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Makoto Shinkai is the director who made half the planet fall in love with a staircase in Your Name and simultaneously made us all question life itself with 5 Centimeters per Second. This guy doesn’t believe in clean ‘happily-ever-afters.’ Nah, he hands out closure with a pinch of heartbreak, or just sometimes no closure at all.

And honestly, that’s why his work is so addictive. Let’s rank all of his movies from least to most satisfying, based on how we feel when the credits start rolling.

7. The Place Promised in Our Early Days: Gorgeous but Kinda ‘Huh?’

This movie looks like a painting come to life, with...

As the weather starts to cool off and the cozy season approaches, HBO Max is doubling down on its role as the premier streaming home for Japanese animation. Already the exclusive U.S. platform for the world-renowned Studio Ghibli library, HBO Max is expanding its acclaimed collection through an extended partnership with distributor Gkids. Beginning September 1, subscribers will have even more award-winning films at their fingertips, just in time for fall movie nights under a blanket.

New Arrivals Strengthen HBO Max’s Ghibli and Gkids Slate

The expansion brings several long-awaited debuts to streaming. Children Who Chase Lost Voices, Fireworks, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko...

Before Your Name turned Makoto Shinkai into a global phenomenon, there was a small Ova that started it all. Released in 2002, Voices of a Distant Star was only 25 minutes long, but actually rocked the anime world with its highly emotive storytelling and stunning visuals. And here’s the wild part: this emotional, futuristic romance was inspired by Dracula and Laputa: Castle in the Sky. That’s right.

The story follows Mikako, a teenage girl sent off into space to fight an alien war, and Noboru, the boy she loves, gets left behind on Earth. They can only talk to each other through text messages, but as Mikako gets further and further into space,...

Makoto Shinkai has made a niche for himself in the world of animation by creating some of the most emotionally complex main protagonists. Unlike other anime directors who rely heavily on fantastical worlds or fancy action scenes, Makoto Shinkai builds his narratives around human experiences, taking everyday people and putting them in extraordinary situations.

With that in mind, here’s a ranking of every major Makoto Shinkai main character from worst to best, based on their development, emotional resonance, and impact on Shinkai’s body of work.

10. Yukino Yukari (The Garden of Words)

See, Yukino is mysterious, elegant, and has that ‘main character in a sad indie film’ vibe about her, but she’s also sort of a blank slate. She’s going through workplace drama, takes refuge in the park on rainy days, and shares some touching moments with Takao.

Takao and Yukino from Makoto Shinkai’s The Garden of Words.

One of 2016's biggest anime films is heading to HBO Max next month. Your Name is a Japanese romantic fantasy directed by Makoto Shinkai, who's also known for Weathering with You and Suzume, and it will be entering streaming next month, along with other anime titles. This anime is highly acclaimed and has won numerous awards, so now would be a good time to catch this feature.

Your Name follows two high school students, Taki Tachibana (Ryunosuke Kamiki/Michael Sinterniklaas) and Mitsuha Miyamizu (Mone Kamishiraishi/Stephanie Sheh), who one day, swap bodies and have to live each other's day as the other person and only return once they sleep. Knowing this, the two communicate through various means, which eventually leads to an emotional bond, even though they haven't seen each other. But as this body-swapping phenomenon continues, they try to figure out why it's happening, which leads to the discovery...

The official website for the upcoming anime film adaptation of Keigo Higashino's The Keeper of the Camphor Tree ( Kusunoki no Bannin in Japan) novel announced today that the film is set to release in Japan on January 30, 2026 . The site also released a teaser poster visual and a teaser trailer. The tagline on the visual reads: "This tree has a secret." Teaser poster visual Additionally, the site announced the film's two lead voice cast members. Fumiya Takahashi , best known as Aruto Hiden / Kamen Rider Zero-One in Kamen Rider Zero-One , plays the protagonist Reito Naoi, who lost his job for unreasonable reasons and was appointed by his aunt Chifune Yanagisawa to become the keeper of a mysterious camphor tree at Tsukisato Shrine. This is the first time that he has voiced a lead role in an anime feature film. "This film is filled with numerous opportunities to reflect on life and take time to face oneself,...

Your Name and Oscar in the same sentence spark painful memories of the year 2017, when the movie was seemingly snubbed at the esteemed awards. Most fans expected it to win, but the beloved film wasn’t even nominated. According to this Gigazine article, the producer of the movie, Noritaka Kawaguchi, admitted that Your Name would have been nominated if it were distributed by a different platform than Funimation.

Hearing it straight from the producer explains, Your Name’s at the 2017 Oscars. However, if there’s any Makoto Shinkai film that deserves the Academy Awards, it has to be this one. So far, nothing brings the director’s iconic style to life like Mitsuha and Taki’s tragic romance.

