For those who have not yet read my previous article about the Gold Coast Film Festival 2011, feel free to read it HERE.
Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below, despite being an incredibly long titled movie, is an animated feature film directed by Makoto Shinkai, who has a highly successful filmography including She and Her Cat (Human Grand Prix in SKIP Creative Human Award and Grand Prix in DoGA CGAnimation Contest), The Voices of a Distant Star (Best New Comer in Tokyo International Animation Festival, Best Director in AMD Award, Special Prize in Japan Media Arts Festival and Image Design Prize in Digital Contents Grand Prix), The Place Promised in Our Early Days (Animation Grand Prix in Mainichi Film Concur, Silver Prize in Canada Fantasia Film Festival, Best Feature Film in Seoul Int’l Cartoon and Animation Festival) and the one I am sure most are familiar with, 5 Centimeters per Second (Best Animated Feature Film in Asia Pacific Screen Award and Lancia Platinum Grand Prix in Future Film Festival).
The following is a Synopsis and Introduction to the film:
Synopsis:
One day, a girl named Asuna hears a mysterious song on her crystal radio, a memento of her father. She is never able to forget it, as it sounded almost like someone’s very heart itself made into song.
On the way to her favorite mountain hideout she is attacked by a strange beast and is saved by a young man named Shun. Coming from a faraway land called “Agartha”, he tells her he came to the surface because he wanted to meet someone, and had something he wanted to see. The two begin to open their hearts to each other, but Shun suddenly disappears and Asuna is not able to find him. It is then she hears the terrible news… Asuna refuses to accept it, and in school she learns of the mythological underworld from her new homeroom teacher, Mr. Morisaki. One of its many names is Agartha, a place where secrets of the world are hidden and any wish you have may be granted. Just then, a boy who looks just like Shun appears before Asuna being chased by a number of suspicious men. The men are after his Clavis, the key to Agartha. Driven into a corner, the gate to Agartha finally opens up before Asuna and the boy. There, Asuna learns that the leader of the men is actually Mr. Morisaki who has been searching for Agartha in hopes of reuniting with his late wife, and the boy, Shin, is Shun’s younger brother.
With the entrance to Agartha before her eyes, Asuna makes up her mind: “I want to see him, once again.” Asuna, Mr. Morisaki, and Shin, each with their own feelings in their hearts, set out on a journey into a land of legends….
Introduction:
A girl runs through a vivid world learning the meaning of “loss” and ‘blessing”. It’s been 10 years since Makoto Shinkai’s brilliant debut with his individually created work “Voices of a Distant Star”, and with the releases of “The Place Promised in Our Early Days” and “5 Centimeters per Second” he’s widened his fanbase and gained a stellar reputation both inside and outside of Japan. And now, finally, director Makoto Shinkai’s highly anticipated newest work, “Children who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below” has been completed.
With his overwhelmingly beautiful imagery, Shinkai paints pictures of the distances between people’s hearts, and in this work he challenges a tale of girls and boys on a journey, growing up. In a world yet unseen, the “Children” encounter secrets of the world on their journey, all the while holding different feelings inside of their hearts. This impactful work expresses the distance between different worlds and between people and the world, not just between people. With the same detailed, hardhitting dialog and portrayals of characters you’ve come to expect from Shinkai, this film is also filled with heartpumping adventure and a triumphant, grand majesty.
And of course, as in all of Shinkai’s works, with shifting light and sparkling greenery, the beautiful landscapes and unparalleled artistry are the highest qualities. This time, working with an energetic staff, he’s created a world like none you have ever seen. Also Tenmon, who has provided the music for Shinkai’s works ever since his debut, has created a gem of a theme song with singer Anri Kumaki. The talented voice cast includes Hisako Kanemoto (“Sound of the Sky,” “Squid Girl”), Miyu Irino (“Spirited Away,” “Mobile Suit Gundam 00”), and veteran Kazuhiko Inoue (“Cyborg 009,” “Naruto,” “The Place Promised in Our Early Days”).
This tale will stimulate the adventurous hearts of adult and child alike, leaving you with the feeling of sweet melancholy at journey’s end. A stage more vast than the firstperson perspective works so far, this is a modern, traditional animated work, with an overflowing grand scale worthy of a theatrical feature. Makoto Shinkai presents to you this original animated film.
