No child's play at cult anime studio

IF THERE'S anything the Japanese take more seriously than their food, it has to be their anime. Divided into every imaginable sub-genre with literally something for everyone - children, adults, and even women - the scene not only has a fervent following domestically but is also regularly exported overseas.

Some like Studio Ghibli, have gained a steady cult following outside Japan over the years, and its latest work, The Wind Rises, has gone as far as to earn Best Foreign Film and Best Animated Film nominations at the Golden Globe and Oscars respectively this year.

The animated historical drama was Japan's top grossing movie of 2013, earning ¥11.6 billion (S$140 million) at the box office. It opened in Singapore yesterday and is written and directed by one of Ghibli's co-founders, Hayao Miyazaki - who's also behind many of the studio's hit films including its signature movie My Neighbour Totoro (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001).