"The Place Promised in Our Early Days": A thorough review of the fusion of moving story and beautiful visuals

"Beyond the Clouds, the Promised Place" - Makoto Shinkai's intersection of youth and dreams

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

November 20, 2004 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

CoMix Wave Films Inc.

■Frequencies

91 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Makoto Shinkai

■ Director

Makoto Shinkai

■ Production

CoMix Wave Films Inc.

■Works

©Makoto Shinkai/CoMix Wave Films

■ Story

The tower that stands beyond the border, and his admiration for her. With these two thoughts in his heart, the boy begins to build an airplane. And then... the feelings of his youthful days, torn between the world and her. With one determination in his heart, he sends the airplane soaring into the sky...

■Explanation

Makoto Shinkai made a brilliant debut in the film industry with "Voices of a Distant Star" in 2002. This work, which he made alone, broke the record for the highest attendance at the short film cinema Triwood and won numerous awards. The DVD has sold over 60,000 copies in Japan and is currently released in 16 countries around the world, making him a talent that is attracting attention from all over the world. In "Beyond the Clouds, the Promised Place," Shinkai himself wrote the original story, script, direction, photography, and art, fully demonstrating his artistry. The staff supporting the director include Tenmon, who also worked with him on "Voices of a Distant Star," for music, and Ushio Tazawa, who showed great teamwork on the NHK Minna no Uta "Egao," as animation director. Takumi Tanji, who has been in charge of art and painting for live-action films, has also joined the team to give Shinkai's visual beauty even more depth. Following on from his previous work, which he made alone, this time he is once again challenging himself to create a form of animation that is different from studio productions. This is his first feature-length film, and you will surely witness an anime like you have never seen before. The dreams, losses and rebirths of youth that you once felt - the light of youth that only Makoto Shinkai can portray is here.

■Cast

Hiroki Fujisawa, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Takuya Shirakawa, Masato Hagiwara, Sayuri Sawatari, Yuka Nanri, Okabe, Unsho Ishizuka, Tsuneo Tomizawa, Kazuhiko Inoue, Maki Kasahara, Risa Mizuno

■ Main staff

・Original story/Makoto Shinkai ・Director/Makoto Shinkai ・Screenplay/Makoto Shinkai ・Music/Tenmon ・Character design/Ushio Tazawa ・Chief animation director/Ushio Tazawa ・Art/Tanji Takumi, Makoto Shinkai ・Line producer/Koichiro Ito (CW)
・Public Relations／Naomi Toda(CW)
・Project Manager: Noriyoshi Kawaguchi (CW)
Produced by: Comix Wave Films Distribution: Comix Wave Films Distribution cooperation: Phantom Films

■ Main Characters

・Hiroki Fujisawa
The protagonist of this work. A cheerful and innocent boy. He admires Sayuri. During high school, he gradually grows into a strong-minded, introverted young man. He tries to fly a small plane, the Verashira, to save Sayuri from her sleep.
・Takuya Shirakawa
Hiroki's friend. Like Hiroki, he admires Sayuri. Although he is kind, he has a deep and complicated heart and gives off a slightly cool and mature impression. After entering high school, he devotes himself to researching the "Tower" at Army College.
・Sawatari Sayuri (Sayuri)
The heroine of this work. In her junior high school days, she is a beautiful girl who has the vitality of a teenager, and is good at both studying and sports. During the summer vacation of her third year of junior high school, she develops a wakefulness disorder of unknown cause and transfers from Aomori to Tokyo. In the story, she falls into a long sleep and hardly grows up after turning 15.

Appeal and evaluation of "The Place Promised in Our Early Days"

Makoto Shinkai's "The Place Promised in Our Early Days" is a beautiful work that depicts the dreams, loss, and rebirth of youth. The film was released in 2004 and moved many audiences. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and evaluation of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "The Place Promised in Our Early Days" revolves around dreams and friendship, two symbols of youth. The protagonists, Hiroki Fujisawa and Takuya Shirakawa, are fascinated by a mysterious tower that stands beyond the border, and begin building an airplane to reach it. Their friendship and dreams intertwine with their feelings for the heroine, Sayuri Sawatari, and the story becomes more profound.

When Sayuri was in middle school, she developed an unexplained awakening disorder and fell into a long sleep. Her existence had a profound effect on the hearts of Hiroki and Takuya, and drove them to action. To save Sayuri, Hiroki resolved to complete the plane and head to the tower. This story skillfully depicts the themes of youthful dreams, loss, and rebirth, deeply moving the audience.

Visual beauty and music

Makoto Shinkai's works are characterized by their beautiful visuals. "Beyond the Clouds, The Promised Place" also features beautiful landscapes and detailed depictions. In particular, the scenery of Aomori and the scenes with airplanes flying have the power to draw the audience in. Tenmon's music also adds excitement to the story and heightens the emotions. The music and visuals work together to deeply move the audience.

Character Appeal

Each character in this film is unique and fascinating. Hiroki grows from a cheerful and innocent boy into a hard-hearted, introverted young man. His growth and change symbolize the anguish and hope of youth. Meanwhile, Takuya is a kind but complicated character, and his mature impression adds depth to the story. Sayuri is a beautiful girl who falls into a long sleep, and her presence is an important factor that drives Hiroki and Takuya's actions. The drama woven by these characters leaves a strong impression on the audience.

Recognition and Awards

"The Place Promised in Our Early Days" won many awards and was highly praised. Director Makoto Shinkai's talent was recognized worldwide, and the film was released in 16 countries. The film was especially praised for its beautiful visuals and the depth of its story, and it gained a lot of support from audiences. This work is one of Makoto Shinkai's masterpieces, and can be said to be a monumental achievement in youth anime.

Recommendations and related works

If you enjoyed The Place Promised in Our Early Days, we also recommend the following films. These films also showcase Makoto Shinkai's talent and are beautiful stories about the dreams and loss of youth.

"Voices of a Star"

This is Makoto Shinkai's debut work, a short animated film that he produced alone. It is a work that depicts the bittersweet love of youth, and the visual beauty and music are a perfect match. Like "The Place Promised in Our Early Days," it deals with the theme of youthful dreams and loss, and deeply moves the audience.

"5 Centimeters per Second"

This is a feature-length animated film directed by Makoto Shinkai, depicting the bittersweet love of youth. It features beautiful images and music, deeply moving the audience. Like "The Place Promised in Our Early Days," it deals with the theme of youthful dreams and loss, leaving a strong impression on the audience.

"Your Name."

This is one of director Makoto Shinkai's masterpieces, and was a huge hit around the world. It is a beautiful story about the dreams and loss of youth, and the visual beauty and music are a perfect match. Like "The Place Promised in Our Early Days," it is about the dreams and loss of youth, and it deeply moves the audience.

Conclusion

"Beyond the Clouds, The Promised Place" is a beautiful work that shows off the talents of director Makoto Shinkai. The story, which depicts the dreams, loss, and rebirth of youth, deeply moves the audience. The beautiful visuals and music are a perfect match, drawing the audience in. This work can be said to be a monumental achievement in youth anime. Please give it a watch.