Do you love Anime?

Good news! The Reel Anime showcase is returning in 2012. This year, a selection of four new anime films will be screened around Australia in September, showcasing the best of Japan's greatest export*.

If you're a fan of Reel Anime, you'll remember the 2008 and 2010 showcases - which featured Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars.

This year the four films are From Up On Poppy Hill, the latest from the Academy Award-winning Studio Ghibli; Wolf Children, from Mamoru Hosoda, critically-acclaimed director of Summer Wars; Berserk – The Egg of the King, the action-packed first feature film in a brand-new trilogy, based on the best-selling manga and anime series, Berzerk; and Children Who Chase Lost Voices, a visually stunning adventure film from cult director Makoto Shinkai (Voices of a Distant Star, 5 Centimetres Per Second).

For purists - rest easy. All the films will be screened in Japanese language with English subtitles.

2012 marks the first time that a Studio Ghibli film features in Reel Anime, and this year looks to be quite the cross section of genres and styles. Studio Ghibli is often referred to as the ‘Disney of the East’. Their films include Spirited Away (Academy Award-winner for Best Animated Feature Film), Howl’s Moving Castle and Arrietty.

If you're serious about your anime, best make a note in your diary.



From Up On Poppy Hill


Here's a bit more about the films:

FROM UP ON POPPY HILL
Set in Yokohama, From Up On Poppy Hill is a high school love story that takes place in the year before the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. As the country begins to pick itself up from the devastation of the Second World War, the new generation struggles to move towards a prosperous future whilst trying not to lose the essence of their past. The film’s rich and vibrant animation captures the entrancing beauty of Yokohama’s harbour and lush surrounding hillsides and, with a soundtrack that draws inspiration from the finest music of the time, perfectly captures the thrills of young romance and the hope of a new dawn.
 

WOLF CHILDREN
When Hana falls in love, it feels like a fairy tale. She starts a family and produces two beautiful children - Yuki (Snow), a girl, and Ame (Rain), a boy. But the family harbours a secret – their father is a ‘Wolf-Man’, half human and half wolf, and has passed his affliction on to his children. The family try to reside discreetly in a quiet corner of the city, but their joyful life is shattered when their father passes away. To live peacefully, Hana must make the difficult decision to move Yuki and Ame to a small town and surround them with nature.



Wolf Children


 
BERSERK – THE EGG OF THE KING
An epic action-adventure tale set against a dark, European-inspired medieval fantasy world, Berzerk – The Egg of the King follows the story of Guts, a lone mercenary renowned for his ferocity and unmatched in a fight - especially when armed with his imposing sword, a towering blade as tall as he. His destiny is to eventually become ‘The Black Swordsman’ and he will face untold horrors in battle.

In this first film from The Golden Age Arc trilogy, Guts' actions in combat capture the attention of Griffith, leader of the mercenary group ‘The Band of the Hawk’. Griffith soon moves to recruit Guts into their ranks, but despite a slew of victories and successes, Guts begins to questions Griffith's true purpose, whose ambition may lead them both to a horrible fate.
Based on Kentaro Miura's bestselling manga series - which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide - Berserk: The Golden Age Arc trilogy takes the franchise into a bold and exciting new direction, with cutting-edge animation, intricately detailed swordplay and a gripping storyline.

  
CHILDREN WHO CHASE LOST VOICES
Having lived a lonely life ever since her father’s passing, Asuna spends her days listening to the otherworldly sounds of a crystal radio, left to her as a memento. Exploring the mountains near her home, Asuna is attacked by a strange beast. A mysterious stranger steps in to save her life, however their acquaintance is tragically cut short when the boy is killed. But when Asuna discovers a gateway to another world, she is overjoyed at the prospect of seeing him again. Alongside a band of friends who hold feelings of hope for their lost ones, Asuna undertakes a journey into a land of legends.


*According to Anime fans. Actually transportation equipment, motor vehicles, electronics, electrical machinery and chemicals