Scotland Loves Anime 2021 Film Line-up Revealed, Featuring Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna, End of Evangelion, ON-GAKU, Pompo: The Cinéphile, Shirobako & More
This write-up has been updated as of Friday 3rd September 2021, with ticket links now added and the TBC film officially revealed on the festival’s website.
Scotland Loves Anime, the film festival that brings theatrical anime from recent years to classics to the big screen in Edinburgh and Glasgow, has announced their latest line-up for October 2021.
The line-up features well-known IPs from big anime franchises, as well as more recent lesser-known that were animated by big anime studios. All will be presented in Japanese audio with English subtitles.
There are fourteen films plus one mystery film featured in this year’s line-up. The mystery film will be revealed on 8th September.
Like previous years, the locations are at:
11th-17th October, tickets available starting Friday 3rd September at 11am BST. Links are available below for each film to the cinema if you wish to book tickets!
1st-3rd October, tickets available starting Wednesday 25th August at 12pm BST. Links are available below for each film to the cinema if you wish to book tickets!
The announced films are as follows:
The Deer King
(Shika no Ō: Yuna to Yakusoku no Tabi)
鹿の王 ユナと約束の旅
Glasgow: 18:45, Sunday 3rd October
Edinburgh: 18:00, Sunday 17th October
Director: Masashi Ando
Released: 2021
Animation Studio: Production I.G
Runtime: 114 minutes
“In the land of the Empire of Zol, wild dogs once carried the deadly Black Wolf Fever. Enslaved ex-soldier Van and a young girl named Yuna, both bitten, were the sole survivors of a fierce attack and escaped. As the deadly disease runs rampant, they ally with Hohsalle, a gifted physician, searching for a cure for the disease that is spreading among the Zolian settlers.”
Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna
デジモンアドベンチャー Last Evolution 絆
Edinburgh: 15:30, Friday 15th October
Director: Tomohisa Taguchi
Released: 2020
Animation Studio: Toei Animation
Runtime: 94 minutes
“It’s 2010, over ten years since the summer when Taichi met Agumon and the others, and they had their adventure in the Digital World. The worldwide existence of the DigiDestined has gradually been acknowledged, and the sight of Digimon in the real world has become less unusual. Taichi has become a college student, while Yamato and the others have figured out and started down their own paths in life.
During all this, certain incidents begin to occur around DigiDestined worldwide. Menoa and Imura are scholars whose area of study is the Digimon who appeared to Taichi and the others. These two seek assistance from the group, claiming a Digimon called Eosmon is the cause of the incidents. Taichi and the DigiDestined come together once again so they can resolve the matter. But during the battle with Eosmon, something goes wrong with Agumon’s and the others’ evolutions. When Menoa sees this, she informs Taichi’s group of a shocking truth: When a DigiDestined becomes an adult, his or her partner Digimon will cease to exist…
The threat posed by Eosmon gradually spreads to affect Taichi’s friends as well. He can’t save his friends if he won’t fight, but fighting will mean he has to say goodbye to his partner that much sooner. He thought they would always be together. Will he fight, even if it means losing the one most dear to him? That’s what it means for a DigiDestined to become an adult. In the face of unalterable destiny, what answer will the bond between Taichi and Agumon produce for just the two of them?”
The End of Evangelion
Edinburgh: 21:00, Sunday 17th October
Director: Hideaki Anno
Released: 1997
Animation Studio: GAINAX & Production I.G
Runtime: 87 minutes
“The mind-blowing finale to the incredible NEON GENESIS EVANGELION series, brought to the big screen in the UK!”
Fate/stay night Heaven’s Feel III. Spring Song
Edinburgh: 17:45, Thursday 14th October
Director: Tomonori Sudō
Released: 2020
Animation Studio: Ufotable
Runtime: 122 minutes
“To save the girl, to enact the justice he’s chosen…The young man will no longer turn a blind eye to the truth. Mages (Masters) and Heroic Spirits (Servants) work together in the battles of the Holy Grail War, a fight for an omnipotent wish-granting container called the Holy Grail. However, this war has become horribly twisted.
A young woman named Sakura Matou, with the sins she has committed, drowns in the murky darkness. A young man named Shirou Emiya, who vowed to protect Sakura, works together with Rin Tohsaka and throws himself into the raging battle to put a stop to the Holy Grail War. Illyasviel von Einzbern, as one of the few who knows the truth behind the conflict, confronts her own fate, while Zouken Matou uses Sakura to try to fulfill his own desires.
