The list of animated movies submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a potential Oscar nomination was revealed in the morning hours of October 16th and among them are four movies from Japan: Children of the Sea, Promare, Okko’s Inn, and Weathering With You. I should note that these movies are only being considered at this point. Official nominations will be made public on January 13th, and they will award trophies in February.
Children of the Sea is a movie with animation produced by Studio 4 °C and directed by Ayumu Watanabe. Based on the manga created by Daisuke Igarashi, the story for this one follows a young girl named Ruka who is having a hard time with both her family and club members at school. To escape from her troubles, she visits the aquarium where her father works and meets a pair of brothers who change her life forever.
Promare is the newest feature from Studio Trigger and was released to theaters in the west earlier this year by GKids. The company describes the story as:
Thirty years has passed since the appearance of the Burnish, a race of flame-wielding mutant beings, who destroyed half of the world with fire. When a new group of aggressive mutants calling themselves Mad Burnish appears, the epic battle between Galo Thymos, a new member of the anti-Burnish rescue team Burning Rescue, and Lio Fotia, the leader of Mad Burnish begins.
Okko’s Inn is the second movie licensed by GKids which has a chance at winning the gold. Animated by famed studio Madhouse and directed by Kitaro Kosaka, they describe the story as:
After losing her parents in a car accident, Okko goes to live in the countryside with her grandmother, who runs a traditional Japanese inn built on top of an ancient spring said to have healing waters. While she goes about her chores and prepares to become the inn’s next caretaker, Okko discovers there are spirits who live there that only she can see – not scary ones, but welcoming ghosts who keep her company, play games and help her navigate her new environment. The inn’s motto is that it welcomes all and will reject none, and this is soon put to the test as a string of new guests challenge Okko’s ability to be a gracious host. But ultimately Okko discovers that dedicating herself to others becomes the key to taking care of herself.
The final anime movie to be submitted for Oscar consideration is another GKids licensed title, Weathering With You from famed director Makoto Shinkai which is scheduled to hit theaters in the west starting on January 17th, 2020. They describe the story as follows:
The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits. The weather is unusually gloomy and rainy every day, as if to suggest his future. He lives his days in isolation, but finally finds work as a writer for a mysterious occult magazine. Then one day, Hodaka meets Hina on a busy street corner. This bright and strong-willed girl possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky…
All of these movies are worthy of nomination, but time will tell if the Academy decides to show some love to all (or any) of them.
Source: Deadline
