Akihiko Yamashita
Thirty years after a disease that turns the infected into carnivorous insects emerged, a young exterminator and a teenage girl search for her mother.
From director Hiromasa Yonebayashi: “Kanini & Kanino”; “Life Ain’t Gonna Lose” directed by Yoshiyuki Momose; and “Invisible” directed by Akihiko Yamashita. These leaders of animation draw tales of modest heroes of our times.
A salaryman is not only invisible but also needs to hold on to a heavy weight to stay on the ground. Throughout one day, he is always ignored by everyone else, and he nearly floats away when he loses the fire extinguisher he uses to hold himself down. But then a blind man speaks to him, making him feel better about himself. The invisible man then suddenly has an opportunity to be a hero.
Mary Smith, a young girl who lives with her great-aunt in the countryside, follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest where she finds a strange flower and an old broom, none of which is as ordinary as it seems.
Upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside due to an illness, an emotionally distant adolescent girl becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and infatuated with a girl who lives there - a girl who may or may not be real.
A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.
A group of Yokohama students fight to save their school's clubhouse from the wrecking ball during preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. While working there, Umi and Shun gradually attract each other, but face a sudden trial. Even so, they keep going without fleeing the difficulties of reality.
Chu Zumo is the story of an old farmer who discovers a group of rats heading to a sumo wrestling bout. After they lose miserably he decides to feed the rats to boost their chances of winning.
Something bizarre has come over the land. The kingdom is deteriorating. People are beginning to act strange... What's even more strange is that people are beginning to see dragons, which shouldn't enter the world of humans. Due to all these bizarre events, Ged, a wandering wizard, is investigating the cause. During his journey, he meets Prince Arren, a young distraught teenage boy. While Arren may look like a shy young teen, he has a severe dark side, which grants him strength, hatred, ruthlessness and has no mercy, especially when it comes to protecting Teru. For the witch Kumo this is a perfect opportunity. She can use the boy's "fears" against the very one who would help him, Ged.
A story set in the mid-1800's about a young doctor who has been trained in Western-style medicine and a young samurai who is trying to live up to the old traditions of his class and culture. The story is actually based upon real people - the doctor, Ryo-an, was Tezuka's great grandfather. The manga series was adapted to anime by Madhouse Studios and premiered in Japan on NTV on April 4, 2000.
Princess Nine, or Princess Nine Kisaragi Girls High Baseball Club, is a 26-episode Japanese anime which concerns the trials of nine girls at the Kisaragi School for Girls who form a baseball team for the purpose of playing on equal footing with boys' teams at the most prestigious high school tournament in Japan, The National High School Baseball Championship. Their aim to qualify for, and ultimately to win, the final rounds of the tournament which is held each year at the Koshien Stadium. They are led by ace pitcher, Ryo Hayakawa, a daughter of a former rising pitching star in Japan.
Towards the end of the 20th century, Japan becomes the preeminent world power. As a result, terrorist organizations begin to target the country in hopes of destabilizing world politics. One of the most dangerous is the Red May, an organization dedicated to the spread of Communism. To counter the increasing violence, the government sets up a splinter cell of crackshots: the Special Security Force, who has just gained a new member in the form of the tough-as-nails Angel. She and the rest of the S.S.F. must deal with the Red May and a mysterious outside force with its own objectives.
The planet Libertia was once known as “the planet of death”, until humanity built three giant mirrors and created what seemed like an ideal land. It is on this planet that Professor Grace and his granddaughter Alcia live peacefully… until their home is attacked by Guild soldiers looking for the professor and for Legaciam – a special Armor that can resist extreme heat, allowing it to go to areas where humans would not survive normally. Alcia, who was at the time piloting Legaciam in order to help her grandfather with the testing, manages to get away… barely. But the Guild is determined to get Legaciam by any means necessary...
