Tag: Keiichi Hara

The Anime Living in a Lonely Castle in the Mirror Gets a Release Date!

GKIDS will release Lonely Castle In The Mirror theatrically in both its original Japanese language and an all-new English dubbed version.

LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR Teaser PosterGKIDS, celebrating its 15th anniversary as a producer and distributor of award-winning and artist-driven animation from around the world, announced today it will bring Lonely Castle in the Mirror, to select theatres nationwide for event showings on June 21 and 22nd only. Directed by Keiichi Hara (Miss Hokusai, Colorful, The Wonderland), the film features animation from the lauded A-1 Pictures, and is adapted from the beloved novel of the same name by Mizuki Tsujimura.

This movie held its International Premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival–marking the first time a Japanese animated feature was selected for the festival–and additionally had its US premiere at the New York International Children’s Film Festival. It was nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year, and was released domestically in Japan in December 2022, grossing over one billion yen.

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Summer Days Cannot Come Any Sooner with Coo

Summer Days Blu-ray CaseBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Available now on Shout! Factory or AmazonCoo

Winter’s grasp may well still be upon us in certain parts of the world, but thankfully, spending (or rather, watching) Summer Days with Coo (河童のクゥと夏休み) is an option.

This anime not only gives us a heartwarming comedy drama between Kōichi Uehara, a young boy having an awkward time in school, but also looks at the life of a kappa, nicknamed Coo, who is a stranger in a strange land. Unlike those prankster frog-like spirits of lore, these creatures are very friendly towards humans. They don’t hate them unless threatened. The cute character designs in this anime suggest they are simple country folk.

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[Fantasia 2019] Akane’s in Wonderland, A Movie Review

Akane's in Wonderland Movie PosterAkane’s (Mayu Matsuoka) life may seem boring, if not downright depressing in Keiichi Hara‘s The Wonderland (バースデー・ワンダーランド). Her birthday is coming up and she should be happy. When she’s asked to visit Aunt Chii (Anne Watanabe) on the other side of town just to pick up her own celebratory gift, it’s a safe bet her world is going to be turned upside down. The tones this film borrows from Lewis Carroll’s work cannot go unnoticed.

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