Will the young man’s wish reach her even as he challenges fate itself, battling against the rising tide? The Holy Grail War is coming to an end… The final battle is about to begin.”
Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko
(Gyokō no Nikuko-san)
漁港の肉子ちゃん
Glasgow: 19:40, Saturday 2nd October
Edinburgh: 16:10, Saturday 16th October
Director: Ayumu Watanabe
Released: 2021
Animation Studio: Studio 4°C
Runtime: 120 minutes
“Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko is the heartwarming and moving comedy drama of an unconventional family ‒ a not-so-ordinary mother-and-daughter pair who live their lives to the fullest.
Easy-going, cheerful, passionate and always ready to eat something delicious, mother Nikuko falls hard for the bad guys. Her happy motto: “Being ordinary is best of all!”
Naturally Nikukoʼs loud and bold spirit embarrasses 11-year-old Kikuko, her daughter on the verge of puberty. With nothing in common except living together on a boat at the port, a miracle occurs when their secret is revealed.”
Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars
(Sidonia no Kishi: Ai Tsumugu Hoshi)
シドニアの騎士 あいつむぐほし
Glasgow: 15:15, Sunday 3rd October
Edinburgh: 20:30, Friday 15th October
Director: Hiroyuki Seshita
Released: 2021
Animation Studio: Polygon Pictures
Runtime: 120 minutes
“The final instalment of this popular title based on the hit manga chroniclse the long-awaited final battle for Sidonia, where the crew must once more fight to protect those they love, and for the future of humanity itself!”
Looking for Magical Doremi
(Majo Minarai o Sagashite)
魔女見習いをさがして
Glasgow: 12:50, Sunday 3rd October
Edinburgh: 15:35, Sunday 17th October
Director: Junichi Sato
Released: 2020
Animation Studio: Toei Animation
Runtime: 91 minutes
“A college student who wants to be an educator, despite losing self-confidence and worrying over her future: Sora Nagase – Nagoya. A company employee, repatriated from living abroad, having trouble fitting in at an organization related to work she wants to do: Mire Yoshizuki – Tokyo. A part-time worker saving up to go to college and follow her dream, all the while at the mercy of her good-for-nothing boyfriend: Reika Kawatani – Onomichi.
Age, personality, place of residence… Everything about these three is different. And each of them is totally bewildered by a life that’s not going the way they envisioned! The thing that brings these ladies together is Magical Doremi!?
The witch trainees used to gather at MAHO DOU, and the model for it is said to be a building in Kamakura. Beginning with a fateful encounter there, the trio goes around on a tour of Hida-Takayama, Kyoto, and Nara – all places associated with Magical Doremi! The trio laugh, cry, support one another, and spend priceless time together as they realize anew that Doremi and friends were always there by their side… Then, the important message the witch trainees teach them provides a gentle push, and the trio take a new step forward.”
Lupin III: The First
ルパン三世 THE FIRST
Glasgow: 17:40, Friday 1st October
Edinburgh: 18:00, Monday 11th October
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Released: 2019
Animation Studio: Marza Animation Planet & TMS Entertainment
Runtime: 93 minutes
“The iconic “gentleman thief” Lupin III returns in an action-packed, continent-spanning adventure, as Lupin III and his colorful underworld companions race to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Bresson Diary, before it falls into the hands of a dark cabal that will stop at nothing to resurrect the Third Reich. The gang undertakes trap-filled tombs, aerial escapades and daring prison escapes with the trademark wit and visual finesse that have made LUPIN THE 3RD one of the most storied animation franchises in the world, in a thrilling new caper that is sure to delight fans old and new.”
On-Gaku: Our Sound
音楽
Edinburgh: 18:00, Tuesday 12th October
Director: Kenji Iwaisawa
Released: 2019
Animation Studio: Rock’n Roll Mountain & Tip Top
Runtime: 71 minutes
“When you’re a bored teenager looking for thrills, sometimes the only thing you can turn to is rock ‘n roll. Having no skill, money, or even a full set of drums, a feared trio of high school delinquents nevertheless decide they are destined for musical glory in a quest to impress their only friend Aya, avoid a rival gang, and – most importantly – jam out. Animated almost entirely by director Kenji Iwaisawa, and featuring a lead performance by Japanese alt-rock legend Shintaro Sakamoto, ON – GAKU: OUR SOUND brings its own sound and vision to the Hiroyuki Ohashi manga from which it was adapted. With pitch-perfect deadpan humor, the film presents a highly original take on the beloved slacker comedy: a lo-fi buddy film with a blaring musical finale that will leave you wanting an immediate encore.”