Your Name Producer Explains the Reason Behind the Movie’s Oscar Snub

Your Name was released in 2016 and has since become one of the most loved and appreciated animated movies of all time.

Shougo Horiuchi's battle action manga series Match Mondo will receive a live-action film adaptation. The film's official website and X (formerly Twitter) opened today. Kotaro Daigo (Hodaka Morishima in Weathering With You ) is cast as one of the two protagonists, Mikio Togura. "Working with people who have been involved in numerous action films, this film is a challenge that I have always aspired to take on," said Daigo. "Having been familiar with martial arts since childhood, I am very excited to see how far I can go by giving it my all. I am truly grateful to have found such a challenging opportunity. Please look forward to seeing what kind of developments await in this unique world of fighting and matching app!” "Match Mondo" manga visual Kotaro Daigo Ryusuke Kurahashi, who studied under Takashi Miike and has served as assistant director on numerous Miike films, including Lesson of the Evil...

The highly anticipated Japanese music drama Glass Heart just premiered on Netflix on July 31. The series is also accompanied by the release of an equally anticipated soundtrack by the fictional band Tenblank. Featuring ten original songs, the album is now available for streaming globally.

Based on the best-selling novel by Mio Wakagi, Glass Heart stars Takeru Satoh as lead vocalist Naoki Fujitani. The series follows a group of young musicians navigating the highs and lows of the competitive music industry. Known for his past music-related roles in Beck and The Liar and His Lover, Satoh not only stars but also co-produces the series and performs a song.

What elevates the soundtrack of Glass Heart is the addition of some of Japan’s best contemporary musicians. The feature song, Crystalline Echo, is performed by Satoh and written by Yojiro Noda of Radwimps. Fans might already recognize Radwimps for their work on...

Makoto Shinkai has mastered a specific recipe in his movies. He can flawlessly blend magic realism with romance to create fascinating stories. His style expresses itself most distinctly in his trio of natural disaster movies: Your Name, Weathering With You, and Suzume.

Shinkai’s movies have vibrant colors and tender love stories, but beneath them all lies a haunting sense of darkness, which elevates the narrative even more. He intertwines his romances with existential dread, and the resulting emotional depth makes his movies not only relatable but also somewhat unsettling.

The Looming Existential Dread in Makoto Shinkai Movies Makoto Shinkai establishes dark themes in his movies to amplify the plot | Credits: Comix Wave Films

The existential dread in Makoto Shinkai’s movies is often tied to forces that are beyond the control of humans. Your Name, Weathering With You, and Suzume were all inspired by the frequency of natural disasters in Japan.

Your Name is the movie that most people know Makoto Shinkai by. It’s his claim to fame, his recipe to success, and his forever legacy. Yet, it does not automatically mean that Your Name is the best Shinkai movie. Shinkai might have discovered his winning formula with Your Name, but the movie in which he perfected it was Weathering With You.

The only reason Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name triumphs over Weathering With You is that the latter came second. Once the constant comparison with Your Name is taken out of the equation, Weathering With You might have become his magnum opus.

Weathering With You Embraces Selfishness Over Noble Sacrifices

The main gripe that many people have with Weathering With You is Hodaka choosing Hine over everyone else. Hina was fated to be a sacrifice in order to prevent the non-stop rain plaguing Japan. In fact, she had accepted...

Alright, anime folks, let’s get real for a moment. We all know Makoto Shinkai as the guy who totally wrecked our feels with Your Name, drowned us in rain and tears with Weathering With You, and made us fear furniture with Suzume. The guy is literally a poet with a pen and paintbrush. And for real, though, these movies deserve all the hype; they’re basically visual masterpieces with big emotions, bigger budgets, and even bigger box office numbers.

But here’s a secret that no one’s screaming loud enough: before Makoto Shinkai was out here shattering time and space for love, he released 5 Centimeters per Second, a quiet, emotional sledgehammer that’s so relatable, it hits harder than any body-swapping comet ever could. Okay, so let’s talk about why you simply cannot miss this completely underrated gem.

The Most Relatable Makoto Shinkai Story Ever

Alright,...

Alright, let’s be real for a second: no one does heartbreak, star-crossed timing, and those “I miss you but I’m not really sure why” moments like Makoto Shinkai. The man has basically built his entire career out of beautifully animated emotional damage, and we love him for it. Whether it’s a missed train, a silent text sent across the galaxy, or two teens screaming each other’s names across time, his films really get you in the feels.

They’re not just pretty to look at; they’re about longing and loss and weather and memory and all those messy ways people love each other from far away. So buckle up, grab some tissues, and maybe emotionally prepare yourself, ’cause here are Makoto Shinkai’s top 10 anime movies ranked purely on how hard they hit.

1. Your Name: The Body-Swap That Broke the Internet

This one requires no introduction.

