Junkers Come Here

Publisher
Bandai
Director
Junichi Sato
Production
Bandai, Kadokawa Shoten
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Film
Running time
105 minutes
Year
1995

Junkers Come Here

By David Rasmussen
9th Nov 04

Company - BANDAI
Age - 7 and up
Dual Language (Japanese/English)
Optional Extras? - See below
Time - 105 Minutes
Original Story and Music - Naoto Kino
Director - Junichi Sato
Screenplay - Hiroichi Fuse
Character Designer & Animation Director - Kazuo Komatsubara
Producers - Mimoru Takanashi, Kazuo Yokoyama & Yoshimi Asari
Produced by Bandai Visual & Kadokawa Shoten
Web site - www.junkerscomehere.com

JUNKERS COME HERE
Before We Begin
Once again, as with last week, we have two more titles that (as I've been told) has yet to make the leap to Region 2... But still that doesn't mean it shouldn't make the leap.
Read the review, head over to the voting thread I put up in the forums concerning BANDAI, and vote.
Okay, nuff said. Let's review the classic film Junkers Come Here.

So who is Junkers (pronounced Yoon-kers)?

Junkers is a dog (a schnauzer, to be more precise) and before he came to Japan to reside with the Nozawa family he used to reside in jolly ol' England. But enough of that, since it's his future and that of his companion Hiromi that's our focus.

You see, her parents are very busy people. They work constantly so they are hardly ever home and don't have much time for her. Luckily she has Junkers to keep her company. And why is that important? Because for one he's a talking dog, that's why!

But still that doesn't mean she's not alone in the home. She has her caring, lovable and kinda strange housekeeper and she's a bit of a pip, that one. There's also the young man who lives in her home as her tutor (three days a week for two hours a day) who she has a crush on — then again, the housekeeper has a crush on him too but that's one of her quirky points about her.

The object of Hiromi's crush? He's engaged to be married and that's where things start to go wrong.

It seems that besides an addiction to Japanese period samurai dramas on TV, as well as his ability to speak, Junkers has one more secret. That secret? The ability to make miracles happen — though only three.

This comes out after her mother tells Hiromi that she and her father are considering a divorce, and at first Hiromi doesn't believe what Junkers tells her. But then, one night, she does (accidentally) make a first wish — and that sets off a chain of events she begins to regret.

So what can she do with the other two wishes? And how can she fix something that seems so unfixable? And should she even try to fix it after what happened with Miracle #1?

That is something you'll have to discover for yourself when you see Junkers Come Here, a beautiful and charming movie that rates high on my love-o-meter as one of the most enjoyable and touching films I've seen in some time. A definite must-see and a definite must-own.

On the DVD cover? There's a quote from Cinescape that reads thus: "Junkers Come Here is a delightful anime feature film with a similar sensibility to the Oscar-winning Spirited Away. This one's going to be a classic."

I don't know. Junkers Come Here is indeed as beautiful and wonderful as Spirited Away, but in my book it stands alone as a classic and a masterpiece in a class all its own. A piece of work that'll be remembered for a long time to come, and then some.

Optional Extras
There are some rather nifty extras which come with this DVD.
Booklet - The booklet has a special message from Naoto Kine (author of Junkers Come Here).

Art Gallery - Images from the movie as well as conceptual artwork of Junkers can be found here. Nice.

Interview - Two very good interviews can be found here. I won't spoil it yet who the interviews are with, but trust me when I say they're good interviews! (Something you should see for yourself though.)

Theatrical Trailer w/English Subtitles

Pilot Film w/English Subtitles - Want to get a taste of the film before you see the film? Watching this "Pilot Film" will get you all warmed up for the movie.

JUNKERS COME HERE Breakdown
What's Hot? It's just one of those beautiful movies that come about every so often and just sweeps you away as you watch it.

Well done from beginning to end in all scores and departments, a highly memorable and special film that, and you'll probably hear me say this a bit as the months pass, deserved some theatrical time.

Well, sadly it got only a little time but at least those few who got to see it on the big screen here in America were blessed when they did. Worse, I'm guessing that Junkers Come Here did NOT get any screentime in the UK (or as little as it did in America).

And that is a crying shame because this, without a doubt, is one of those special movies that deserved more exposure and recognition, and (dare I say it) a chance for those big awards. It didn't get a chance for those awards, and that was a shame.

What's Not? - Nothing. Well, maybe the fact that it didn't get a theatrical release but that's nothing major to think about. The movie itself has nothing wrong with it so I'm not particularly stressed about its lack of a proper showing in theaters. That doesn't diminish the beauty of Junkers Come Here one bit.

Moments to Remember? - I think it's a safe assumption that the entire DVD is a memorable experience. Yes, yes it is. From the movie itself (beginning to end) to the optional extras, there's a lot of memorable things about this movie that makes the DVD a wise purchase for your collection.

What to Ignore? - Nothing. Nothing at all.

Overall? - It's one of those rare treasures that comes out every so often and just grips you in so many ways. This movie is, without a doubt, one of the best I've seen yet and has an excellent chance of being my top Number 1 choice for best Anime Movie of 2003 this year when I tally it all up in December.
Pre-order a copy now if you can. It's a great movie and one you simply must own. A true Anime treasure that deserves to be seen.

-- David Rasmussen 9th Nov 04

Junkers Come Here Images