It has been made many times over, but in my understanding, it was always a story about a girl who falls in love... The most famous one was a live action from 1983. In the 1983 version, there was a romance element to it. I wanted to make one that didn’t.
The most famous one was a live action from 1983. In the 1983 version, there was a romance element to it. I wanted to make one that didn't.
— Mamoru Hosoda · Animation Magazine interview