Synopsis
Jirou Horikoshi's severe nearsightedness dashes his dream of becoming a pilot, so he leaves home to study aeronautical engineering at Tokyo Imperial University with a single goal: to design and build aircraft like his idol, Italian aviation pioneer Giovanni Battista Caproni. His arrival in Tokyo coincides with the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, during which he rescues a maid serving the family of a young girl named Naoko Satomi; this catastrophe marks the start of over two decades of social turmoil and discontent leading to Japan's eventual surrender in World War II. For Jirou, the years leading up to the creation of his infamous Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane will test every part of him. His many journeys and life experiences only drive him forward—even as he comes to understand both the role of his creations in the war and the harsh truths of his personal life. As time moves on, he must face an impossible question: at what price does he pursue his beautiful dream?
Background
Before its release, director Miyazaki Hayao declared that Kaze Tachinu would be his final film. Like most of Miyazaki's films, it was the top-grossing movie of its release year, earning $113 million in the domestic box office in 2013. The film was controversial on both sides of the political spectrum because of its sympathetic portrayal of Horikoshi and its perceived anti-war stance. The film was nominated for an Academy Award, Miyazaki's third nomination. The film has won several awards. In 2013 it won the Best Animated Feature during the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, during the New York Film Critics Online, during the Online Film Critics Society, during the San Francisco Film Critics Circle and during the Toronto Film Critics Association. Also in 2013 it won the Best Animated Film during the Boston Online Film Critics Association (which tied with Frozen), during the Boston Society of Film Critics, during the Chicago Film Critics Association, during the New York Film Critics Circle and during the San Diego Film Critics Society. During the same year it won the Audience Favorite – Animation during the Mill Valley Film Festival and the Best Family Film during the Women Film Critics Circle. In 2014 it won the Animation of the Year during the Japan Academy Prize, the Best Animated Film during the National Board of Review and the Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media during the Satellite Awards.