One of the biggest hits of all time, the film Your Name. is a masterpiece of Japanese animated cinema. We learned today that its producer risks a long prison sentence.
A very serious crime
Released in 2016, the animated film Your Name. is a huge success. Directed by Makoto Shinkai, to whom we owe, among other masterpieces Journey to Agartha et Suzume, the feature film tells the story of young high school students who live in each other’s shoes. Very poetic and particularly well directed, the film won numerous awards and was one of the biggest successes at the Japanese box office. With 19 million admissions, it is in third place among the biggest Japanese animated films behind Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki (second place) and Demon Slayer: The Infinity Train (first place).
Further consecrating Makoto Shinkai’s position as Hayao Miyazaki’s potential heir, Your Name. to be the subject of a live-action adaptation by Hollywood. After several line-up changes, it is currently Carlos López Estrada – the director of Raya and the Last Dragon – who takes care of writing and carrying out the project. He replaces Marc Webb at short notice (The Amazing Spider-Man) because Lee Isaac Chung (to the pain). On the Japanese side, things are less idyllic… Indeed, producer Kōichirō Itō is currently on trial for paying a high school girl for sexual services and asking another high school girl to send him nude photos.
The prosecutor, who claims that Mr. Itō sent money to around a hundred women to have sexual relations with them and filmed the actsrequires six years of imprisonment with hard labor. The producer of Your Name. is now awaiting the verdict, which will be pronounced on February 28. Close collaborator of Makoto Shinkai, for whom he produced numerous films, Kōichirō Itō was arrested in February 2024 for child pornography. In the process, the filmmaker posted a press release in which he expressed his surprise and disappointment.
I was very shocked to learn on the news of the arrest of a person involved in the production of my films. First of all, I would like to express my most sincere thoughts to the victims. I’m also sorry for causing worry to everyone who loves and supports my work. I personally believe that the value of the work will not be tainted by this recent incident, but I think it is very normal to be incredulous. This situation is very frustrating, and very sad.
See you at the end of February to find out the end of this dark story. If this article interested you, we encourage you to discover this other great film by Makoto Shinkai which will soon be adapted into live-action.
Source: hitek.fr
