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Patema Inverted
Patema Inverted
Patema Inverted
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Patema Inverted
Japanese DVD cover art
サカサマのパテマ
(Sakasama no Patema)
GenreFantasy,[1] science fiction[2]
Created byYasuhiro Yoshiura
Original net animation
Patema Inverted: Beginning of the Day
Directed byYasuhiro Yoshiura
Written byYasuhiro Yoshiura
StudioStudio Rikka[3]
Released February 26, 2012 – August 25, 2012
Runtime6 minutes
Episodes4
Anime film
Directed byYasuhiro Yoshiura
Written byYasuhiro Yoshiura
Music byMichiru Ōshima
StudioStudio Rikka
Licensed by
ReleasedNovember 9, 2013 (2013-11-09)
Runtime99 minutes

Patema Inverted (サカサマのパテマ, Sakasama no Patema) is a 2013 science fiction anime film written and directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura.[1][4] It was released in Japan by Asmik Ace on November 9, 2013.[5] A four-episode original net animation (ONA) series, Patema Inverted: Beginning of the Day, streamed in 2012.[6] The film also premiered in the United Kingdom.[7]

Cinedigm and GKIDS released the film on Blu-ray and DVD in North America on November 11, 2014. The film received mainly positive reviews from critics, praising its originality, characters, and plot.

Plot

[edit]

In 2067, scientists attempt an experiment intended to harness energy from Earth's gravity. However, the experiment fails and gravity reverses, causing nearly everyone and everything to start flying away from Earth.

Years later, Patema is a respected teenager who lives in an underground society that imposes rules to keep its members away from "danger zones" that surround the community. Inspired by her friend Lagos, who has mysteriously disappeared, Patema explores the tunnels. One day while exploring, she is startled by a figure that walks on the ceiling and falls into a shaft below.

Patema falls outside the fence bordering Aiga. Eiji, another teenager, finds her on the fence. Her gravity is inverted from his. After carrying her safely to the ground, he takes her to a nearby shed, where they learn about each other's worlds. Eiji tells Patema about his father, who supposedly fell from a flying craft while demonstrating it, inspired by what the government dubs the "Inverts".

Aiga's controlling leader, Izamura, discovers Patema's presence and orders his troops to capture her. Eiji discovers that by holding Patema, her inverted gravity makes him lighter, reducing the speed at which he falls. They evade the troops, but are soon captured. Eiji is scolded and reprimanded, while Izamura takes Patema to the Control Tower, threatening to release her into the sky. He shows her that he had captured Lagos, who has since died, and imprisons her on the top floor with an inverted weight on her ankle, with only glass separating her from the sky. Despite his racist hatred of Inverts, Izamura becomes obsessed with Patema and plans to make her his.

Eiji returns to the fence and unexpectedly finds Porta, one of Patema's friends, and is reluctantly brought to the underground. They, along with the society's Elder, devise a plan to free Patema. Eiji and Porta work together, using each other's weights to sneak into the tower by going through its abandoned basement. Eiji enters the top floor alone and frees Patema, but Izamura and numerous forces soon arrive, chasing the two to the roof. Izamura grabs Patema and orders his right-hand man, Jaku, to shoot Eiji. However, Patema jumps off Izamura and grabs Eiji, and they float off into the sky. Izamura then commands that Eiji's "death" be reported as an accident.

The unconscious Patema and Eiji awaken as they continue to fly up. As they make it through the clouds, they find that the "sky" is a mechanical ceiling that manufactures Aiga's atmosphere and projects the "stars." They discover Eiji's father's flying machine there. Eiji reads his father's notes, and discovers that he had befriended Lagos and that they both created the floating vehicle. There, Patema and Eiji profess their love and release the inverted weights levitating the craft, allowing it to float steadily back to Aiga.

