Makoto Niitsu (新津 誠, Niitsu Makoto), known as Makoto Shinkai (新海 誠, Shinkai Makoto) is a Japanese animation director, author, and manga artist. Shinkai began his career as a video game animator with Nihon Falcom in 1996, and gained recognition as a filmmaker with the release of the original video animation (OVA) She and Her Cat (1999). Beginning his longstanding association with CoMix Wave Films, Shinkai then released the science-fiction OVA Voices of a Distant Star in 2002, and followed this wi
Takahata's 'Grave of the Fireflies' taught me that animation could tackle such serious and dramatic themes, showing the true potential of the medium.