Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho

Hiroki Fujisawa and Takuya Shirakawa harbor admiration for two things in their life: their classmate Sayuri Sawatari and the vast Ezo Tower that stands boundlessly across the Tsugaru Strait. Fascinated by the limitless structure beyond their reach, Hiroki and Takuya begin constructing an aeroplane from a fallen drone they discovered—naming it the Bella Ciela—to fulfill their dream of one day reaching the sky-scraping top of the tower. Later joined by the girl they love, Hiroki and Takuya promise Sayuri to fly with her to the seemingly otherworldly top together. However, Japan has suffered a North-South partitioning that has fueled conflict near the base of the tower, which marks the border between the America-controlled Southern islands and the Northern lands occupied by the Soviet Union.

Further along, Sayuri suddenly disappears, and Hiroki and Takuya never see her again. Unbeknownst to them, she fell victim to a sleeping disorder that left her comatose for the past three years. Although Hiroki and Takuya later learn about Sayuri's condition, they also discover that the girl's unconscious state is oddly linked to the same tower the trio had promised to conquer together.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Sawatari, Sayuri Main

Nanri, Yuuka Japanese

Fujisawa, Hiroki Main

Yoshioka, Hidetaka Japanese

Shirakawa, Takuya Main

Hagiwara, Masato Japanese

Okabe Supporting

Ishizuka, Unshou Japanese

Mizuno, Rika Supporting

Nakagawa, Rie Japanese

Kasahara, Maki Supporting

Mizuno, Risa Japanese

Arisaka Supporting

Kiuchi, Hidenobu Japanese

Tomizawa, Tsuneo Supporting

Inoue, Kazuhiko Japanese

Shinkai, Makoto Producer, Director, Sound Director, Script, Storyboard, Theme Song Lyrics, Color Design, Original Creator, Executive Producer, Editing

Itou, Kouichirou Producer

Hiramatsu, Kiyonori Producer

Foster, Steven Script, ADR Director

Reviews

Jan 22, 2025

re4zen

Recommended

Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho (The Place Promised in Our Early Days)

Makoto Shinkai’s hallmark of breathtaking visuals and poignant storytelling shines vividly in this film, At first glance, it’s easy to underestimate Kumo no Mukou as just another science fiction story. However, beneath its speculative premise lies a deeply human tale, intertwining personal promises, and the weight of dreams.

Thematically, Kumo no Mukou delves through the characters, the burden of unfulfilled promises, and the struggle to reconcile dreams with reality. It’s a meditation on the passage of time and the lingering impact of choices we make—or fail to make.


Set in an alternate post-war Japan, the ... narrative delicately balances the intimate relationships of its characters with the grand themes of ambition, loss, and the relentless passage of time. The towering, mysterious tower piercing the sky becomes a silent witness to their dreams and a metaphor for unreachable aspirations. Set against the backdrop of an alternate Japan divided by a North-South conflict—where the Soviet Union looms large—this film seamlessly blends elements of geopolitics, parallel worlds, and the inexplicable tether between two souls. The narrative revolves around Sayuri, whose mysterious slumber is intricately connected to the enigmatic tower that dominates the horizon. The story’s brilliance lies in its ability to juxtapose the grand scale of scientific intrigue with the intimate struggles of its three protagonists, bound by a promise made beneath that very tower.

The central trio—Hiroki, Takuya, and Sayuri—find themselves entangled in a story that blurs the boundaries between science fiction, romance, and existential yearning. The emotional depth of their bond is amplified by Tenmon's evocative musical score, which adds layers of resonance to every heartfelt moment.

Visually, the film is nothing short of mesmerizing. Every frame feels like a carefully crafted painting, with Shinkai’s trademark use of light, color, and detail transporting viewers to a world both familiar and fantastical.

While its pacing may feel languid at times, this deliberate rhythm invites contemplation, allowing viewers to savor the beauty of its imagery and the depth of its themes.

Verdict: Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho is not merely a film—it’s an emotional journey that lingers in the heart long after the credits roll. It’s a story about love, loss, and the unyielding human spirit to reach for the unreachable,

our promise Bella Ciela-

Thank You.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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May 31, 2025

DepressionBroz

Mixed Feelings

I feel like this movie gets way too much hate and is oddly charming and heartwarming in its weird little way. Is it poorly written? Maybe. The plot is a bit convoluted and the dialogue is corny, but I just do not understand why this gets as much hate. Watching this right after Shinkai's previous work is like the equivalent of going from getting punched in the face to eating a birthday cake, the improvement is staggering. The environments especially are breath-taking in this one, especially for 2004 standards. The story itself is rather intreguing and kinda heartbreaking. Even if the characters do feel a ... bit flat the way they interact with eachother feels both very wholesome and heartbreaking at the same time. Yes, this is a Kimi No Na Wa rough draft, so what. A rough sketch of The Great Wave off Kanagawa still looks really good. Obviously this movie is flawed, weirdly paced, and even feels unfinished in some aspects, but I'm able to give it more of a break because it's his first official debut film and a major improvement on his part all around. Weirdly enough the only part of this film I find lack-luster is the music, which is something I've praised other Shinkai films for. It just feels like Tenmon is kinda lacking in this one and there aren't really any memorable songs besides the closing track. Also, the scenes where he tries to animate the Violin playing are the definition of cringe. The animators did not study proper playing and it's extremely easy to tell if you have the most marginal amount of knowledge on string playing. If you wish for a more complete, perfectionistic love story with a captivating love-story, then you will be dissapointed. However, if you're willing to cut Shinkai a break and not be over-critical of some of the story-telling and pacing issues, then I think you'll enjoy this one.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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May 4, 2025

1stDecame4Danime

Not Recommended

Another Shinkai movie repeating the same nonromance of nonlover noncharacters separated and trying to connect (across worlds, get it? just like how the multiverse tower connects the universes pointlessly, it's pointless, this whole movie is pointless). This ain't Your Name (I'm convinced his original script for Your Name was to just end it with the impact reveal and they never interact ever again before something led to the movie being rewritten with an actual plot by writing the rest and cutting out the filler to get it down to length). This is some scrawled out rough draft rehash with all his usual low effort proclivities ... (hello again girl foot fetish indulgence shot).
This movie is almost pure filler. It's rough to get through even sped way up. Both the nonromance and the nonplot about the rival nations and the tower are idiotic half ideas pointlessly mashed together for the sake of filling time just like Voices of a Distant Star except now 3x more screentime.
The violins shown in the movie poster don't really have any relevance in this movie in case you might have been excited for some sort of musical story. No they're just there barely in a few scenes because character hobby. Genius marketing tactic.

1/10 (where 5/10 is average)

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

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	Poll: Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) Desian - Sep 20, 2008	168 replies	by yori21 »» Jan 19, 5:44 AM
	I can't believe this movie came out in 2004 sometaters - Mar 9, 2023	10 replies	by sometaters »» Mar 13, 2023 5:53 PM
	Not a good thing (spoiler) Someone_OwO - Oct 3, 2022	3 replies	by kyo_1 »» Oct 4, 2022 12:43 AM
	Love the Movie? Join the Club DrinkMyCrumbs - Jul 21, 2009	1 replies	by Harsh- »» Mar 23, 2022 11:12 AM
	The place promised in our early days HELP [SPOILERS] tankker5 - Dec 29, 2014	5 replies	by Lelewoski »» Jan 22, 2022 4:50 PM

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