Meanwhile, Jaku, suspicious of Izamura, discovers that he had Eiji's father killed and Lagos captured, specifically to prevent anyone from discovering how small Aiga is. As Izamura finds Jaku, they spot the flying machine falling back down and Izamura orders his troops to capture it. Outside, the flying machine is also witnessed by other students from Eiji’s school, including Kaho, Eiji's closest classmate, who doubts that his "death" was accidental. Her doubts are confirmed when she and students notice Eiji and Patema inside the vehicle.

Eiji and Patema jump from the descending vehicle, falling into the shaft leading to Patema's society. The Inverts are glad to see the two alive. However, Izamura and Jaku pursue them in the craft, and Eiji, Patema, and Porta are taken with them as the vehicle falls, eventually crashing to the floor of the shaft. Izamura shoots and wounds Eiji, and attempts to kill Patema, but is thwarted by Porta who knocks away the gun. After drawing a knife to finish Patema, the damaged floor collapses, revealing Earth's true surface: thousands of ruined buildings and open sky, including a ring of debris around the Moon. It is revealed that Aiga and its citizens are actually those who survived the catastrophic experiment, and were living in an artificial world underground that supported their inverted gravity.

Floating upward, Izamura desperately holds onto Patema, but loses his grip when the broken craft flies up into him, sending him into the sky. Eiji jumps and grabs onto the falling Patema, and Jaku and the Elder quickly secure the two. Eiji later wakes to discover the surface world. The Elder reads the notes about his son Lagos. He, Porta, and Jaku agree that their worlds should work together now that the truth is known. Patema and Eiji hold on to each other and survey the surface.

Voice cast

[edit]

Major characters as listed in the closing credits:[8]

Character Japanese voice actor English dubbing actor
Patema (パテマ) Yukiyo Fujii Cassandra Lee Morris
Eiji (エイジ, Eiji) Nobuhiko Okamoto Michael Sinterniklaas
Porta (ポルタ, Poruta) Shintaro Ohata Robbie Daymond
G (Elder) (ジィ, Ji) Shinya Fukumatsu Bill Lader
Lagos (ラゴス, Ragosu) Masayuki Kato Chris Niosi
Jaku (ジャク) Hiroki Yasumoto Patrick Seitz
Kaho (カホ) Maaya Uchida Stephanie Sheh
Izamura (イザムラ) Takaya Hashi Richard Epcar

Reception

[edit]

Patema Inverted received positive reviews. The film garnered a 79% approval rating from 14 critics with an average rating of 5.7 out of 10 on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes.[9] Metacritic provides a score of 66 out of 100 from 8 critics, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[10]

Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times called the film "delightful" while praising musical score and animation. She also compared Patema Inverted with a 2012 feature film Upside Down (which was using similar plot and main theme) but pointed out that "this 'Can we get along?' movie literalizes a physical attraction that acts as a counterargument to the divided worlds' insistence on separation".[11] Patema Inverted was released as a web anime before Upside Down, and they did not influence each other.[12][13]

The film won the Audience Award and the Judges Award at the 2013 Scotland Loves Anime.[14][15] It was also nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Animated Film at the 7th Asia Pacific Screen Awards.[16][17]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Patema Inverted

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Patema Inverted (Japanese: Sakasama no Patema) is a 2013 Japanese animated written and directed by and produced by Studio Rikka. The story centers on Patema, a curious girl from a subterranean where pulls upward, who accidentally falls into the surface world governed by downward , where she teams up with Age, a local boy in a repressive society, to navigate the dangers of their opposing worlds and uncover hidden truths. Released in on November 9, 2013, the 98-minute explores themes of perspective, freedom, and societal division through its innovative use of inverted physics and . The film blends elements of adventure, drama, and romance, drawing comparisons to works like productions for its imaginative world-building and emotional depth. Yoshiura, known for prior works such as , crafted Patema Inverted as an original story emphasizing visual storytelling, with characters voiced by talents including as Patema and as Age in the Japanese version. It received critical acclaim for its creative premise and animation, earning awards such as the Audience Award and Judges Award at the 2013 Loves festival, along with a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Distributed internationally by in starting in 2014, Patema Inverted has been praised for its accessible yet thought-provoking narrative suitable for young adults and families, highlighting issues like authoritarian control and the value of across divides. The film's distinctive style, which cleverly manipulates orientation and motion to convey disorientation, underscores its core metaphor of inverted viewpoints in a divided society.