Over the Sky
(Kimi wa Kanata)
君は彼方
Edinburgh: 18:00, Friday 15th October
Director: Yoshinobu Sena
Released: 2020
Animation Studio: Digital Animation Network
Runtime: 95 minutes
“Mio has feelings for her childhood friend Arata, but can’t convey her feelings. One day, as they continue their delicate relationship, the two fight over something trivial. After letting tensions settle, Mio goes to make up with him in the pouring rain. While on her way, she gets into a traffic accident. When she regains consciousness, a mysterious and unfamiliar world appears before her eyes.”
Pompo: The Cinéphile
(Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san)
映画大好きポンポさん
Glasgow: 13:50, Saturday 2nd October
Edinburgh: 21:00, Saturday 16th October
Director: Takayuki Hirao
Released: 2021
Animation Studio: CLAP
Runtime: 90 minutes
“The series centers on Joel Davidovich Pomponette (Pompo-san), a talented film producer at the movie capital “Nyallywood.” Despite her prowess to see through to the potential of actors and staff and bring out their talent to the fullest, she has only been producing B-class action and erotic films. One day, Pompo’s “film-worm” assistant Gene, who has been doubtful of her choices of film genres, is given the task to direct a film based on a script written by her. Will Gene be able to bring Pompo’s “masterpiece” to fruition?”
Shirobako the Movie
Glasgow: 20:10, Friday 1st October
Edinburgh: 12:45, Sunday 17th October
Director: Tsutomu Mizushima
Released: 2020
Animation Studio: P.A. Works
Runtime: 120 minutes
“Four years after the events of SHIROBAKO the series, Musashino Animation has gone through unprecedented changes and things are looking bleak for the studio. One day, Aoi Miyamori is offered a role managing a new theatrical animation project. With only a few months left before the deadline, can MusAni complete the project in its current state? It’s up to Aoi to work alongside both familiar faces and new to finish the project in time!”
Sing a Bit of Harmony
(Ai no Utagoe o Kikasete)
アイの歌声を聴かせて
Glasgow: 16:10, Saturday 2nd October
Edinburgh: 12:30, Saturday 16th October
Director: Yasuhiro Yoshiura
Released: 2021
Animation Studio: J.C. Staff
Runtime: 120 minutes
“Sing a Bit of Harmony tells the story of the beautiful and mysterious Shion (Tao Tsuchiya) who transfers to Keibu High School where she quickly becomes popular for her open-hearted personality and exceptional athletic talent… but she turns out to be an AI (artificial intelligence) in the testing phase! Shion’s goal is to bring chronic loner Satomi (Haruka Fukuhara) “happiness.” But her strategy is something no human would expect: she serenades Satomi in the middle of the classroom. After finding out that Shion is an AI, Satomi and her childhood friend, engineering geek Toma (Asuka Kudo), steadily warm up to the new student. Along with the popular and attractive Gotchan (Kazuyuki Okitsu), the strong-willed Aya (Mikako Komatsu), and judo club member “Thunder” (Satoshi Hino), they become more and more moved by Shion’s singing voice and earnestness even as her antics bewilder them. But what Shion does for Satomi’s sake ends up involving them all in some serious pandemonium… Get ready for the heartwarming story of a not quite market-ready AI and her classmates!”
Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll
(Violet Evergarden Gaiden: Eien to Jidou Shuki Ningyou)
ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン 外伝 -永遠と自動手記人形-
Edinburgh: 18:00, Wednesday 13th October
Director: Haruka Fujita
Released: 2019
Animation Studio: Kyoto Animation
Runtime: 90 minutes
“The heir to a noble house, Isabella attends a finishing school for well-groomed young women to satisfy an “agreement” with her father. While this residence where white camellias bloom is a thing of joy and beauty for most, to her it feels like nothing more than a prison. Having resigned herself to a miserable future shorn of the hopes and dreams she once held, Isabella reluctantly meets her new manners teacher, Violet Evergarden – an experience that could change both of their outlooks on life forever.”
