The Wind Rises (2013)
2013 • TMDB 7.8 • 2h 6m • Animation, Drama, History, Romance
Overview
Jiro Horikoshi is a boy who dreams of building beautiful airplanes, though his poor eyesight means he will never fly them himself. From the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 through the lean years of the Depression, Hayao Miyazaki follows Jiro from a curious student sketching aircraft in his notebooks to the gifted engineer behind Japan’s famed Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Along the way he meets the Italian designer Caproni in dreamlike conversations, falls for the gentle Nahoko, and wrestles with a question that haunts the whole film: can something made with love and beauty stay innocent when it is turned into a weapon? The Wind Rises is unlike any other Ghibli film — quieter, sadder, and more grown-up — yet it is full of the studio’s trademark wonders: wind rippling through grass, paper planes drifting across the sky, and a love story that lingers long after the credits. It is a bittersweet portrait of a dreamer caught between art and history.
Director & Cast
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Hideaki Anno as Jiro Horikoshi (voice)
- Hidetoshi Nishijima as Honjô (voice)
- Miori Takimoto as Naoko Satomi (voice)
- Masahiko Nishimura as Kurokawa (voice)
- Stephen Alpert as Castorp (voice)
- Mansai Nomura as Giovanni Battista Caproni (voice)
- Jun Kunimura as Hattori (voice)
- Mirai Shida as Kayo Horikoshi (voice)
- Shinobu Otake as Mrs. Kurokawa (voice)
Why Watch The Wind Rises?
Because it shows Miyazaki working in a completely different register — no magic, no monsters, just a real man’s life rendered with extraordinary tenderness. The flying sequences are gorgeous, the romance is quietly devastating, and the film’s refusal to judge its hero makes it one of the most thought-provoking animated dramas ever made.
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXuswYJFrDM.
Where to Watch
In the US, The Wind Rises streams on HBO Max and the HBO Max Amazon Channel, and is available to rent from $3.99 (Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home) or buy from $11.99 (Amazon Video, Fandango At Home) and $14.99 (Apple TV Store). Check current availability on JustWatch US.
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Poster: TMDB. Rating and runtime verified on TMDB. Streaming status checked on JustWatch US, October 29, 2026.
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