Good news, everybody! Shout! Factory and Funimation Films have joined forces to jointly distribute the animated feature IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD on August 11, 2017. Written and directed by Sunao Katabuchi, the film is based on the award-winning Japanese manga by Fumiyo Kouno and will be produced by Genco and Mappa studios.
IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD is staged as a coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of WWII about the power of the human spirit. The story follows a young lady named Suzu Urano, who moves in 1944 to the small town of Kure in Hiroshima to live with her husband’s family. Suzu’s life is thrown into chaos when her town is bombed. Her perseverance and courage underpin the challenges faced by the Japanese in the midst of a violent, war-torn country and proves that even in the face of adversity and loss, people can come together and rebuild their lives. When released, the film will be presented with both Japanese and English subtitles under a PG-13 rating.
Producing the film will be Taro Maki and Masao Maruyama, who will work from a script penned by Katabuchi, a close friend and former co-worker of anime legend Hayao Miyazaki. IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD will feature a refreshing hand-drawn art style and has already received accolades such as winning the Animation of the Year award during this year’s 40th Japan Academy Prize.
While speaking about her affinity for the film, Melissa Boag, Shout’s SVP Kids & Family Entertainment said, “In This Corner of the World is an incredibly exquisite, artful and socially relevant film that will impact everyone who sees it. We’re really proud in presenting this remarkable, hand-drawn animated film to North American movie audience. Funimation Films has a great track record in launching prominent international animated movies across cinemas in North America.”
Funimation Films is responsible for presenting an incredible amount of top-tier anime such as: THE BOY AND THE BEAST, PSYCHO-PASS: THE MOVIE, ORIGIN: SPIRITS OF THE PAST, as well as several FULL METAL ALCHEMIST films. Personally, I can't recommend THE BOY AND THE BEAST ENOUGH. I watched that film about a month ago, and although it's a bit of a slow burn, it really delivers in the end with some hard-hitting action and feels.
IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD is set to arrive on August 11, 2017.