The official website for Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback , the 28th feature film in the Detective Conan/Case Closed anime franchise, announced today that the film had earned 14.4 billion yen (97 million Usd) from 10 million ticket sales by July 16 in 90 days since its release in Japan on April 18, 2025. One-eyed Flashback has become the second film in the Conan series to reach 10 million ticket sales, following the previous 27th film in 2024, Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram , which spent 52 days to reach the 10 million mark. And it was also the first time for a Japanese film series to surpass the 10 million mark twice in a row. A special clip to celebrate reaching the milestone is available on Toho Movie's official YouTube channel . Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback opened in a total of 522 theaters across Japan on April 18, which was the largest number in the history of the franchise. The film stayed at No.1 in Japan's...

Alright, so here’s the thing. When someone says ‘Makoto Shinkai,’ your brain probably screams Your Name! Comets! Timelines! Body swapping! Radwimps blasting in the background while two teens emotionally scream through time and space! And yeah, that movie was a cultural tsunami for all the anime fans. But for us? We’ve been in that feels pit since 5 Centimeters per Second.

That film didn’t require any magic or insane time loops. All it required was one train, one missed message, and one cherry blossom metaphor to completely shatter our hearts. And Now It’S Getting A Live-action Movie. Yes, it’s officially happening. But this also made us think if this works. Like, if it totally captures the heartbreak, the silence, and those emotional gut-punches? Then, seriously, why shouldn’t we adapt more of Shinkai’s works into live-action too?

1. Your Name: Because Let’s Be Real, It...

Let’s face it: being a teenager is kind of a disaster, right? One moment, you’re all teary-eyed over a crush, the next you’re wondering who you even are, and in the middle of all that, your world feels like it’s crumbling. Now imagine all that actually causing earthquakes, time warps, or a comet smashing into Earth. Bam! Welcome to Makoto Shinkai’s beautifully chaotic world.

In Your Name, and pretty much every film he touches, Shinkai doesn’t just explore teenage emotions; he turns them into literal world-ending events. Falling comet? Check. Endless rain flooding Tokyo? Yup. Giant supernatural worms breaking through the earth? Oh yeah, he did that too. These aren’t just plot devices. They’re metaphors with an attitude. And the message is clear: adolescence isn’t just dramatic, it’s catastrophic.

Your Name Is a Love Story with a Comet-Sized Twist

If you’ve watched Your Name,...

Okay, let’s get real for a moment. If you’ve ever been sobbing over two people who barely spoke, likely never kissed, but somehow completely devastated you with one missed train or one forgotten name, congrats, you’ve been Shinkai’d. Makoto Shinkai is that person. The person who saw Studio Ghibli’s legacy and said, “Cool, but what if I made every scene painful and look like wallpaper at the same time?”

Now, look, the list we are going to share below isn’t your usual ‘based on Rotten Tomatoes’ ranking. Nope. This is just vibes. Pure, unfiltered emotional damage vibes. Some of these hit us like a truck on a rainy day. Others? We appreciated them, but they didn’t make us question our entire existence. So here we go: Makoto Shinkai films listed from “meh, I enjoyed it” to “Brb I need three business days to recover.

Anime is no stranger to heartbreaking stories, especially those centered on disaster. The recent Japan Sinks 2020 garnered quite a bit of attention after arriving on Netflix, while Makoto Shinkai's biggest works have used disaster as the backdrop, as can be seen in Suzume and Weathering With You.

However, one of anime's most underrated disaster series, 2009's Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 will finally be returning to streaming in the U.S. soon. Anime fans should be warned, though: it isn't a Makoto Shinkai feel-good film that will deliver its characters to a satisfactory ending despite disaster. It's an honest and brutal depiction of destruction.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 Is Returning to Streaming The Classic Disaster Series Is Set to Break the Hearts of a New Generation of Anime Fans

The series takes place after a massive 8.0 magnitude earthquake lays waste to a large chunk of Tokyo, and follows two young children named...

Let’s talk anime legends for a moment. Hayao Miyazaki is the man when it comes to making creative, emotional, highly personal movies that somehow get you to cry over a girl flying a broomstick or a pig in an airplane. And Makoto Shinkai? He’s the guy who wrecked all of us with Your Name and Weathering With You. Two different vibes, right?

But here’s the twist: when Shinkai started working on Suzume, a movie full of magical doors, emotional healing, and literal disasters, he had one surprisingly cozy film in mind as inspiration, Kiki’s Delivery Service. Yes, you’re reading that correctly. Wild combo? Totally. But somehow, it works. Let’s unpack it.

Suzume: When Hayao Miyazaki’s Warmth Meets Makoto Shinkai’s Sadness

So here’s the back story. After Weathering With You, Shinkai was traveling around Japan, doing talks and meetups, signing autographs,...

