'Cultural commonalities between Japan, Korea led to anime boom in Korea'

• Published date: 08 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Makoto Shinkai, the filmmaker behind fantasy-adventure anime films such as "Your Name" (2016) and "Weathering with You" (2019), said Japan and Korea share cultural commonalities and that is why Japanese animated films are huge in Korea.

"Japan and Korea have similar landscapes and culture, and I think these factors contributed to my film's success here. I think a cityscape reflects the needs and desires of its citizens. In that sense, Seoul reminds me of Tokyo. Although Japan-Korea political relations have had their ups and downs, I hope the two countries keep moving toward deepening cultural ties," he told Korean reporters during a press conference for his new film, "Suzume," in Seoul, Wednesday.

"Suzume" tells the story of a 17-year-old high school girl named Suzume who helps a mysterious young man named Souta to prevent a series of deadly natural disasters.

Shinkai talked about bringing themes of disaster into his works, including the latest one, and translating them into animation.

"After 'Your Name' became a massive hit, I felt more responsible for my work. I didn't want to make a film that is merely fun-filled entertainment, so I thought of addressing the 2011 earthquake that hit the east side of Japan. By opening up about the traumatic event, I wanted to share with memory with the entire audience, especially young people who don't remember the disaster," he said.

He continued, "I'm aware of some criticisms that my works are somewhat similar to one another. For my next project, although I don't have any specific plans, I will make...