Weathering With You Fails to Make Oscars Shortlist

This year, audiences around the world were wowed by a certain film called Weathering With You. The movie is the latest overseen by director Makoto Shinkai, and the film became a quick hit with fans. Not only did the film stand up to Your Name‘s praise but it carved out its own niche within Shinkai’s resume. But according to those overseeing The Academy Awards, Weathering With You did not make the cut for a big category.

The other day, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science put out its shortlist for the 92nd Academy Awards. It was there fans learned Weathering With You did not make the cut for Best International Feature Film. The movie was put forward for consideration by Japan and was the first anime entry in the category since Princess Mononoke in 1998.

Of course, fans are less than thrilled about this update. Weathering With You is largely agreed upon as this year’s best anime feature. Its precise artwork and gorgeous worldbuilding only proved Shinkai’s skill. If Your Name was thought to be a fluke, this follow-up showed the world Shinkai’s genius is no mistake. But given The Academy Awards’ frequent dismissal of anime, this snub comes as little surprise.

So far, there is no word on what the shortlist looks like for Best Animated Feature. Weathering With You asked to be considered for a nomination, so fans are keeping fingers crossed for a win.

Are you surprised by this snub…? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Makoto Shinkai directs and writes Tenki no Ko: Weathering With You with GKIDS describing it as such: “The summer of his high school freshman year, Hokoda runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits. The weather is unusually gloomy and rainy every day, as if to suggest his future. He lives his days in isolation, but finally finds work as a writer for a mysterious occult magazine. Then one day, Hokoda meets Hina on a busy street corner. This bright and strong­willed girl possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky…”