Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho (2004) is a movie by Makoto Shinkai that is considered one of his best works. Set during World War II, the movie tells the story of two friends, Hiroki Fujisawa and Takuya Shirakawa, who live in a Japan divided into two regions, north and south, with different rulers. The two friends plan to fly a homemade plane to a tower that stretches to the heavens. However, their plan fails when Sayuri Sawatari falls into a coma and a theory emerges about a parallel world centered on the tower.
Hiroki and Takuya are high school students living in Aomori, a province located in the southern part of Hokkaido, which is under American control during the war. They share a mutual interest in planes and a girl named Sayuri Sawatari. However, this mutual interest doesn’t lead to any conflict between them. Instead, they take on part-time jobs at a missile assembly plant at the border of the island controlled by America and the UNION. They save money from their jobs to buy airplane parts that they name Bela Cielo.
Their interest in Sayuri, a classmate of theirs, makes them shy around her. Fortunately, Sayuri befriends them, and they become close quickly. One day, Sayuri is taken to their part-time job place, and she’s delighted to see the messy but beautiful factory. It’s her first time seeing such a vast place in Japan. After touring the factory, Sayuri visits the site where Hiroki and Takuya are assembling the airplane. Although it’s still a frame, she believes that Bela Cielo will be great. The two friends promise to fly the plane to the UNION Tower and take Sayuri with them.
After the incident at the factory, the trio becomes closer. Sayuri tells her dream to Hiroki and Takuya, which is a reoccurring dream in which she’s trapped in an empty world and feels incredibly lonely. However, after that day, Sayuri disappears. Three years later, Hiroki and Takuya are trying to live normally, but they cannot forget Sayuri. They also frequently have recurring dreams about Sayuri. One day, Takuya receives a letter from the hospital; it’s from Sayuri. The letter states that Sayuri has fallen into a coma, and her coma is connected to the parallel world centered on the UNION Tower.
At that time, Takuya has become a researcher on the parallel world and recurring dreams. He tries to save Sayuri by looking for the common thread that connects Sayuri’s, Hiroki’s, and his dreams. However, the agency where he works wants Sayuri to remain in a coma because she is a rare individual who could lead them to breakthroughs on the mystery of the parallel world. Nevertheless, for Hiroki and Takuya, Sayuri must wake up and live normally. Therefore, they work on the airplane to take Sayuri to the Tower, as they had promised before. Their visit to the factory, the airplane, the UNION Tower, and Sayuri’s long dream all connect and intertwine.
Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho showcases three characters as the lead characters: Hiroki, Takuya, and Sayuri. Before they become close with Sayuri, Hiroki and Takuya have been long-time friends. They both have different characters and personalities, but that’s precisely what makes them close. Their friendship is not always peaceful, and Takuya once called Hiroki a fighting friend. They have a shared interest in planes and are curious about the UNION Tower, which they regularly see. Unfortunately, they can’t approach the tower because it’s located in the area controlled by the UNION. Therefore, they decide to make a plane and fly to the tower to find out what kind of tower it is.
In conclusion, Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho is a beautiful and unique movie that showcases the human spirit’s perseverance and friendship. The movie’s plot and characters are well-delivered, and the animation is top-notch, typical of Makoto Shinkai’s movies. The story builds up to a satisfying conclusion, making it a must-watch for people who love drama, romance, and sci-fi movies.
