In addition to Shinkai, I would add Naoko Yamada and Hiromasa Yonebayashi to the names of great young new animated film directors to look out for. Yamada’s “A Silent Voice” was one of the most hard-hitting portrayals of depression and communication I’ve ever seen, and Yonebayashi’s “When Marnie Was There” is one of…

And the following year, Ghibli’s last film, “When Marnie Was There” fell victim to the same plague.