This December, Indian anime fans have one reason to rejoice! Anime streaming platform Crunchyroll is debuting Makoto Shinkai’s celebrated film collection. All the eight films of the Japanese filmmaker will stream exclusively on Crunchyroll.
This curated collection spans his most acclaimed titles — from global blockbusters to poetic early masterpieces.
Renowned for their visually breathtaking worlds and emotionally resonant narratives, Shinkai’s films explore themes of destiny, love, connection, and time — resonating with audiences across generations. The collection encompasses sweeping romances, reflective coming-of-age journeys, and deeply human stories that have captivated millions worldwide.
Starting 4 December, Indian anime fans can stream:
Suzume (2022)
The synopsis reads: Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu (located in southwestern Japan) when she encounters a young man who tells her, “I’m looking for a door.” What Suzume finds is a single weathered door standing upright in the midst of ruins as though it was shielded from whatever catastrophe struck. Seemingly drawn by its power, Suzume reaches for the knob… Doors begin to open one after another all across Japan, unleashing destruction upon any who are near. Suzume must close these portals to
prevent further disaster.
—The stars, then sunset, and the morning sky.
Within that realm, it was as though all time had melted together in the sky…
Never-before-seen scenery, encounters and farewells… A myriad of challenges await her on her journey. Despite all the obstacles in her way, Suzume’s adventure shines a ray of hope upon our own struggles against the toughest roads of anxiety and constraints that make up everyday life. This story of closing doors that connect our past to the present and future will leave a lasting impression upon all of our hearts. Drawn in by these mysterious doors, Suzume’s journey is about to begin.
Weathering With You (2019)
The synopsis reads: First year of high school, summer. Hodaka runs away from his home on an outlying island to come to Tokyo. He falls into poverty quickly, but after many days of solitude, at last finds work as a freelance writer for a dubious occult magazine.
Rain falls day after day, as if taking its cue from his life. One day, though, Hodaka meets a girl in one corner of the hustle and bustle of the big city. Hina is a cheerful, strong-willed girl who lives alone with her little brother due to certain circumstances. She also has a strange power.
“Hey, it’s gonna clear up now.”
Little by little, the rain stops and the cityscape gives off a beautiful glow. For Hina has the power to make the sky clear just by praying…
Your Name (2016)
The synopsis reads: As a millennial comet was approaching Japan, Mitsuha, a high school girl living in a small countryside village, was a melancholy adolescent.
In the prime of her youth, Mitsuha dreamed of living in the big city. One day, however, she dreams that she had become a boy, living in the midst of Tokyo’s sprawling metropolis.
Unnerved but excited by her new surroundings, she relishes in the city life she had so longed for. At the same time, Taki, a high school boy living in Tokyo, also had a strange dream. He had become a high school-age girl, living in a mountainside village he had never been to.
What mysterious force is behind these two dreams? Two interwoven destinies, of two whose paths shall never cross. Experience the tale of a miracle that befalls a boy and a girl…!
The Garden of Words (2013)
The synopsis reads: When Takao, a high school student dreaming of becoming a shoemaker, skips school to sketch shoes in a rainy garden, he has no idea how much his life will change when he encounters the mysterious Yukino. The two strike up an unusual relationship through chance meetings in the same garden on each rainy day. But the rainy season is coming to a close, leaving many things left unshared between them…
Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)
The synopsis reads: One day, a girl named Asuna hears a mysterious song on her crystal radio, a memento of her father. She is never able to forget it, as it sounded almost like someone’s very heart itself made into song. On the way to her favourite mountain hideout, she is attacked by strange beast and it saved by young man named Shun. Coming from a faraway land called “Agartha”, he tells her he came to the surface because he wanted to meet someone, and had something he wanted to see. The two begin to open their hearts to each other, but Shun suddenly disappears and Asuna is not able to find him.
5 Centimeters per Second (2007)
The synopsis reads: After transferring to the same elementary school, Takaki and Akari became best friends. However, their lives change when the families ofboth are forced to relocate.
After a year of separation, Takaki is about to reunite with Akari. As he sits on the train from Tokyo, memories of the past rush through Takaki’s head, his meeting time with Akari drawing ever closer.
Takaki and Akari begin to wonder if they will ever be able to see each other again, and share their secret feelings. Join Takaki on a journey into three interconnected tales of love and lost innocence that span the
minutes and months of their lives.
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2003)
The synopsis reads: In an alternate timeline, post-World War II Japan has been divided and occupied by two rival powers. Hokkaido has been annexed by the “Union” while Honshu and the other southern islands have come under U.S. occupation. Hiroki, Takuya and Sayuri are two young boys and a girl living in Aomori, the closest province in Honshu to Hokkaido.
These three young classmates become fascinated by the gigantic yet mysterious tower that they see across the Tsugaru Strait, promisingthat one day they will build and fly an aircraft to the tower to unravel
its mystery. However, their project is abandoned after the disappearance of Sayuri. Three years later, Hiroki finds out that Sayuri had been in a coma for the past three years, and asks Takuya to help him find a way to revive her. What they don’t know yet is that Sayuri’s unconsciousness is somehow linked to the secrets of the Union tower…
Voices of a Distant Star (2002)
The synopsis reads: Middle school students Mikako Nagamine and Noboru Terao are close friends and members of the same club activities. But in the summer of 2046, Mikako tells Noboru that she has been chosen as a Select Member of the United Nations Space Army. Mikako leaves Earth in the winter of 2047, while Noboru goes on to high school in Japan. Separated by space, the two try to stay in touch by mobile mail. However, as Mikako goes farther out in the solar system on board the Lysithea spaceship, it takes increasingly longer for each to receive the other’s mail. Noboru stays on Earth, frustrated by his situation and resigned to the fact that he can only wait for Mikako’s emails. As time goes by, the Lysithea fleet approaches a time warp, a situation that make both Mikako and Noboru acutely aware of the time gap separating them.
