Photo/Illutration ((c) 2019 "Weathering With You" Film Partners/ Provided by Toho Co.)

Anime director Makoto Shinkai’s latest film, “Weathering With You,” will be shown in Mumbai, Delhi and 18 other cities across India on Oct. 11, the first original Japanese anime movie to be theatrically released in the country.

It is extremely rare for original animated films to be screened in cinemas in India because adults are not accustomed to watching anime in theaters in the country.

There have been only two Japanese films that opened to the general public in India: “Shoplifters,” which won the prestigious Palme d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival; and “Dragon Ball Super: Broly,” which was distributed by 20th Century Fox Japan Inc.

But Shinkai has a large fan base in India, especially after his previous film, “Your Name.” became popular there. An online petition was launched in April, asking for the theatrical release of “Weathering With You” in the country.

The petition drive collected more than 50,000 signatures from fans, attracting the attention of the director and Japanese and Indian distributors, who decided to act on their enthusiastic request.

The movie also had the largest audience attendance in Hong Kong on its premiere day on Aug. 8.

Visit the anime’s official website at (https://tenkinoko.com/).

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To learn more about the latest developments in Japanese anime, visit the official site of Anime Anime (http://animeanime.jp/).