Spoilers are unmarked. Proceed with caution.
open/close all folders
Jiro Horikoshi
Jiro Horikoshi
"I’m not interested in making money. I want to make beautiful things."
Voiced by: Hideaki Anno, Kaichi Kaburagi (young) (JP), Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zach Callison (young) (EN)
The historical figure whose life the movie is based on, albeit with many fictional additions. He was the chief engineer of many Japanese fighter designs of WWII, most famously the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. The biographical movie spans a decades-long tale following his passion for aircraft, and his desire to contribute to the industry by creating a beautiful plane. Parts of his story in the movie, mainly Jiro's personal life, are taken from another historical figure, the author Hori Tatsuo.
- The Ace: Jiro is incredibly smart and is the youngest person to lead a project. On top of his set assignments, which he completes perfectly, he also works on his own designs leading to his involvement in said project, entirely based off his own ideas.
- Aloof Big Brother: Jiro often breaks promises to spend time with his sister to study aviation and later to work on his planes.
- Badass Bookworm: Even as a kid, Jiro is quite a bookworm, eager to read a foreign language aviation magazine. Furthermore, when he confronts some bullies, he neatly throws one over with a judo throw, and the scene immediately cuts to him with only a smug look on his face, suggesting he handled the rest of the fight with little difficulty.
- Because I'm Good At It: Jiro just wants to make beautiful airplanes, and has no particular desire for his creations to be used as weapons. Unfortunately he happens to work for Mitsubishi during a time when the Imperial Japanese military is the only customer for such a job, and it's increasingly clear that the planes they make will be used in Japan's wars of aggression against China and soon various Western powers. Regardless, Jiro never seems to consider quitting in protest. While a sense of duty to his colleagues may be part of it, it's as much or more the fact that he loves designing airplanes too much to give it up.
- Composite Character: If you consider Real Life to be the source material of this, then Jiro Horikoshi is one, with elements from Jiro Horikoshi the aircraft designer,
Tatsuo Hori
the chain-smoking novelist with a fiancée who died from TB, and Miyazaki's father, the owner of a factory that manufactured parts for the Zero fighter. Miyazaki's mother also suffered from TB. - The Engineer: He is an aeronautical engineer who designs aircraft.
- Gentleman and a Scholar: His relationships with almost everyone are very friendly and respectful, and his courting of Naoko very sweet. He is also incredibly smart and proficient in drawing, mathematics, and engineering.
- Good with Numbers: Multiple scenes show him speedily working through countless equations, even as it becomes tear-stained as he works while on his way to see a sick Naoko.
- Happily Married: Jiro and Naoko get married after she runs away from the sanitorium to be with him. For a brief, bittersweet period, they are able to live together as loving spouses.
- Married to the Job: When he reveals he has a fiancee, Kurakuwa laughs and quips that he thought Jiro would marry an airplane.
- My God, What Have I Done?: At the end of the Second World War, Jiro reckons with the fact that his airplanes were used for violence and that most of the men who piloted them didn't survive.
- Nice Guy: He's polite to everyone and very caring.
- The Workaholic: Jirou ends up spending all his time and energy on designing what will become the A 6 M Zero fighter, even as it cuts into his precious time with Naoko.
- Samaritan Relationship Starter: Jiro and Naoko first meet after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, where he rescues her maid rather than only saving himself, which lends a great deal of Naoko's attraction towards him.
- Smart People Wear Glasses: Justified considering the real Jiro Horikoshi also wore glasses. Jiro is incredibly smart and crafts the perfect fighter plane.
- Smoking Is Cool: Jiro does this a lot (despite the real-life Jiro not being a smoker), probably to up his coolness and fit the 'hardworking' type.
- Trademark Favorite Food: His friends comment how he has the same lunch everyday: Mackarel. He says he could eat a pound of it by himself! The shape of its bones also helps to inspire his wing design.
Naoko Satomi
Naoko Satomi
"I've loved you since the wind brought you to me."
Voiced by: Miori Takimoto, Mayu Lino (young) (JP), Emily Blunt, Madeleine Rose Yen (young) (EN)
Jiro's wife, whom he meets quite a few years before they get married. She is a lovely young woman who enjoys painting, but who is suffering from an incurable bout of tuberculosis which serves as the 'antagonist' after she and Jiro reunite.
