GKIDS Sets 'Goodbye Don Glees' Fan Preview Events For September
Japanese animation is more popular internationally than ever. Not only is it booming in television, powered by the rise of streaming, but there is also more feature films than ever. And thanks to distributors like GKIDS Films, Anime Ltd and Crunchyroll, more high quality Japanese theatrical animation is making its way west than ever before.
Now that normal business has essentially resumed in the theatrical industry, GKIDS Films are back firing on all cylinders. The distributor has now revealed more details for one of their upcoming films, coming-of-age drama Goodbye Don Glees from acclaimed studio Madhouse.
This current boom has been powered partly by the rise of a new generation of talent. Atsuko Ishizuka is one such name, making her debut as a writer-director on the film, following her work as director on the acclaimed series A Place Further Than The Universe.
Having been released in Japan this past February, Goodbye Don Glees will receive its North American premiere as part of the Anime Expo convention on July 1. The film has also been selected for the 2022 Fantasia Festival, where it will be in competition for the Satoshi Kon Award.
Teen misfits Roma, Toto, and Drop call themselves the “Don Glees,” an informal name for their backyard adventures. One day, when the trio gets blamed for a nearby forest fire, they set off into the woods to prove their innocence. As disaster strikes their expedition, tensions flare between the friends as they realize that growing up has taken them on wildly different paths in life.
Director Atsuko Ishizuka follows up her critically acclaimed series A Place Further Than the Universe with her first original feature film. With luminescent animation and lush backdrops, Goodbye, Don Glees! is a tender coming-of-age story about the fearlessness of being young and the bittersweet journey of self-discovery.
