Hiroyasu Ishida’s first feature-length animation Penguin Highway releases in US theaters Friday
Starting tomorrow, Japanese animation will welcome a rising star as Hiroyasu Ishida’s first feature-length animation Penguin Highway Releases in US theaters.
Reflecting the youthful innocents of Studio Ghibli films and the fantastical color schemes of Mamoru Hosoda’s Mirai and Wolf Children, Penguin Highway–directed by Hiroyasu Ishida–has at last waddled its way to the U.S. big screen. This is Ishida’s first feature-length animation, having specialized before in short films that appeared to be birthed straight out of childhood imagination. But while Penguin Highway emanates qualities likened to the greats, it has an dream-like flare all its own.
Penguin Highway officially launches into its state-side premier tomorrow, April 12 and will be showing at select theaters across the country until Saturday April 27. The story, derived from Tomohiko Morimi’s 2010 novel of the same name, centers around a fourth grader named Aoyama-kun (voice by Kana Kita) and his investigation into the mysterious, and sudden, appearances of penguins in his local village.
The young boy, who is somewhat of a headstrong genius, lives his life-like a scientists, constantly hypothesizing the unknown in his otherwise sleepy town. Towards the end of the school year, Aoyama-kun’s inquisitive mind makes a connection with his new penguin neighbors and a mysterious power coming from a young woman working at a nearby dental clinic.
While the story, distributed by Eleven Arts and Studio Colorido, is very much a coming-of-age tale, especially since Aoyama-kun’s romantic emotions have honed in on the much older Onê-san (voiced by Yû Aoi), the backbone of Penguin Highway seems to be the strength and magic of innocent curiosity.
It might seem like a simple, albeit bizarre, idea for an anime premise–a large mass of penguins migrating to a town where nothing unusual ever happens. But its these seemingly random adventures that have led audiences to much deeper messages in Ishida’s past works.
Never exceeding more than 20 minutes, Ishida’s previous stories–from Rain Town to Sonny Boy & Dewdrop Girl–all focus on the adventures of young elementary school children. Ishida was most recognized for his short film Fumiko’s Confession in 2009 and one of his famous short films, Paulette’s Chair, illustrates a young girl’s ability to rise above peer rejection, embarking on wild adventures with an animated chair.
Whether the script is diving into the mindset of a first crush rejection or imagination sparked from simply looking into the window of a toy store, there’s always something more to Ishida’s films than what meets the eye. Perhaps, similar to an animated chair or a teddy bear that can fly, these penguins in Penguin Highway are a means to teach Aoyama-kun something about himself that he can’t measure in a test tube or calculate in a notebook. Either way, this may just be the film that puts Ishida into the spotlight as a rising star in the world of animation.
Penguin Highway will also be Studio Colorido’s first animated feature release. The film’s artist Yojiro Arai, a former Ghibli designer, founded Studio Colorido with Ishida in 2011 and this movie is very much their colorful and charismatic debut. And Penguin Highway certainly seems to be gaining a lot of favorable attention from critics.
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The Santa Fe Reporter called the film’s “mishmash of sci-fi weirdness” and its “grounded young-adult tale” adorable, well-crafted and moving all at once. The review also pays special tribute to Penguin Highway’s triumph in its “razor-sharp wit,” which is always a sought-after trait in children’s animation.
Responding to Penguin Highway’s more mature, serious notes, The Japan Times stated Ishida “finds a nice balance between penguin action and more contemplative character moments,” and that the release of Penguin Highway will “no doubt inspire a round of ‘Could these guys be the next Ghibli?'”
In addition to the film’s glossy beauty, the potential Penguin Highway has to make its mark in the entertainment world is something all American anime fans can certainly look forward to this month.
To purchase tickets for Penguin Highway’s upcoming showtimes, visit Fandango.