Against all odds, a promise will be kept.|Nov. 20, 2004|Japan|91 Min.|TV-PG
Genre: Adventure;Animation;Drama;Romance;Science;Fiction
Description: In 1945, following Japan’s division, the northern island of Hokkaido, referred to as Ezo in the anime, falls under the control of the “Union,” representing the Soviet Union. By 1974, the Union initiates the construction of a mysterious tower on Hokkaido, led by scientist Ekusun Tsukinoe. The story revolves around three friends from Aomori in northern Japan: Hiroki Fujisawa, Takuya Shirakawa, both gifted children, and Sayuri Sawatari. In 1996, during their final year of middle school, the trio becomes captivated by the Hokkaido Tower, visible across the Tsugaru Strait. Sayuri forms a close bond with the two boys. After discovering a crashed drone plane from the Maritime Self-Defense Force, they begin rebuilding it with the help of their boss, Mr. Okabe, at a military plant. Together, they vow to one day fly to Hokkaido to visit the Tower. However, their plans are disrupted when Sayuri inexplicably vanishes that summer.
Three years later, Hiroki and Takuya have drifted apart, abandoning their work on the plane due to the emotional toll of Sayuri’s disappearance. Takuya is now a physicist at a facility supported by the United States’ National Security Agency, researching parallel universes alongside Ms. Maki Kasahara under Professor Tomizawa’s guidance. They discover that the Hokkaido Tower, operational since 1996, replaces matter within a 2-km radius with matter from alternate universes, though the purpose remains unclear. Takuya becomes involved with the Uilta Liberation Front after learning that Mr. Okabe leads the organization.
Meanwhile, Sayuri has been hospitalized for three years, suffering from severe narcolepsy and spending most of her time in a deep sleep. Her consciousness is trapped in an uninhabited parallel universe, leaving her isolated. Professor Tomizawa uncovers her connection to the Union’s research on parallel universes and the enigmatic Hokkaido Tower.
Cast director: Makoto Shinkai
Cast actor: Hidetaka Yoshioka, Masato Hagiwara, Yuuka Nanri, Unsho Ishizuka, Kazuhiko Inoue, Risa Mizuno, Hidenobu Kiuchi, Masami Iwasaki, Eiji Takemoto, Takahiro Hirano
Original name: 雲のむこう、約束の場所