Макото Синкай: Путь японского аниматора и режиссёра

Japanese filmmaker and animator

Makoto Niitsu (新津 誠), known as
Makoto Shinkai (新海 誠), is a Japanese filmmaker and novelist. He is known for his anime feature films produced with studio CoMix Wave Films. Shinkai began his career as a video game animator with Nihon Falcom in 1996, and gained recognition as a filmmaker with the release of the original video animation (OVA) She and Her Cat (1999). Shinkai then released the science fiction OVA Voices of a Distant Star in 2002 as his first feature with CoMix Wave, and followed this with his debut feature film The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004). Shinkai's films have consistently received highly positive reviews from both critics and audiences, and he is considered to be one of Japan's most commercially successful filmmakers. His three most recent films Your Name (2016), Weathering with You (2019), and Suzume (2022) are all among the highest grossing Japanese films of all time both in Japan and worldwide at the time of their release.

A native of Nagano Prefecture, Shinkai studied Japanese literature at Chuo University, where he was a member of the juvenile literature club and drew picture books. He traces his passion for creation to the manga, anime and novels he was exposed to in middle school. His favorite anime films are Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Nausicaä and The Castle of Cagliostro by Hayao Miyazaki, The End of Evangelion by Hideaki Anno and Patlabor 2 by Mamoru Oshii.

After graduating from Chuo University Faculty of Literature in March 1996, he got a job at Falcom, a video game company. He worked there for 5 years, making video clips for games and graphic design including web content. During this time he met musician Tenmon, who later scored many of his movies. In 1999, Shinkai released She and Her Cat, a five minute short piece done in monochrome. It won several awards, including the grand prize at the 12th DoGA CG Animation contest (2000). DoGA is an independent nonprofit company set up to encourage entry level animators with software and advice. The short details the life of a cat, entirely from the cat's perspective, as it passes time with its owner, a young woman. After winning the grand prize, Shinkai began thinking about a follow up while he continued working for Falcom. In June 2000, Shinkai was inspired to begin Voices of a Distant Star by drawing a picture of a girl in a cockpit grasping a cell phone. Some time later, he was contacted by Manga Zoo (today a smartphone app), which offered to work with him, giving him a grant to turn his idea into an anime they could sell. In May 2001, he quit his job at Falcom and began to work on Voices. In an interview, Shinkai noted that production took around seven months of "real work". Shinkai's next project was 5 Centimeters per Second and premiered on 3 March 2007. It consists of three short films: Cherry Blossom, Cosmonaut, and 5 Centimeters per Second. In September 2007, Nagano's leading newspaper, Shinano Mainichi Shinbun, released a TV commercial animated by Shinkai. Shinkai spent 2008 in London, resting since the completion of 5 Centimeters per Second. He returned to Japan in 2009 to start work on his next project. He released two concept drawings for this film in December 2009. Shinkai noted that it would be his longest animation film to date and described the story as a "lively" animated film with adventure, action, and romance centered on a cheerful and spirited girl on a journey to say "farewell". In November 2010, he revealed that his next work would be titled Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below. A teaser trailer was released on November 9, and the film was released on May 7, 2011. His next feature, The Garden of Words, was released on May 31, 2013. On August 26, 2016, Shinkai released Your Name. The film received widespread acclaim from audiences and critics, praising the film for its narrative, imagery, animation, music, emotional weight, and skillful use of post postmodernist themes. The film was also a commercial success, becoming the fifth highest grossing film of all time in Japan. Then by 2019, the film became the highest grossing anime film of all time worldwide, overtaking Miyazaki's Spirited Away. Shinkai's next project Weathering with You was released on July 19, 2019 in Japan. The film was also a commercial success, grossing $192.9 million worldwide and making it the tenth highest grossing Japanese film of all time. Suzume, Shinkai's seventh feature length film, was released in Japan on November 11, 2022. The film was a further critical and commercial success, grossing over $300 million worldwide.

Shinkai has been called "The New Miyazaki" in several reviews, including those by Anime Advocates and ActiveAnime—comparisons that Shinkai brushed off as "overestimation". Shinkai is married to retired actress and producer Misaka Chieko who is best known for starring in Versus by Ryuhei Kitamura; the couple has a daughter, child actress Chise Niitsu (born 2010). An asteroid, 55222 Makotoshinkai is named after him.

TitleYearPublisherNotes Slug 1994 Picture book 5 Centimeters per Second 2007 Media Factory Novel The Garden of Words 2014 Kadokawa Shoten Novel Your Name 2016 Kadokawa Novel Your Name. Another Side: Earthbound 2016 Kadokawa Light novel; co written with Arato Kanou. Weathering with You 2019 Kadokawa Novel Suzume 2022 Kadokawa Novel

TitleYearPublisher(s)Notes Beyond the Tower 2002 Voices of a Distant Star 2004 Kodansha Illustrated by Mizu Sahara The Place Promised in Our Early Days 2006 Kodansha Illustrated by Mizu Sahara 5 Centimeters per Second 2010–11 Kodansha Vertical, Inc. Illustrated by Yukiko Seike Children who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below 2011 Media Factory The Garden of Words 2013 Kodansha Vertical, Inc. Illustrated by Midori Motohashi Your Name 2016 Media Factory Illustrated by Ranmaru Kotone Weathering with You 2019 Illustrated by Watari Kubota

Year Award Category Work/Nominee Result Ref. (References) 2003 8th AMD Award Best Director Voices of a Distant Star rowspan="2" 2016 29th Tokyo International Film Festival Arigatō Award Your Name 41st Hochi Film Award Best Director 29th Nikkan Sports Film Award Best Director 2017 44th Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production rowspan="4" 59th Blue Ribbon Awards Best Director 11th Asian Film Awards Best Screenplay 40th Japan Academy Prize Director of the Year Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2017 Best Director rowspan="2" 26th Japan Movie Critics Awards Best Animation Director 2020 47th Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production Weathering with You rowspan="2" Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2020 Best Director rowspan="2" 2023 Celebration of Cinema and Television International Animation Award Suzume 2024 51st Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in a Feature Production rowspan="2" Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production