Makoto Shinkai is a director who has pretty much established his name and fame in Japan and overseas. Shinkai movies are a brand by themselves, and the director has served hits like Your Name, Weathering With You, Suzume, and more. Thus, it is pretty inconceivable to think that he could be jealous of someone from the same industry.

Yet, Shinkai is definitely jealous of Naoko Yamada, the director of A Silent Voice. Surprisingly enough, A Silent Voice isn’t the object of his desire and jealousy but a completely different series that most mainstream anime lovers might have never even heard of.

Makoto Shinkai Could Not Contain His Jealousy Towards a Director

Naoko Yamada has directed anime movies like A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue Bird, The Colors Within, and more. She has also directed anime series like The Tamako Market, K-On!, and The Heike Story. Almost all of her directorial works have achieved fame and praise from fans and critics. Shinkai first became acquainted with her works after watching the 2009 anime, K-On!

K-On! is a heartwarming tale of three imperfect yet relatable girls who start their own band. The anime depicts their friendship and moments from their lives, as well as the simple joy of youth. It is all about enjoying the present moment, and the light comedy in it is perfect for a comfort watch.

Related: “The things that I like are different”: Naoko Yamada Has a Cardinal Rule for Her Works That She Will Never Break to Push the Envelope of Anime

In an interview with Eiga, Makoto Shinkai stated how K-On! was a huge hit because of its refreshing tale and the fun and enjoyment it offered. The cuteness of the series was such a shock to him that he thought to himself:

I hope it’s made by someone far away from me, someone with a different career or generation. If it was made by someone with completely different attributes than me, I might be able to tolerate it, but my first impression was that I would be extremely jealous of the talent itself.-Makoto Shinkai

Clearly, Shinkai became an immediate fan of Yamada’s unique way of storytelling. The way the characters interacted and played off one another was a striking feature to the Your Name creator.

Naoko Yamada Is Also Inspired by Shinkai’s Works

Shinkai’s works have inspired plenty of animators | Credits: CoMix Wave Films

In the interview conducted by Eiga, Yamada was also present and well aware of Shinkai’s feelings towards her works. She herself stated that Shinkai was actually a wall in the industry that was difficult to overcome. According to her, his influence is so vast that one cannot escape it, no matter what.

She even revealed that when she discusses with her staff about how the world in a series or movie should look like, and the concepts of Shinkai’s works always came up. If she wants to create a beautiful sky or a picture that is conscious of the lens, it is always the lens of Shinkai that they had to look through.

Yamada further admitted that there is a collection of Shinkai’s paintings on the work desks of the people she had worked with. It’s almost like Shinkai is a compulsory chapter in the book of the anime industry that no one can escape. Thus, both creators admire each other to no end and have taken inspiration from each other’s works.

K-On! anime is currently available to stream on HIDIVE.
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