Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.
Miyazaki's quasi-biographical meditation on creativity, ambition, and moral compromise is unlike anything else in animated cinema — a restrained, melancholy adult film that trades action for reverie. The cinematography and visual imagination are extraordinary: wind-swept fields, dreamed aeronautical visions, and the catastrophic Kanto earthquake rendered with breathtaking artistry. Novelty is very high — this is a singular, auteur-driven farewell statement that defies animation conventions entirely. The plot is episodic and deliberately elliptical, which divides audiences but suits its impressionistic aims; it earns a solid 3 rather than higher due to its loose structure and some emotional distance from supporting characters. The voice performances (Japanese cast) are nuanced and understated, fitting the film's tone well. The ending is quietly devastating but may feel abrupt or unresolved to some viewers, keeping it at a 3 rather than a 4.