume, anime auteur Makoto Shinkai’s latest, about a teen girl who traverses Japan to prevent a series of natural disasters. We get stories about young people saving the world all of the time, sure, but the protagonists are usually dressed in spandex rather than school uniforms, and — even when the stakes are similarly cataclysmic — there is usually a bad guy to punch at the end. In Suzume, there are no bad guys for our eponymous schoolgirl-on-the-lam to take out. There is only the...

Spoiler Alert: This interview includes details about Crunchyroll’s Suzume.

Writer-director Makoto Shinkai continues to reap the rewards of building his ecological cinematic universe. Following the recent success of his domestic, international, and record-breaking hits Your Name and Weathering With You comes his latest light romance adventure film Suzume. The film follows a 17-year-old girl named Suzume (Nanoka Hara)who joins forces with a young man named Sōta (Hokuto Matsumura) to track down and close a series of mysterious and supernatural portals that have the potential, once opened, to release devastating natural disasters all over Japan. Since its release in Japan last year, Suzume has earned the designation of becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time in Japan and globally; it also garnered especially attention at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, as it was the first Japanese animated film to play in competition in two decades. With such...

The new anime film Suzume is the latest hit from Your Name director Makoto Shinkai, and it's already one of the most successful anime films of all time, even before it's had its English-language debut on April 14. The cast of the English dub features a lot of voices that fans may recognize from other works, simply due to their prolific careers. Here's an overview of who will be voicing who in the blockbuster anime film, as well as some of their most notable prior roles which fans might remember them from.

Related: Suzume Review: Makoto Shinkai's Latest Film Has Serious Heart

Nichole Sakura (Suzume Iwato)

Protagonist Suzume Iwato, voiced in the Japanese version by Nanoka Hara, will be voiced in English by Nichole Sakura. Nichole Sakura is known for her work on the NBC sitcom Superstore, where she played Cheyenne for six seasons. She has a number of voice acting credits as well,...

Years ago, I was sent to a screening of a film called "Your Name." I wasn't told until minutes before it started, and I had no idea what I was about to see. It was an anime film by Makoto Shinkai about two young people who switch bodies and learn about each other's lives, and it was so stunningly beautiful and touching that I had to sit in my seat for a bit before I could talk about it. Shinkai is back with another magical teen story in "Suzume," which got me in the gut yet again.

The teenage years are rough. Anyone who has lived through them will tell you that. You're trying to figure out what sort of person you'll be, find your place in the world, deal with massive changes in your body and your feelings, and navigate your love life. I don't know how Shinkai manages to take what can feel,...

Tapping into the Japanese national zeitgeist once again with “Suzume,” writer-director Makoto Shinkai surpasses his peers in making films for and about teenagers. Now 50 years old, the anime master christened his latest blockbuster after its heroine, Suzume Iwato (voiced by Nanoka Hara), a 17-year-old orphan on the southwestern island of Kyushu swept up in a cross-country trip to prevent a series of natural disasters. That such a responsibility should fall to someone so young is typical of his oeuvre (see “Weathering With You”), but also an apt way of illustrating the lingering trauma and vulnerability that adolescents feel in many parts of Japan.

Funnier and more streamlined than Shinkai’s earlier hypercharged toon epics, “Suzume” is a massive hit in its home country, where it has earned more than $100 million since opening last November — his third film to pass that milestone. The film made its international premiere at the Berlinale,...

Although one might feel weary in advance to hear Suzume is yet another anime in which a young person is enlisted into a struggle to save their family/hometown/Japan/the world, this one’s a keeper.

A hefty hit locally in the wake of its November 2022 release — where it’s grossed over $100m — this latest feature by multi-hyphenate talent Makoto Shinkai (the force of nature behind hits Your Name and Weathering With You) offers his signature blend of fantasy, quotidian realism and idealistic young lovers. Although often funny, a deep sense of loss is baked into the bones of the film by the fact that its title character (voiced in the original Japanese version by Nanoka Hara) lost her mother in the 2011 tsunami-earthquake that killed nearly 20,000 people and caused the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.

Not unlike the way Weathering With You sought to link the climate crisis with magical thinking,...

The Your Name director’s mythic and comic new animation is an absorbing, intriguing and bewildering work

Here is the new animation from the Japanese film-maker Makoto Shinkai, whose 2016 fantasy Your Name captured moviegoers’ imagination and led him to be thought of as a new master and perhaps even the heir to Hayao Miyazaki himself. It is an absorbing, intriguing, bewildering work: often spectacular and beautiful, like a sci-fi supernatural disaster movie or an essay on nature and politics, but shot through with distinctive elements of fey and whimsical comedy.