Development and production

Concept and writing

Yasuhiro Yoshiura, the director and writer of Patema Inverted, drew from his background in short-form science fiction animation to shape the film's conceptual foundation. His earlier works, such as the 2006 short Pale Cocoon and the 2010 feature adaptation of Time of Eve, established a signature style exploring dystopian societies and human connections through speculative elements, which influenced the sci-fi themes of inverted worlds and interpersonal unity in Patema Inverted. The initial concept emerged around 2010-2011, inspired by a childhood sensation of falling into the sky while gazing at Hokkaido's vast horizons, evolving into the core idea of inverted gravity as a metaphor for divided societies where opposing forces create physical and social barriers. The project initially materialized as a four-episode original net animation series, Patema Inverted: Beginning of the Day, released online in 2012, which later expanded into the feature film. Yoshiura visualized an underground world where inhabitants cling to surfaces to avoid "falling" upward, contrasting with a surface society bound by conventional gravity, symbolizing isolation and the need for mutual understanding. Yoshiura handled the screenplay solo, beginning with a vivid image of an upside-down figure plummeting into the sky and methodically building the world, characters, and narrative around it, ensuring themes of and arose organically rather than as deliberate . He emphasized as the primary goal, with the script focusing on accepting differences to foster unity, avoiding forced assimilation or overt messaging: "We have to start by just accepting the differences as they are." This evolution prioritized relatable human experiences within the sci-fi framework, refining the story to highlight perspective shifts without heavy ideological undertones. The project was greenlit by Yoshiura's own studio, Studio Rikka, in 2012 following his pitch, marking a transition from his short-film roots to feature-length production. Funded as a low-budget independent effort by Asmik Ace Entertainment, the development reflected Yoshiura's resource-conscious approach, leveraging his experience with concise storytelling to create an ambitious yet feasible narrative.

Animation and staff

Patema Inverted was produced by Studio Rikka, an studio founded by director in 2000 to create short . The studio handled the core with a small team, supplemented by production cooperation from and Trigger. The film employs traditional hand-drawn 2D , blended with (CG) to achieve fluid motion in sequences depicting inverted gravity. Key personnel included character designer Daisuke Mataga, who adapted original designs by Ryuusuke Chayama, and art director Yūji Kaneko, responsible for the contrasting visual styles of the underground and surface worlds. Producer Mikio Ono managed the overall production. Animating the inverted physics presented significant challenges, as the team needed to simulate realistic movement across opposing gravitational fields while preserving spatial coherence. Animators often drew characters in standard upright poses before flipping them, which caused disorientation and required careful adjustments to ensure facial expressions and backgrounds remained legible from inverted perspectives. Yoshiura's script served as the starting point for these visual adaptations, guiding the innovative keyframe approaches used. In , director handled to synchronize the dynamic with the shifts. Sound director integrated spatial audio effects, enhancing the immersive disorientation of inversion scenes through layered environmental cues and movement-based .

