Makoto Shinkai (Makoto Niitsu) is a famous writer, producer, animator, voice actor, cartoonist, and film director, whose creations never go unnoticed from his first short film to his first feature film, the admiration for his works still growing around the world. Kimi No Nawa, Tenki No Ko, and Hoshi O Ou Kodomo are some of his works where people can clearly appreciate the reason for Shinkai’s growing fame: high-quality plots, characters, animation, and, sometimes, a vivid reference to Hayao Miyazaki's work, but in a very original and personal way.
Full of different types of feelings, Makoto Shinkai makes possible the expression of feelings that are normally not easily expressible, making each character evolve progressively as the plot progresses, relating them directly and indirectly with the essence of the movie. A clear reference to the work of Hayao Miyazaki can be seen in his characters, like Shin (Hoshi Wo Ou Kodomo) and Prince Ashitaka (Princess Mononoke): the parting, haircut, and the horse that looks like.
Starry blue skies, beautiful landscapes, the plot, and every character, show off the hard work behind his movies.
From the purity of the feelings that a cat feels towards its owner reflected in Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko, where the love of a cat for his human mom can melt everybody’s heart; to Dareka No Manazashi, that shows how the love of a pet can reunite a separated family.
However, Makoto Shinkai’s big win lands with Kimi No Nawa and Tenkin No Ko’s animation, both based on ancient Asian mythology. With the first one, we have the legend of The Red Thread Of Fate, and with the second one, the legend of Amaterasu.
By the way, as another reference, The Red Thread Of Fate from Chinese mythology is commonly thought of as an invisible red cord around the little finger of those who are destined to be together as a couple, united by destiny as true lovers, being the color red a symbol of good fortune. On the other hand, the legend of Amaterasu, deeply connected in the anime movie Tenki No Ko with the Torii (a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto Shrine, which symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to sacred, being a portal to a sacred).
The goddess of sun and light (Amateratsu) is one of the most important goddesses in the Shinto religion, a so-called direct ancestor of the Japanese imperial family. According to the legend, she was once very mad at her brother, deciding to lock herself in a cave, leaving the entire world in the darkness. To get her out of her captivity, the other gods used various types of strategies, like celebrating a dance party for her. Until she comes up, a cockerel was put on a perch in front of the cave and the gods made it crown to fool Amaterasu into thinking it had become dawn without her. The trap worked perfectly, and Amaterasu came out of the cave, so the other gods were able to seal it behind her, and the world started to shine in the light again.
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