So you watched Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron and you’re all weepy, sort of lost, and somehow crying over a giant talking bird? Yeah, same. But what if we told you that there’s another film, one that was released all the way back in 2011, that gave us this exact flavor of beautiful heartbreak before Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning fantasy ever took flight?

Enter Children Who Chase Lost Voices, an early, overlooked gem from Makoto Shinkai. Yes, that Shinkai. The tear-inducing, sky-obsessed genius of Your Name, Weathering With You, and Suzume. But this time? He went full Studio Ghibli mode. If The Boy and the Heron wrecked you in a weirdly comforting way, Children Who Chase Lost Voices is the follow-up your soul’s been craving.

Children Who Chase Lost Voices: Makoto Shinkai meets Hayao Miyazaki

We all know Makoto Shinkai now, the man, the myth,...

Max’s vast library is packed with blockbusters and classics, but some of its best films fly under the radar. These hidden gems, often overlooked due to limited releases or overshadowed competition, offer unique stories, bold styles, and unforgettable performances.

We’ve ranked 10 lesser-known movies on Max, from intriguing to must-watch, that deserve your attention. Here’s why these obscure picks will surprise and captivate you.

10. The Florida Project (2017) Cre Film

A six-year-old girl and her struggling mom live in a motel near Disney World, chasing joy amid poverty. Sean Baker’s vibrant drama, led by Brooklynn Prince and Willem Dafoe, blends raw heart and colorful grit.

Its unflinching yet hopeful look at childhood feels fresh. We’re moved by its tender, overlooked story.

9. Shiva Baby (2020) Neon Heart Productions

A college student faces awkward chaos at a shiva when her sugar daddy shows up with his wife. Rachel Sennott’s...

In today’s fast-evolving entertainment landscape, the world of anime has evolved from being just a genre to a global storytelling language. From manga adaptations taking over various streaming charts to various Western franchises attempting their luck with anime formats, the difference between cultures and media is being redrawn faster than ever.

While this bold fusion between Eastern animation and globally recognized stories has brought new opportunities, it has also sparked many questions about when and how such adaptations should take place.

As world-famous franchises like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings are trying to make a new world in animated form, fans and creators alike are engaging in deeper talks regarding the purpose and power of animation.

When animation enhances, and when it doesn’t Poster for Kimi no Na wa (Your Name) | Credits: CoMix Wave Films

In a recent conversation with Aime Cover, the CEO and...

If Ken’ichirô Akimoto’s new anime feature “All You Need Is Kill” feels familiar, that’s because it is. The film is an adaptation of the Japanese light novel of the same name by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and Yoshitoshi Abe that also inspired “Edge of Tomorrow,” the 2014 Tom Cruise hit directed by Doug Liman.

Liman’s film, a sci-fi thriller about an ordinary man (Cruise), forced into battle during a massive alien invasion and cursed with having to relive the same day over and over and over again, took plenty of liberties with the source material. Akimoto’s new take, written by Yûichirô Kido and Hiroshi Sakurazaka takes its own liberties, but it keeps the novel’s much better title — and also maintains the flinty charm of the Liman movie.

As “All You Need is Kill” opens, Earth is dealing with the arrival of Darol – a massive outer space plant whose intentions are unknown.

Let’s take a trip back to 2016. You’re sitting in a theater, watching Your Name, heart racing, eyes wide, laughing and crying, and completely confused by the space-time thing, and by the end, you’re convinced that Makoto Shinkai is the next Hayao Miyazaki. The film grossed more than $405 million worldwide and broke records to become one of the highest-grossing anime films.

Not bad for a romantic body-swap time-travel drama. However, after that massive success, Makoto Shinkai said something bold: he was not going to repeat it. No more teenage romance with supernatural themes and apocalyptic consequences. He wanted to tell smaller, more personal stories, stories about individuals, not society. But here’s the thing: he completely did it again in Weathering with You, and surprisingly again with Suzume.

Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You and Suzume are somehow following the same You Name code

In 2019, Shinkai released Weathering With You.

Most directors wear a lot of hats. Makoto Shinkai? He’s basically running an entire hat factory by himself. Over the last 10 years, Shinkai has accomplished what many other filmmakers can only dream of. His last three movies, Your Name, Weathering with You, and Suzume, didn’t just make people cry in theaters. They took over the box office, grossing over $900 million globally.

All three of them are now among the top 10 highest-grossing Japanese films ever. The only other individual who’s got that sort of flex? Hayao Miyazaki. But here’s the real twist: Makoto Shinkai doesn’t just direct. He writes, storyboards, edits, and even acts out every character himself behind the scenes. No joke, this man is all the characters before the voice actors ever show up.

Makoto Shinkai: The one-man anime army

Whereas the majority of animated films are made by huge teams, Makoto Shinkai basically said,...