Suzume (voiced by Nanoka Hara) is a lonely, smart teenager, who lives with her aunt after the death of her mother. While walking one day she chances across a mysterious young man called Souta (Hokuto Matsumura), who is apparently in search of a door. Fascinated and somehow nettled by this stranger and his eccentric quest, Suzume sets out to follow him,...

Suzume no tojimari Trailer 3 — Toho Company has released the third movie trailer for Suzume no tojimari (2022). Crew Makoto Shinkai‘s Suzume no tojimari stars Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura, Eri Fukatsu, Koshiro Matsumoto, and Shota Sometani. Makoto Shinkai wrote the screenplay for Suzume no tojimari. “This new anime adventure features character design by Masayoshi Tanaka, [...]

Continue reading: Suzume No Tojimari (2022) Movie Trailer 3: An Abandon Door Leads to a Mystery in Makoto Shinkai’s Anime Film...

"I'm afraid of a world where Souta doesn't exist!" Japan's Toho has revealed a second official trailer for Suzume no Tojimari, the latest from acclaimed animation filmmaker Makoto Shinkai (of Your Name and Weathering with You). We've featured two other Japanese trailers previously - the most recent one here during the summer. It's an action adventure road story about a girl named Suzume, starring Nanoka Hara as her voice. 17-year-old Suzume's journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu when she encounters a young man who tells her, "I'm looking for a door." Soon, doors begin to open across Japan, bringing destruction upon any who are near them. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disaster. This new anime adventure features character design by Masayoshi Tanaka, art direction by Takumi Tanji, animation by Kenichi Tsuchiya. It will be released under the title just Suzume internationally, from Crunchyroll / Sony Pictures / Wild Bunch.

"Time is a sleeper, wind the soft skin, star is a cradle, people are mirage." Japan's Toho studio has debuted a new full-length official trailer for Suzume no Tojimari, the latest from acclaimed animation filmmaker Makoto Shinkai - best known for his films Your Name and Weathering with You (recommend watching both). The title roughly translates to Suzume's Door-Locking or Closing Suzume's Door. It is a modern action adventure road story about a girl named Suzume, starring Nanoka Hara as her voice in the film. 17-year-old Suzume's journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu when she encounters a young man who tells her, "I'm looking for a door." Soon, doors begin to open all across Japan, unleashing destruction upon any who are near. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disaster. The anime features character design by Masayoshi Tanaka, art direction by Takumi Tanji, and animation by Kenichi Tsuchiya.

Suzume’s Journey is About to Begin—！

Toho and CoMix Wave are proud to reveal the latest trailer for Makoto Shinkai’s upcoming film, “Suzume”, which also reveals for the first time, Nanoka Hara’s performance in the lead role of Suzume.

Since the key visual was revealed in April along with the four keywords, “Traveling Young Man”, “White Cat”, “Small Chair” and “The Key to Doors”, the film has gained considerable interest from press around the world. The upcoming film follows his previous two blockbusters, “Your Name” (2016) and “Weathering with You” (2019), which garnered unprecedented international acclaim.

“Suzume” is expected to be hitting movie theaters in Japan on November 11, 2022. Crunchyroll is distributing “Suzume” globally beginning in early 2023. In North America, Crunchyroll is the sole distributor. In Latin America, Australia/New Zealand, the Middle East and portions of Europe, the film will be distributed by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment. In French- and German-speaking Europe,...

Filled to the rafters with sacks of abandoned materials and supplies like unfinished maze walls, colourful with some sense of order, the warehouse boasts a secret many will never discover, forever lacking something quaint yet no less eccentric. For within this makeshift home resides a songstress, long forgotten by the annals of time and memory; clad in school uniform her longing heart and ukulele sing harmoniously waiting to be heard by anyone in tune with the most minutiae of sensitivities. And who shall stumble upon the songstress’ song but a wandering soul, lost in her own bubble floating through life in a daydream of doodles and ideas. As if enchanted by what she hears, our coasting protagonist is about to have her life change in an unimaginable way.

And so begins the unscripted rabbit-hole exploration of female adolescence that is “Infinite Foundation”, Akira Osaki’s answer to a saturated sea...