
The Place Promised In Our Early Days (Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho) (2004) (Japan) 

Director: Shinkai Makoto

It garnered the Best Animation Film for Mainichi Film Awards 2005

Yup, it is the director who did Voices of a Distant Star ...


My thoughts:
-- Like most Japanese films, the film describes human relationships very well ... and it manages to let the audience feel for the characters by the end ... 
-- And like many Japanese films, there is always that melancholic mood amidst some humor ... the beginning lines have set the tone for the entire film ... 
-- Also, it is often philosophical ... about love, about friendship, about reality and dreams, about peace, about the world beyond and the world of the unknown, etc ...
-- There are many scenes that look very beautiful ... go watch ... ... I especially like the one where all of them are in the water ...
-- The song at the end was very nice and meaningful too ...
-- They subtitled everything, including the signboards, notices, etc ... of course some people may find it unnecessary or too distracting ... but I find it okay ... Also, when more than one person is speaking at the same time, they had 2 rows of subtitles ... "yellow" and "white" ...

What could be better ...
-- Due to (i) the nonlinear narration and (ii) the fact that reality and dreams are intertwined, some audience may find it confusing initially ... but along the way, they should be able to figure it out ... 
-- The "fading to dark" transitions are plentiful such that the "smoothness" may feel less than perfect ... 

Conclusion:
Worth watching ...