kazetachinu_poster

In case you needed another reason to hope the world doesn’t end on December 21, Studio Ghibli has officially announced it will release two new films on the same day in summer 2013.

The first film is Kaze Tachinu (“The Wind Rises”) and tells the story of of Jiro Horikoshi, the cheif engineer of the Zero fighter plane used by Japan in World War II. It is being directed by acclaimed animator Hayao Miyazaki, his first theatrical release since Ponyo in 2008.

The first official poster for Kaze Tachinu (above) carries the tagline: “We must endeavor to live”. It is also written that the film is in honor of Jiro Horikoshi and Tatsuo Hori, an early 20th century Japanese writer and poet who authored a novel that shares the same name as the film.

The second film is Kaguya-Hime no Monogatari (“The Tale of Princess Kaguya”), based on the popular Japanese folk story ‘The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter‘. It is being directed by Isao Takahata, who is best known for writing and directing Grave of the Fireflies.

kaguyahime_poster

The film will be in the style of classical Japanese picture scrolls and is about Kaguya-hime, a thumb-sized baby girl found sleeping in a mysterious, glowing stalk of bamboo. While it sounds all very lighthearted and magical, the poster tagline, “The Princess’ Crime and Punishment”, suggests a darker tone.

Both films will be released nationwide on the same day in summer 2013.

Source: IT News, Kaze Tachinu, Kaguya-Hime no Monogatari
Top image:（C）2013 二馬力・GNDHDDTK   Inset images:（C）2013 畑事務所・GNDHDDTK