It’s not every day that Makoto Shinkai, the guy who gave us those great movies such as Your Name, Weathering With You, and Suzume, openly admits he’s a little jealous of another director. But guess what? It did happen! And the movie that made him envious? It’s The Colors Within (Japanese title: Kimi no Iro), the newest masterpiece from A Silent Voice director Naoko Yamada.

So let’s just pause for a minute here: if Makoto Shinkai is getting all worked up over someone else’s talent, you know the movie can’t be just good; it’s next-level amazing. So, if, like many other fans, you are wondering where you can actually watch The Colors Within right now, we have the scoop. But first, let’s talk a little about why this film is making waves and how it pulled off a massive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Makoto Shinkai is a celebrated director whose films are loved for their stellar visuals and emotionally resonant storytelling. Over the years, he has carved out a niche for himself as someone who makes films that can captivate audiences with their heartfelt narratives. However, his films often stick to a predictable formula. Every Shinkai film depicts a poignant romance between a boy and a girl, and is set against a supernatural backdrop.

While this formula has been criticized a lot, it has also paved the way to his success. After digging deep, we have discovered that this pattern may have roots in Makoto Shinkai’s early career, which was a time when he tried to break away from this formula through Children Who Chase Lost Voices.

Makoto Shinkai’s signature formula revolves around romance and stellar visuals Mitsuha and Yotsuha follow their granny to the shrine | Credits: CoMix Wave Films

Makoto...

Alright, if you’ve ever watched Your Name (Kimi no Na wa), then you already know that it’s not simply an anime movie, it’s an emotional meteor that crashes into your soul, lights it on fire, and then softly pats you on the back of the head while you cry into your blanket at 2 Am. Directed by the master of heartbreak and stargazing romance himself, Makoto Shinkai, Your Name quickly became a global sensation when it was released in 2016.

It had body-swapping. It had time travel. It had two beautifully crafted characters: Taki and Mitsuha, whose paths were so intertwined by fate that you’d swear the universe itself was hard-shipping them more than we were. But just when the story built up this intense, soul-melting connection between them, bam! The movie’s over. On a stairway. With a “What’s your name?” Are you kidding me, Shinkai?...

Your Name, Weathering with You, and Suzume might have given Makoto Shinkai worldwide fame and recognition, but these aren’t even touching the surface of his brilliance. All of them are emotional masterpieces, but the director loves to switch his art style up for different projects, too.

One such movie where Shinkai ditched his usual style and paid homage to another director was Children Who Chase Lost Voices. The 2011 anime fantasy movie used the classic Studio Ghibli artwork and atmosphere. Some fans accused the director of being a cheap copy of Hayao Miyazaki’s style, but it was clearly meant to be a tribute to him.

Children Who Chase Lost Voices is one of his lesser-known movies, but it deserves to be as famous as Your Name. Considering it takes so much after Studio Ghibli movies, it’s actually quite strange it didn’t. It’s definitely one of Shinkai’s most unique works.

Makoto Shinkai’s most notable movies are probably Your Name, Weathering With You, and Suzume. You might notice that all of them have a similar theme of romantic separation, longing, a disastrous event, and the power of love. As a long-time fan of Shinkai, I have loved his tried and tested formula.

These films have taken me through a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and with an ending that sparked hope in me for a better tomorrow. And who doesn’t love that? In this world full of terrible mishaps and daily injustices, Shinkai’s movies deliver a dose of resilience of humankind with a sprinkling of stunning visuals. But it’s high time that the director breaks out of his repetitive tropes.

Makoto Shinkai has a hard lesson to learn from Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki has experimented with a variety of genres. While movies like Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service...

Exclusive: Neon is gearing up to begin production in May on Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, with Takashi Miike set to direct. The thriller will star Shun Oguri, Lily James, and WWE star Liv Morgan (Gionna Daddio).

The film will be a U.S.-Japan co-production, produced by Jeremy Thomas for Recorded Picture Company, Sam Pressman for Pressman Film, Naoaki Kitajima for Nippon TV and Misako Saka for Olm. Executive producers include Tom Quinn, Yuzo Kuwahara, Tetsu Fujimura, Paula Paizes, Alainée Kent, Peter Watson, Ivan Kelava, Max Loeb and Mike Apgar. The deal was negotiated by Neon’s Sarah Colvin, VP of Acquisitions, and Paula Paizes from Pressman Film and Recorded Picture Company’s Ivan Kelava on behalf of the filmmakers.

Neon will release the film theatrically in North America and represent the international sales rights in Cannes this month.

Alright, before we get into this, let’s get one thing out of the way. The moment Weathering With You dropped, everyone instantly slapped it next to Your Name like they were supposed to fight to the death in some anime battle royale. And that’s the issue. Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name is a kind of film that makes your heart ache, your eyes tear up, and your brain go ‘wait, what just happened? ‘ every 15 minutes.

