Shinkai Makoto’s cinematographic narrative: development of a working hypothesis

Abstract

Makoto Shinkai, as a film director, has achieved international renown during past years, mostly for his last movie Kimi no na wa (Your name, 2016). His narrative universe goes through different genres and formats, including novels, films, shorts, and manga. Focusing on the narratives of his cinematographic world, this paper aims to develop a hypothesis under the premise in which the genre is a variation, the contact is always the story, and the connection is the aesthetic form (according to Bakhin’s categories). This hypothesis is used to make an analysis of medium-length film Kotonoha no Niwa (The Garden of Words, 2013). Such a hypothesis intends to lead towards an understanding of his works.