Anime fans, how are we feeling? It’s only the start of the year so that just means there are still loads of things and events to look forward to. And one of the things that we should be looking forward to is the release of a handful of Japanese animated films in the following months.
Here are 5 Japanese animated films that you should be hyped about this year:
Drifting Home
Directed by Hiroyasu Ishida and produced by Studio Colorido which produced other animated films such as A Whisker Away and Burn the Witch, Drifting Home is set to be released on Netflix though the airing date is yet to be announced.
Drifting Home revolves around two childhood friends, Natsume and Kosuke, as they encounter a mystifying phenomenon while they witness the entirety of their home taken away from them by a large body of water, wondering if they will ever get to go back to the way things were before.
Suzume No Tojimari (Suzume’s Locking-Up)
Makoto Shinkai, known for his popular animated films such as Your Name and Weathering with You, has got anime fans excited because this year, Suzume No Tojimari is all set to be released.
The film centers on Suzume, a 17-year-old girl, and how she navigates the town along with a mysterious boy as they were met with the sudden surfacing of ‘doors’ that spatter calamities or disasters all over Japan.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as A Slime
This next film is for all fantasy-comedy genre lovers out there! That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is also ready to be released this year.
The anime series and its manga has been well-loved by fans for its “quirkiness” and how light it is (at most times), so it’s safe to say that it’s one of the films to be thrilled about.
The premise of The Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is about – well, how Satoru Mikami inevitably dies and suddenly turns into a slime. Quite literally.
Jujutsu Kaisen 0
Rumor has it that if you shout “Jujutsu Kaisen!” in a crowd full of people, a good half of them are going to cheer. Just kidding! But that’s just to show how insanely popular the anime is. When Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was released in its home country, Japan, last year, it quickly became a blockbuster film, earning more or less $80 million.
For its overseas release this year, the film is expected to earn more because there are succinctly a lot of international fans who have been obsessed with the anime series.
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 centers on Yuta, a boy who diligently trains to sharpen his skills, when his deceased friend has constantly troubled him.
The film was released in Japan on December 24, 2021, but its western release is set for March 2022.
One Piece Film: Red
Ah, yes. One Piece. That’s our whole childhood right there. One Piece: Red – once it’s out for international fans this year – is going to be the 15th out of all the movies that the anime has ever released.
One Piece: Red has released a teaser, but the plot is still vague; though fans are speculating that Shanks – one of the anime’s protagonists – will have a significant role in the movie.
The anime film is expected to be out on August 6, 2022.
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