Rinko

Rinko is a 2005 Japanese animated coming-of-age science fiction comedy-drama film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Mitsubishi, and distributed by Toho. The film follows an young alien girl named Rinko who has lived on Earth her entire life unknown to everyone else in the Japanese coast town she lives in until a human boy named Harumitsu finds out and she befriends him. Meanwhile, Rinko's next door neighbour, a man named Ken Fumitaka, who has been suspicious that she is an alien, determines prove that aliens exist. The film stars Dakota Fanning, Jimmy Bennett, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Aniston and Willem Dafoe. It received acclaim from critics, who praised its animation, characters, story, voice acting, humor, visuals, musical score and themes. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score at the 78th Academy Awards.

Plot
The film follows an young alien girl named Rinko who has lived on Earth her entire life unknown to everyone else in the rural Japanese town she lives in until a human boy named Harumitsu finds out and she befriends him. Meanwhile, Rinko's next door neighbour, a man named Ken Fumitaka who has been suspicious that she is an alien, determines prove that aliens exist.

Cast
Dakota Fanning as Rinko, a young shapeshifting alien girl who lives in a Japanese coast town unbeknownst to the inhabitants.

Jimmy Bennett as Harumitsu Takagi

Jeff Bridges as Niko Takagi, Harumitsu's deceased grandfather

Jennifer Aniston as Miyoko Takagi, Harumitsu's mom.

Willem Dafoe as Ken Fumitaka, Rinko's paranoid next-door neighbour

Release
The film was released on July 8, 2005.

Music
The film's score was composed by Thomas Newman, making it the fourth film by Miyazaki not to be composed by Joe Hisaishi and third anime film composed by a non-Japanese composer after Yumi (2000) with David Julyan. It is also Newman's second collaboration with Miyazaki after Gentlemen (1992).

Transcript
Rinko/Transcript

Opening logos




Critical reception
The film holds an approval rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film also has a score of 81 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 21 critics indicating "universal acclaim".