So, of course, when Weathering With You arrived, everyone was expecting the same high, the same gut-punch, the same sparkle scene, and then they got mad when it wasn’t the same. But here’s the thing: they’re not supposed to be the same. In fact, Weathering With You plays a completely different game, and that’s why it secretly beats Your Name in one big, underappreciated way.

The vibe shift in...

When you hear titles such as Your Name, Weathering With You, or Suzume, you likely associate them with those incredible skies, those bittersweet love stories, and that sense of wow, anime can really make you cry. That magic? Naturally, you have to attribute it to CoMix Wave Films, and of course, the genius behind it all, Makoto Shinkai.

But now, the studio isn’t simply resting on Makoto Shinkai’s stunning, rain-soaked laurels. With the new head honcho (CEO) and President Tomohiro Tokunaga in charge, they’re completely on the lookout for the next big thing, you know, the next storyteller who can strike us right in the heart. And honestly? It sounds like a super exciting time.

A new boss with big dreams (and even bigger respect for Makoto Shinkai)

Tokunaga’s path to becoming the head of CoMix Wave Films is straight out of an anime. He started...

If you’ve been anywhere near the anime scene in the last decade, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Makoto Shinkai. He’s the genius behind some of the most stunning and tear-inducing films ever produced, like Your Name, Weathering With You, and Suzume.

Seriously, the man could have a Ph.D. in making people cry with those gorgeous sunsets and piano soundtracks. But guess what? Makoto Shinkai just dropped a big tease that his next film is gonna be completely different, and we are so here for it.

The ‘Makoto Shinkai Formula’: Time to shake things up?

Alright, let’s be real for a sec. As much as we’re enjoying Makoto Shinkai’s work, it’s kinda difficult to deny that Shinkai’s recent work has been relying on the same old formula.

You’ve got: A young man and a young woman, a mysterious supernatural event that interferes with space,...

The Film Development Council of the Philippines ( Fdcp) will hold I Animate: Animation Film Festival starting April 24 to May 7 in its regional Cinematheque Centres and select Sm cinemas

Photo from Fdcp

Revealed last April 15, 2025, the lineup is top billed by renowned world cinema titles led by Cinemalaya 2023 Best Film “Iti Mapukpukaw (The Missing)”, the Oscar 2025 Best Animated Feature Film “Flow,”and BFI London Film Festival Best Film “Memoir of a Snail.”

Other acclaimed full-length films to be screened are “Cleaners”by Glenn Barit, “Saving Sally” by Avid Liongoren, “Wolf Children” by Mamoru Hosoda, “Ghost Cat Anzu” by Yôko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita, “Loving Vincent” by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, “Le Petit Nicolas” by Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre,”Robot Dreams” by Pablo Berger, and “Weathering With You” by Makoto Shinkai.

The festival also includes short films under the following three sections: Animated Short Focus, From the Archives, and Student Shorts Showcase.

Indie animation producer and distributor Gkids and Japanese stop-motion animation studio Dwarf announced that they will jointly develop a new animated film based on the original autobiographical manga “Sunny” by Taiyo Matsumoto. The project was selected for a session at the Annecy Animation Showcase at Cannes, which is part of upcoming Cannes Animation Day, a joint initiative between the Marché du Film at Cannes and the Annecy Festival.

The Eisner Award-nominated manga “Sunny” depicts an ensemble of children working through various trying circumstances and won the Japan Media Arts Festival Excellence Award and the Shogakukan Manga Award, among others.

Michael Arias will write and direct the movie. He previously helmed 2006’s “Tekkonkinkreet,” based on Matsumoto’s manga of the same name, which played in competition at the Berlin Film Festival and won the Japanese Academy Award for best animated feature. Arias has served as translator for additional Matsumoto works.

Arias...

It’s been nine years since Your Name (Kimi no Na wa) dropped and completely blew our minds in the best possible way. And yet, somehow, we are still talking about it like it just came out. We’re still rewatching the same scenes, listening to Radwimps on loop, and getting all teary-eyed over the ending like we’re back in 2016. But for real, why is that?

I mean, yeah, the animation is next level, and the soundtrack? Totally spot on. But when the wow factor wears off, there’s something way deeper going on, something that hits you right in the feels. I wasn’t sure about it at first either, but now I completely understand. Let’s talk about it.

Your Name is not about the Sci-fi, it’s about the love

Honestly, if you really think about it, Your Name is this crazy combination of genres. Teenagers randomly swapping bodies?...

The Film Development Council of the Philippines ( Fdcp) will hold “I Animate: Animation Film Festival” starting April 24 to May 7 in its regional Cinematheque Centres and select Sm cinemas

Revealed last April 15, 2025, the lineup is led by Cinemalaya 2023 Best Film “Iti Mapukpukaw” (The Missing), the Oscar 2025 Best Animated Feature Film “Flow”, and BFI London Film Festival Best Film “Memoir of a Snail.”

