Directed and written by Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, A New Dawn is an anime film about the creeping effect of gentrification, and how it effected an historical fireworks factory held by the Kaitewaki family for centuries, and in turn Keitaro and Sentaro, the two young sons, and their childhood friend Kaoru, which drifted apart after Keitaro’s father disappeared, leaving the property to rot, while government officials have waited to prey on it for “renovation”.

Sentaro and Kaoru left for the city, but some years after Sentaro drags Kaoru into talking Keitaro out of his reclusive stay on the old family home and factory, as the city is gonna tear it down in a matter of days, which brings the trio close as they once were, and provides them with an occasion to pull off the complex firework display concocted by the father (called “Shuhari”) but never put into action, something that involves a special pigment and pattern, as something of a farewell…

While there is a romantic subplot, A New Dawn is mostly a drama about confronting with the past, coming to terms with modernity but without giving up on craft, tradition and art just because it falls out of fashion, is outright rejected or simply becomes more and more obsolete by the new norms, and it’s a pretty dang good one, with great realistic teen characters, amazing melanchonic vibe, a really good artistic painting-inspired style, and while animation is already damn good, it’s commendable how it’s willing to experiment with stop motion animation sequences too.

Also, A New Dawn fittingly also feels like a light of hope for the anime industry maybe still able to have new talents (this is the directorial debut for Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, whom previously worked on Makoto Shinkai projects) emerge in spite of… well, of itself.

Recommended.