- Blood from the Mouth: In a disturbing scene, Naoko's canvas becomes spotted with a red liquid, only for the camera to pan and reveal it is her blood she is coughing up uncontrollably. This was a common symptom of TB, especially when said person does not have long left to live...
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Justified as she and Jiro had been engaged for at least a while, and they wanted to get married before Naoko's inevitable death from TB. This leads to a tear-jerking marriage scene where none of the characters are able to hold back their tears.
- Incurable Cough of Death: Naoko coughs up blood due to a lung hemorrhage. Coughing up blood for TB specifically is a sign of imminent death.
- Nice Girl: She is depicted as a very kind woman who is Loved by All who meet her throughout the film, making her demise all the more painful.
- Returning the Handkerchief: Jiro first meets Naoko when his hat comes flying off his head, and she reaches out for it and returns it to him.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Naoko states she has loved Jiro from the moment he came to her and her maid's rescue. When they meet again, he catches her umbrella and does romantic feats, such as sending a paper airplane to her.
- Snow Means Death: Naoko staggers through snowy fields on her journey to Jiro, symbolising her near death.
- Inconsistent Spelling: The female protagonist is called Naoko but it is written in kana as "Nahoko" since the work takes place before the Japanese spelling reform.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Jiro and Naoko are aware that forces beyond their control—both Jiro's important role in the war and Naoko's disease—leave their relationship fragile. Therefore, they spend as much time as they can together before they are separated for the last time.
Giovanni Battista Caproni
Caproni
"Airplanes are beautiful, cursed dreams, waiting for the sky to swallow them up."
Voiced by: Nomura Mansai (JP), Stanley Tucci (EN)
An aeronautical engineer (based on the real person), who Jiro interacts with in his dreams. It is hinted they may be sharing the dream, but it is never confirmed nor denied. He acts as a mentor and guide to Jiro in his struggle to create.- Gratuitous Foreign Language: His first appearance has him speaking Italian, albeit in a very thick Japanese accent. May be justified if Caproni is just a figure in Jiro's dream as Jiro himself is Japanese and wouldn't know much Italian, nor would Caproni be fluent in Japanese.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: It is suggested in Caproni's first appearance that they could be sharing a dream, but it is never made clear whether this is occurring or if this Caproni is only in Jiro's Dream Land.
- Spirit Advisor: He acts as a mentor towards Jiro in his dreams, guiding him towards his goal and teaching him important lessons about his role in the world and what planes are used for.
- Talking in Your Dreams: He and Jiro discuss the art of flying and beautiful planes as they traverse across wings ,which Caproni mentions they can do, since it is a dream after all.
Kiro Honjo
Kiro Honjo
"Poor countries want airplanes. So they pay us a lot to design them. It's ironic."
Voiced by: Hidetoshi Nishijima (JP), John Krasinski (EN)
Jiro's friend who he works with in Mitsubishi, based on the real person by the same name. He designed the G3M and the G4M aircraft.
- Big Brother Mentor: He acts like this at times towards Jiro, giving him practical advice and supporting him in his endeavours.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: He and Jiro are close friends, and he greatly encourages him to see the plane as something beautiful and not a war machine.
- Must Have Nicotine: Honjo smokes a lot, which isn't too unusual in this setting. At one point when they are out of smokes, he takes a used one from an ashtray and smokes that instead.
- My Country, Right or Wrong: He talks about all the countries that Japan might go to war with, clearly thinking it's a bad idea, but doesn't see any option for himself and Jiro other than continuing their work.
- Smoking Is Cool: From what we are shown of him, he is a big smoker. Practically every other line he says is him asking for a smoke.
Kayo Horikoshi
Kayo Horikoshi
"You're so mean. You never, ever come home!"
Voiced by: Mirai Shida, Maki Shinta (young) (JP), Mae Whitman, Eva Bella (young) (EN)
Jiro's younger sister (created for the movie) whose ambition is to become a doctor.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Portrayed as this as a toddler, who is bothering Jiro when he is trying to read his book.