Acclaimed Asian full-length features to be screened are “Cleaners” by Glenn Barit, “Saving Sally” by Avid Liongoren, “Wolf Children” by Mamoru Hosoda, “Ghost Cat Anzu” by Yôko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita, and “Weathering With You” by Makoto Shinkai. “Loving Vincent” by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, “Le Petit Nicolas” by Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre, and “Robot Dreams” by Pablo Berger are the other world cinema titles in the festival.

I Animate also includes Philippine short films under the following three sections: Animated Short Focus, From the Archives, and Student Shorts Showcase.

In an era where films (particularly animated ones) tend to walk you through every plot twist like you’re a toddler lost in a grocery store, Hayao Miyazaki just doesn’t. And thank god for that. Princess Mononoke is perhaps the most obvious illustration of this approach, a film that asks the audience to dwell in contradictions, question our sympathies, and arrive at our conclusions.

It’s crazy, brutal, gorgeous, confusing, and honestly kinda overwhelming sometimes. But that’s the idea. Miyazaki never attempted to explain every single thing, and he certainly never paused in the middle of a scene to say, “Alright, here’s what this metaphor is supposed to mean.” Why? Because he actually respects you as a viewer.

Princess Mononoke: The world’s messy, so why should the movie pretend it’s not?

If there’s one thing Miyazaki won’t do, it’s oversimplify the world.

If you’ve ever cried for a comet (Your Name) or found yourself weirdly emotional about a rainy park (The Garden of Words), then you completely understand that Makoto Shinkai isn’t only making anime; he’s making feelings.

But in Weathering With You, Shinkai isn’t only trying to touch your heart. He’s trying to touch the sky. Unlike his previous dreamy romances, Weathering With You is louder, darker, and a whole lot crazier.

Hodaka and Hina from Weathering With You. | Credit: CoMix Wave Films

And that’s not only because Tokyo is literally drowning. This time, Shinkai had something big on his mind: climate change, and how the world seems to be falling apart while we’re all still just trying to live our lives. Let’s dive in.

A new kind of rain: From beauty (The Garden of Words) to threat (Weathering With You)

If you...

Is Naruto The Movie coming to India soon? ( Photo Credit – Netflix)

The story of Naruto has found a loyal fan base not only in Japan but also abroad. The availability of Naruto anime and films in India through legal means was quite limited earlier. However, with the launch of TV channels like Sony Yay!, the expansion of Crunchyroll in India, and the launch of Anime Times by Amazon Prime Video, anime content has begun to reach all over the country.

Several anime films are finding official release in Indian theatres. With popular names like Suzume, Weathering with You, and The Boy and the Heron, releasing in India, the anime fans have certainly found a place to watch their favourites on the big screen. Joining these ranks is an old but beloved classic film, Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow.

This movie, which was first released in...

So, here’s the thing, I’m a huge Makoto Shinkai fan. The guy gave us Your Name, which is one of the most emotionally resonant anime films of our time. I mean, it was a movie that had me questioning time, fate, and why I was suddenly crying over a body-swapping love story.

Then came Weathering With You in 2019, and for real, I walked out of the theater totally blown away. The animation? Next level. The music? Radwimps totally brought their A-game. But even with all that, something was off to me.

A still from Makoto Shinkai’s film Weathering With You. | Credit: CoMix Wave Films

So, here we are, six years on, and I’ve finally got it: Weathering With You is certainly Shinkai’s weakest work, story-wise. However, it’s still got those gorgeous visuals, really emotional music, and of course, the magic of Shinkai being Shinkai.

When Your Name (Kimi no Na wa) debuted in 2016, it wasn’t simply a gorgeous piece of animation, it was an emotional experience. Makoto Shinkai didn’t just deliver a love story, he shattered genre expectations, merged body-swapping with science fiction, and brought audiences across the world to tears.

Among all the unforgettable moments in the movie, one scene has continued to puzzle fans for nearly a decade, the one where Taki, in the final moments before Mitsuha forgets him, chooses not to write his name on her hand. Instead, he writes out three words that completely redefine the film’s emotional core: “I love you.”

Taki and Mitsuha from Your Name. | Credit: CoMix Wave Films

A lot of people thought this choice didn’t make sense. Like, why wouldn’t he just write his name to jog her memory? But after thinking it over for a bit, this choice...

Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name (Kimi no Na wa) took the world by storm in 2016, breaking box office records and redefining what a modern anime film could do. The film’s stunning animation, heartfelt storytelling, and emotional resonance solidified Shinkai’s position as among the best anime directors in Japan and the world alike.

While most credit the success of Your Name to Shinkai’s personal vision and narrative abilities, its body-swapping and gender fluidity themes owe a considerable debt to one of the legends of manga: Rumiko Takahashi. Takahashi, author of Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, Ranma 1/2, and Inuyasha, played a central role in shaping gender-bending storytelling in manga and anime.

