Studio Ghibli’s output has decreased significantly as Hayao Miyazaki has dedicated himself to working on his final filmHow Do You Live?Meanwhile, many former Ghibli animators formed Studio Ponoc after Ghibli’s output decreased. Now, Studio Ponoc has released a trailer of its next film,The Imaginary, which seeks to recapture that Ghibli magic.
Studio Ponoc released its debut feature film,Mary and the Witch’s Flower, to critical and commercial success in 2017. Since then, the studio has releasedModest Heroes, a 2018 collection of three short films, which was another success for Studio Ponoc. Since then, the feature anime competition has grown dramatically withMamoru Hosoda’s Studio Chizu, Masaaki Yuasa’s Science Saru, Studio Colorido, and the producers of popular Shonen anime series all providing strong feature films to anime fans throughout the last few years.
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The Imaginaryis based on the 2014 novel of the same name by author A.F. Harrold and illustrator Emily Gravett. The story follows an invisible boy named Rudger born from the imagination of a young girl. Rudger lives in a world of imaginary beings that can live among each other and be eaten by each other. Specific plot details about the film have not been revealed at this time.
The Imaginaryis directed by industry veteran Yoshiyuki Momose. During his time working forStudio Ghibli, Momose storyboarded and animated on films likeGrave of the FirefliesandPrincess Mononoke.At Ponoc, he has so far directed the “Life Ain’t Gonna Lose” segment inModest Heroesas well as Ponoc’sTomorrow’s Leavesshort film commissioned bythe 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In addition, Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura will be producing the film.
Studio Ghibli is known by anime and film fans everywhere as one of the most prolific animation companies in the world. The studio responsible for a slew of classics includingKiki’s Delivery Service,My Neighbor Totoro,Spirited Away, andThe Tale of Princess Kaguya.
Studio Ponoc’sThe Imaginaryis another exciting addition to an industry-wide slate of upcoming anime features. 2022 alone houses an anime feature slate that includesThe Deer King,Inu-Oh, andDragon Ball Super: Super Hero, among others. But with its focus on Ghibliesque majesty as well as its applicable source material,The Imaginarylooks to be a film more than capable of carving out an audience for itself and pushing the spirit ofStudio Ghiblifilms forward.
