The entertainment industry magazine Variety honored Makoto Shinkai at its 10 Animators to Watch ceremony on Tuesday.
Shinkai, the auteur director behind Voices of a Distant Star, 5 Centimeters Per Second, and Garden of Words, is the first Japanese animator so honored in the list’s two-year history.
His titles include She and Her Cat, Voices of a Distant Star, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, 5 Centimeters Per Second, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, and Garden of Words.
Shinkai began his career by creating his own anime titles almost singlehandedly — being responsible for the writing, directing, and even voice-acting.