Makoto Shinkai’s iconic movie Your Name. | Credit: CoMix Wave Films

Her works, particularly Ranma 1/2, not only brought gender fluidity into mainstream media but also set the stage for films such as Your Name to explore the same...

Few anime movies have enthralled the world in the same way as Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name (Kimi no Na wa). A huge hit in 2016, it turned into an instant cultural phenomenon and brought together stunning animation and an emotionally powerful tale of love, destiny, and time itself.

Your Name is frequently praised as Shinkai’s masterpiece due to its powerful and heartfelt storyline and beautiful visual storytelling. Despite its overwhelming success, Your Name does have its flaws, especially where character development is concerned. While its emotional impact is undeniable, certain plot points feel underdeveloped or rushed.

Taki and Mitsuha from Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name. | Credit: CoMix Wave Films

In contrast, Weathering With You (Tenki no Ko), Shinkai’s 2019 follow-up, excels in an area where Your Name fell short: character depth and development. While Your Name remains Shinkai’s most beloved work, Weathering With You surpasses it in crafting complex,...

Makoto Shinkai is already a respected name in the anime industry, known for making stunning films like The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004), 5 Centimeters per Second (2007), Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011), The Garden of Words (2013), and so on.

People really love his detailed animation style, the super emotional stories, and the deep heartfelt themes, which is why some fans even compare him to the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, the genius behind Studio Ghibli’s greatest works.

Mitsuha and Taki meet for the first time in Your Name. | Credit:

Among Shinkai’s best works, Your Name (2016) became a global phenomenon and cemented him as a master of storytelling. Within a year, in 2017, it surpassed Miyazaki’s Spirited Away (2001) as the highest-grossing anime film of all time. The surprise success not only changed the way the world looked at anime but also highlighted the profound themes embedded in Shinkai’s storytelling:...

The official website for Studio 4℃'s new original anime movie ChaO released a teaser trailer and visual today, announcing the movie will theatrically release August 15, 2025 in Japan. ChaO Teaser Trailer Teaser Visual The site also announced the film's two leading voice cast members — Ouji Suzuka as the human protagonist, Stefan, and Anna Yamada as ChaO, a princess from the mermaid kingdom. Suzuka has appeared in high-profile live-action series such as the TV drama silent and the Netflix drama Kimi ni Todoke . He is also an exclusive model for Japanese men's fashion magazine Men's Non-no. He previously voiced the protagonist character Kaoru Touno in the 2022 anime film The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes . Yamada is known as the main heroine Asirpa in the Golden Kamuy live-action series. While she made a guest voice appearance in the 2012 film Detective Conan: The Eleventh Striker in the past, this is the first...

Makoto Shinkai is undoubtedly one of the best anime directors that the world has received. From Your Name and Weathering With You to his recent hit Suzume, Shinkai movies are known to be heart-wrenching tales. However, the director is slowly shifting his gear.

I love Your Name and Weathering with You for their portrayal of pure and unadulterated love. But that is meddled with in Suzume as the movie suddenly deviates from Shinkai’s usual tried and tested formula. This makes me wonder if the likes of Your Name will ever be seen again.

Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name and Weathering with You are unparalleled

Being a Makoto Shinkai fan, I absolutely could not miss Suzume. But after watching it, I was sure that it had strayed from Shinkai’s formula for previous hits. Of course, the running theme of adolescence and natural disasters still exist, but Suzume felt more...

When most people in the anime community think about memorable anime that came out in the 2010s, plenty of examples come to mind. KonoSuba, No Game No Life, and Re:Zero were some of the best shows that made their debut within the past 10 years. However, this train of thought doesn't hold up for anime movies. Films like Dragon Ball Super: Broly or Your Name were popular during this time, but it's easy to overlook other hidden gems that were released in this era.

These underrated movies deserve much more love. At the time of their release, these were films that received critical acclaim from critics and fans alike. Unfortunately, these films haven't gotten the attention they deserved as time has gone on. These films will stand the test of time as modern classics for anyone who takes the time to watch them.

Weathering With You Delivers a Visually Stunning Emotional...

I’ve been a huge Makoto Shinkai fan for years. His films always offer beautiful visuals, incredible music, along with deeply emotional plots. When I first watched Your Name, I was completely blown away. It had everything: romance, mystery, time travel, and that incredible mix of fantasy and reality. So, when they released Weathering With You, I was pretty excited. I went in thinking I was going to get another masterpiece, but I walked away, kind of disappointed.

Hey, I’m not saying Weathering With You wasn’t good. It looked gorgeous, and the music (hats off to Radwimps) was incredible. But the plot? It had far too many loose ends, a rather weird ending that didn’t feel right, and it just didn’t quite work for me as Your Name did.

Why Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name just works

One of the greatest things about Your Name is...