Keiichi Hara was born in 1959 in Tatebayashi, Japan. He started his career in 1984 as an assistant director on the popular anime Doraemon. Adapted from the manga of the same name created by Fujiko Fujio, the series follows a robot cat who comes from the future to help young Nobi Nobita.
After this experience, Keiichi remains in the Doraemon manga world by directing 119 episodes of the anime La Malicieuse Kiki. The series aired in Japan in 1987-1989. It tells the story of Kiki, a 14-year-old girl with telepathic powers and psychokinesis. Note that the anime caused controversy in France due to controversial sequences. In them, Kiki posed naked for her father to earn pocket money.
These scenes were censored when the series aired in France. Keiichi Hara was then assigned to Crayon Shin-chan, a series he directed from 1996 to 2004. The anime follows the adventures of Shinosuke Nohara, a 5-year-old boy and his entourage. The director has also written ten films for Crayon Shin-chan and directed six of them.
An outstanding first film
The Tatebayashi native then turned to more personal independent film projects. The artist gained international recognition with the Japan Academy Prize in 2007 for Summer with the Turtle. This first-ever feature film follows the journey of Koichi, a young schoolboy in his fourth year of elementary school.
The latter finds a very strange stone in the dry bed of the river and brings it home. When he decides to wash this precious bowl, a strange animal comes out. Surprisingly, he is a kapa, a water spirit.
Hara continues after 3 years with Colorful. In this fantasy tale, a soul gets a second chance at life provided it learns from its mistakes. He is reborn in the body of Makoto, a 9th grader who has just ended his life. The spirit must endure the daily life of this sick teenager.
The work was awarded the Special Jury Prize and the Audience Prize at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in 2011. With Colorful, Keiichi Hara explores a topic that resonates deeply with him, depression and suicide among teenagers.
After 4 years, the Japanese once again showed their talent with Miss Hokusai. The film won many awards, including the Annie Award and the Jury Prize at the Annecy International Animation Festival in 2015.
Hokusai’s revelation
After fantasy stories, the filmmaker decides to tackle an animated biopic with this feature film. So paints a portrait of the famous Japanese artist Hokusai, accompanied by his daughter O-ei, a young independent woman who loves freedom.
Keiichi Hara also takes this freedom by living modestly in rural Japan, eschewing cell phones and the Internet. A filmmaker who admires classic Japanese film directors such as Yasujiro Ozu and Keisuke Kinoshita, however, does not take kindly to the legendary Hayao Miyazaki.
According to Hara, since he retired, all the best young animators want to work with him, and other directors have had a hard time finding manpower. Note that in 2013, Keiichi Hara made his only live-action film, Hajimari no michi, which was not released in France. It is a biopic dedicated to filmmaker Keisuke Kinoshita, the director of Narayama Ballad.
A world full of fantasy
In Wonderland, without the royal rain, Hara joins her fantasy world. In this story we follow Akane, a dreamy young girl. The day before his birthday, he goes to his aunt’s antique shop to pick up a present. In a strange corner of the shop, he puts his hand on a magic stone. Suddenly, a secret passage opens, from which Hippocrates, an alchemist, emerges from another world.
She wants to convince Akane that she is the goddess of the green wind that the legend speaks of and that only she can prevent the terrible drought that threatens her kingdom. According to the director, Wonderland is not only a fantasy story, it is also a declaration of love for France, the country he loves.
“I wanted to show in Wonderland all the respect I have for French culture. I put some details about France in the movie. Did you notice? The song at the end of Wonderland is Lucien Boyer’s Parlez-moi d’amour. I love France so much, I’ve been here several times for my holidays .”
“Chi’s character, an antiques dealer, is planning a trip to the village of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in Vaucluse, where I’ve already been… and for the dinner sequence, I’ve also mentioned French food. The landscapes are also inspired by the French countryside I have visited.Ando Keiichi Hara confided to our colleagues at the premiere during the 2019 Annecy Festival.
Solar work on a serious topic
In 2023, Keiichi Hara is back with a fantastic new work: The Lonely Castle in the Looking Glass. One fine day, a mirror lights up in Kokoro’s room. As soon as the young girl touches it, she finds herself in a magnificent castle worthy of a fairy tale.
There, a mysterious girl in a wolf mask challenges him. He has one year to do it and thus fulfill his wish. Kokoro is not alone: ​​six other teenagers have the same goal as her.
In competition at the 2023 Annecy Festival, the animated film has created a sensation in Japan and elsewhere on the extremely sensitive issue of teenage bullying and suicide. Keiichi Hara didn’t hesitate to shock festival-goers by sporting a huge 514-stamped poster. This is the number of students who committed suicide in Japan last year.
This theme is particularly relevant for the director, who has already caused depression and suicide in his second feature film, Color, which was released in 2011 in France.
The Lonely Castle in the Mirror hits theaters on September 6.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