- Hero of Another Story: She becomes a female doctor in 1930s Japan, at the age of 19. Considering this was an incredibly difficult feat, especially for a young woman, one wonders how she managed to accomplish this.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Acts like she's permanently annoyed with him, but she cares about her brother and especially Naoko.
- Tsundere: Has shades of this towards her brother, criticising his punctuality. However, they do have a mutual respect towards one another and obviously love each other.
Mr. Kurokawa
Mr. Kurokawa
"Is that your heart or your ego talking?"
Voiced by: Masahiko Nishimura (JP), Martin Short (EN)
Jiro's boss at Mitsubishi who entrusts him with the Falcon project.
- Benevolent Boss: Although one's first impression of him is as a usual Mean Boss, he quickly dispels this as he does admire Jiro's work and drive, entrusts him as the leader of the bomber project, and even allows Jiro to stay at his home to avoid the Secret Police. They turn more into Vitriolic Best Buds by the end.
- Captain Ersatz: He looks nothing less than a Japanese version of Gilbert Huph in The Incredibles, albeit with a better professional attitude.
- Happily Married: From what we see of them, Mr. and Mrs. Kurakawa are happy together, and act as witnesses for Jiro and Naoko's wedding.
- Hidden Depths: Despite his first impression of an impatient boss (in itself likely driven by the amount of pressure put on the company to get out a brand-new, 220-knot plane), he is later proven to be a Benevolent Boss, trusting Jiro to lead the new bomber project and allowing him and Naoko to stay at his house, and even get married there.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: It is mostly due to his perpetual frowning he comes off as such, but it is quickly established he is actually a good guy. He tries his best to protect Jiro from the Secret Police, offers him (and later, his wife Naoko) a place to live, and serves as a witness at their impromptu wedding. He also gives Jiro credit where it is due, as shown by him saying Jiro's self-held engineering seminar was "a revelation", and advises Jiro to avoid situations where he would be in competition with Honjo, as friendship is always more important.
- Licked by the Dog: One of the clearest signs that Mr. Kurokawa has Hidden Depths is the fact that he's Happily Married to Mrs. Kurokawa, a very kind and caring woman and model hostess to Jiro and Naoko.
- The Napoleon: He is short in stature and often short in temper.
- One Head Taller: Inverted in terms of sex. Kurokawa is shorter than most of the men depicted, to the extent that he stands about one head shorter than his wife.
- Perpetual Frowner: Even when complimenting others, he has a permanent frown on his face. The only time this is lifted is when he finds out Jiro is engaged, and laughs.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Despite being a short-tempered boss, Kurokawa has a very reasonable judgment and is willing to listen to Jiro on his thoughts about the various projects Mitsubishi is working on.
- The Short Guy with Glasses: Exactly What It Says on the Tin. He's a short guy, he wears glasses, and shows himself to be a canny boss and clever friend.
- Trying Not to Cry: He fails at this as he is overcome by the simultaneously heart-warming and heart-wrenching union between Jiro and Naoko, sincerely and emphatically saying they are very brave.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Kurokawa has one of the more unique character designs, being short and cartoonish-looking, while Mrs. Kurokawa is a beautiful and gentle woman.
Castorp
Castorp
"A summer to remember."
Voiced by: Stephen Albert (JP), Werner Herzog (EN)
A mysterious German man whom Jiro meets at a hotel, who helps Jiro understand the current state of the world and assists him in courting Naoko.
- Defector from Decadence: He left Nazi Germany because he was disgusted by the changes happening there.
- Inksuit Actor: He is both voiced and designed off of Stephen Albert, a Ghibli veteran.
- Shipper on Deck: While Naoko's father is at first unsure of his daughter's engagement to Jiro, Castorp comments how he is an amazing young man and will treat his daughter well, convincing Mr. Satomi to bless their engagement.
- Token White: Castorp is the only white European who has a prominent role in the movie. Justified, as he has come to Japan to get away from Nazi Germany. That, and he is based off of Stephen Albert, an American.
- Uncertain Doom: The last we here of Castorp is that he is being chased down by the Secret Police for an unknown reason. We never find out what happens to him, and Jiro can only hope that he left the country safely.
