Mari Okada, director of "Anohana" and "Kokosake," makes her directorial debut! The film "On the Morning of Sayonara, Let's Put the Promised Flowers in the Morning" will be released in theaters!

Mari Okada of "Ano Hana" and "Kokosake" fame has announced her directorial debut, "Sayonara no Morno ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazarou," and also announced that it will be released on February 24, 2018.

The film is based on the popular movie "Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai." (released in 2013) and "My Heart is Screaming" (released in 2015), as well as the screenplay for "The Last Time I Saw a Flower" (released in 2015). (released in 2015), and this year, "Dark Girls" (released in April 2017), "Sensei! (released in October 2017), as well as a scriptwriter for live-action films, and "Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazarou," directed and written by Mari Okada, will open in theaters nationwide on February 24, 2018.

　Mr. Okada has created hits such as "Anohana" and "Kokosake. She has captivated viewers with her detailed psychological portrayal of the frustrating adolescence of boys and girls in the form of screenplays, and now she is finally making her directorial debut.

The teaser visual and special PV for this film have been released.
The teaser visual depicts two people running in a grassy field with a big sky spreading out beyond them, giving the viewer a sense of a grand world. In the PV, a number of images are connected at a good tempo, and the video shows the expectation for the new excitement that Mr. Okada will portray.

In addition, information on advance ticket sales has been released, and the official website ( # ) and Twitter account have also been opened, raising expectations for the film.

In conjunction with this release, comments from Okada-san and P.A.WORKS representative Horikawa, who is in charge of animation production, have arrived. They talk about why they decided to take on the challenge of writing the script and directing the film, as well as their enthusiasm for the project.

Comments】 ※Honorific titles omitted

Director Mari Okada
Five years ago, there was an event at P.A.WORKS for a film I wrote the script for, and backstage President Horikawa said to me, "I would like to see a film in which Okada-san reveals 100% of herself. I took his words completely to heart and thought in anguish. What does it mean to expose oneself in a work of art? In the collaborative world of animation production, where many people are involved, the only way to realize President Horikawa's words was to be involved in every section from start to finish. I asked President Horikawa to let me be the director. I remember I was so nervous that my mouth went dry.
This "Let's put the promised flowers on the morning of goodbye" is a story I always wanted to write from a screenwriter's point of view. As a director, I am allowed to touch the images and sounds that go beyond that, which gives me great pleasure, but also a lot of pressure at the same time. It is thanks to the staff who will participate in the work that I will be able to overcome these obstacles. My seniors who are wonderful creators whom I have admired, my peers of the same generation whom I respect and trust, and powerful young people who inspire me in new ways. I spent a lot of time together and had many discussions with everyone who supported me with their earnest work and enthusiasm, even though I was constantly being inconvenienced by my unfamiliar work. Every time I check the new material that comes in, I feel like a kid on summer vacation, watching an animated movie and thinking, "Wow! I remember how I used to feel when I watched cartoon movies on summer vacation when I was a child. It was that thrill of a strange world that seemed to go on forever beyond the screen. Although the film is still in the process of production, I am confident that with the help of the wonderful staff, it will be a work that will surpass even my tiny 100%.
It is a story of encounters and partings, woven by human interaction. I aim to create a work with a warmth that anyone can relate to themselves someday. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Kenji Horikawa
I would like to make an animated film in which the worldview of a single artist permeates every corner of the work. I remember talking about this with the scriptwriter Mari Okada. I wanted a story that was 100% Mari Okada, with nothing to hide, and that would depict a deep and mysterious inner life that would not be reached by the theories of collaborative work. Okada-san is capable of writing that as entertainment.
After a while, Mr. Okada said to me, "I have a film I want to make. Would you let me direct it? I was surprised at the suggestion of a director, but I could see the determination in Mr. Okada's words as he squeezed them out. I agreed on the condition that it be a theater piece.
When the cast of "On the Morning of Goodbye, Let's Put Up the Promised Flowers" was decided, we had a reading of the script. It was a great response. My memorandum that day read, "Thank you for giving me this work. I feel grateful to the director".
I try not to talk with Director Okada about the theme of this work. I would like to watch the film again and again to feel the "Rashisa" that runs underneath the story, of which Okada himself may not be aware.
This is a story of those who love and those who are loved throughout the film, and it is a story of multiple characters who share Mr. Okada's blood and question each other's love. This is an expression made possible by the fact that Okada-san, the screenwriter, is directing a film that combines not only words, but also words, images, and sound.
Supporting the first-time director is the staff who thinks, "This film is bound to be great. I want to make it the best it can be." They are all staff members with the ability to think "This is going to be a great film. Their enthusiasm is so strong that, as a producer, I can't help but toss and turn my head every day when I think of the scheduled completion date. When the film is properly completed, I will ask Director Okada to pick up the ashen bones of line producer Horikawa.

Advance sales information
On Sale: Saturday, July 8
Price: General 1,500 yen (tax included)
Special bonus: Special clear file
Special bonus: Special clear file.
Special bonus: Special clear file *Sales will be detailed on the movie's official website.
*For details on the starting time of sales, please contact the theater where the tickets will be sold.

Film Information
Let's put the promised flowers on the morning of good-bye.
Release date: February 24, 2018 (Sat) Roadshow
Distribution: Show Gate

・Staff
Director/Screenplay : Mari Okada ("My heart is crying out to you.") Screenplay, "We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day") Screenplay, "Hanasaku Iroha" Screenplay)
Chief Director: Toshiya Shinohara
Character Planning：Akihiko Yoshida
Character Design / Chief Animation Director：Yuriko Ishii
Art Director：Kazuo Tochi
Art direction and concept design：Yoshiaki Okada
Music: Kenji Kawai
Sound Director: Kazuhiro Wakabayashi
Animation Production: P.A.WORKS

(c)PROJECT MAQUIA