AnimeNYC 2018 Recap: Gkids

If there’s something we love, it’s soft movies, and Gkids has that in spades.

The big thing that was the highlight of the panel was, of course, Hosoda Mamoru’s upcoming film, Mirai. If I can think of two filmmakers outside of Ghibli that will make stories that are guaranteed to move me, it’s Hosoda Mamoru and Makoto Shinkai. I know I’ve been looking forward to this new title since it was first announced, and was delighted to know more information about the story and see a never before seen trailer. Mirai tells the story of a young boy who discovers his familial roots through time travel and encountering his ancestors in different points in time. Also traveling with him is his younger sister, who comes from the future to embark on the journey with him. It was the first anime film to preview at Cannes, and hosts a wide range of voice actor talent including John Cho, Daniel Dae Kim, Rebecca Hall, Chrispin Freeman, and Victoria Grace. We were shown a small short where Hosoda explains his drive behind the film, where he observed his two children and their relationship to each other, specifically the tension that results from a new member of the family being born. He wanted to explore that transformative aspect of family, and how Luckily, there isn’t too long of a wait, for Mirai will be released in theaters on November 29th. And I already know I’m going to cry.

Another staple of things that make me cry are Ghibli films, and there will be a release of a documentary, The Never-ending Man, Hayao Miyazaki. This details Miyazaki’s approach to film and his general creative process in storytelling. Boro The Caterpillar is a short film that Miyazaki made specifically for the Ghibli Museum, and this documentary chronicles the creative process that went into creating that short film.

Modest Heroes is a fresh title that I haven’t heard of before, but the trailer shown caught my interest. It’s an anthology of three short films, all made by former animators from Studio Ghibli. There are a variety of tales, from sci-fi to something more modern, but they all have that classic, soft style that evokes Ghibli to heart. It’s set to be released sometime in January.

Since Gkids is also in charge of the translation and distribution of Studio Ghibli titles, there were several DVD announcements. It’s the thirtieth anniversary of My Neighbor Totoro, and a special release is coming to celebrate that. The Blu-ray/DVD will come with an original soundtrack and an art booklet, which is set to be released on December 11th.

Masaaki Yuasa has been a name ever since Devilman Crybaby boomed in popularity, and Gkids is releasing two of his movies as hard copies as well. Lu Over The Wall will come out on February 5th, and Night Is Short Walk On Girl will come out on January 29th.

A lot of really good titles are set to come out! The panel was muted, but the titles displayed definitely made me curious and left me wanting more. Looking forward to them!