The classic animated film “The Place Promised in Our Early Days” celebrates its 20th anniversary since its release. Starting from May 17th, the film will be re-released in major cinemas in Japan, with Taiwan following suit on June 21st. Director Makoto Shinkai expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming love and support shown for this work.
Shinkai revealed that originally, the film was planned to be around 50 minutes long. However, as the story developed, the runtime was extended to 90 minutes, creating a production on a scale akin to a full-fledged feature film. This marks Shinkai’s first endeavor into a full-length animated movie since “Your Name.” The character development in this film differs from his previous work, “Your Name,” which focused on a story involving two individuals. Instead, “The Place Promised in Our Early Days” revolves around three main characters – Hiroki, Takuya, and Sayuri.
Reflecting on his creation of “The Place Promised in Our Early Days,” Shinkai shared, “I was forced to enhance my own appreciation ability. This work is completely different from ‘Your Name.’ After completing the original drawings and seeing the animation come to life, I found myself increasingly satisfied. When it comes to character depiction, I would outline the characters first to make their features more pronounced before adding color, followed by adjusting the smiles and atmosphere of all the characters.”
In order to meticulously depict the worldview and atmosphere of the story, Shinkai and his artistic partner specifically ventured to the countryside, taking inspiration from elements such as the colors of the sky. They even embarked on countless train rides to carefully study the appearance of the train aisle.
The protagonist of “The Place Promised in Our Early Days,” Hiroki Fujisawa, is voiced by renowned Japanese actor Hideaki Itokawa. Stepping into voice acting for the first time, Itokawa admitted feeling nervous, especially during the moments where his character delivers monologues expressing his innermost feelings.
Furthermore, the theme song of “The Place Promised in Our Early Days,” titled “Your Voice,” features lyrics penned by Shinkai himself, music by Tenmon, and vocals by Ai Kawashima. The beautiful and melodious voice harmonizes with the film’s scenes, perfectly encapsulating the unique worldview of the work.