Plot and characters

Plot summary

Patema Inverted is set in a post-apocalyptic world following a catastrophic experiment with Earth's in 2067, which inverted gravitational forces and split surviving humanity into two isolated societies: one living in vast underground tunnels where pulls upward toward the surface, and another on the surface world adhering to normal downward . The underground dwellers, known as Inverts, navigate a claustrophobic network of service shafts and artificial habitats, while the surface inhabitants reside in a rigidly controlled, militaristic called Aiga, marked by vast open fields, uniform , and strict prohibitions on upward movement to avoid "falling to heaven." This division stems from the disaster's aftermath, where the inverted mechanics serve as the core , causing individuals from each world to experience opposing pulls that can lead to dangerous "falls" when crossing boundaries. The narrative introduces Patema, a curious young girl from the underground community, who defies warnings to explore forbidden "danger zones" beyond her home's safe confines, driven by her adventurous spirit. On the surface, Eiji (also called Age), a reserved high school student in Aiga, lives under the society's oppressive rules, participating in routine activities while harboring unspoken doubts about the official narratives of the world above. Their paths converge when Patema, during one of her expeditions, tumbles through a shaft into the surface world, where her inverted gravity launches her skyward; Eiji intervenes to save her, discovering that their opposing gravities allow them to balance and even "fly" when physically connected. This chance encounter sparks the central conflict, as Aiga's authorities, viewing Inverts as dangerous anomalies or sinners, launch a pursuit to capture Patema and suppress any evidence of the underground world. As Patema and Eiji evade patrols across treacherous landscapes, including dusty pits and abandoned structures, they uncover clues revealing the shared origins of their societies from the pre-disaster era, challenging the propaganda that has kept them divided. The tension escalates with a direct confrontation involving Aiga's authoritarian leader, Izamura, who enforces isolation to maintain control. The story builds to a climax at a massive, enigmatic structure tied to the original gravity experiment—a towering facility symbolizing the disaster's legacy—where Patema and Eiji must navigate extreme gravitational hazards to expose the truth. In the resolution, their personal bond fosters a path toward reconciliation between the worlds, culminating in a hopeful vision of unity as barriers of fear and misunderstanding begin to dissolve.

Cast and characters

Patema serves as the film's , portrayed as a curious and adventurous young girl from an underground society who embodies themes of and innocence through her exploratory spirit and initial skepticism toward strangers, gradually forming deep bonds once trust is established. Voiced by , her performance captures the character's kind yet "princess-like" reluctance toward confinement. Eiji, also known as Age, is the male lead, depicted as a rebellious high school student on the surface world who questions societal authority and symbolizes personal growth and doubt, showing compassion by advocating for equality despite potential dangers. Nobuhiko Okamoto provides his voice, infusing the role with a punk-like defiance and supportive nature. Among the supporting characters, the Elder acts as the protective leader of the underground community and Patema's father, emphasizing rule adherence while prioritizing citizens' safety. He is voiced by Shinya Fukumatsu. Izamura represents an authoritarian enforcer on the surface, enforcing strict order through ideological control and opposition to perceived threats, brought to life by Takaya Hashi. These figures contribute to the central conflict by highlighting contrasting worldviews between the underground and surface societies. The voice recording took place in studios under sound director , with casting handled by assistants to ensure alignment with the film's youthful protagonists. Character designs, adapted by Daisuke Mataga from originals by Ryuusuke Chayama, employ simple and expressive lines to effectively depict emotional nuances amid the story's gravity inversions.

Release

Theatrical release

Patema Inverted had its world premiere at the on June 13, 2013. The film received its Asian premiere as part of the special screenings section at the 26th from October 17 to 25, 2013. It was released theatrically in on November 9, 2013, distributed by Entertainment. The film saw a limited international rollout, beginning with screenings at various festivals. In , handled distribution, with a limited theatrical release starting August 29, 2014, at the in . It had limited theatrical runs in select European countries through distributors like Kazé in and in the , as well as in parts of . In , the film earned approximately ¥25.3 million at the . efforts focused on the film's innovative gravity-defying visuals, with trailers showcasing inverted perspectives and dynamic sequences to highlight the core concept. Promotional events included appearances by director at conventions and festivals.

Home media

The home media release of Patema Inverted began in on April 25, 2014, distributed by Entertainment in both standard DVD and Blu-ray formats, with a limited edition bundling the Blu-ray alongside a soundtrack CD composed by Michiru Oshima. The limited edition also included a 48-page booklet featuring a original by writer , illustrated by character designer Daisuke Mataga, as well as bonus video content such as promotional materials and behind-the-scenes footage. These releases capitalized on the film's theatrical performance by providing fans with expanded materials to explore its concept. Internationally, distributed the Blu-ray and DVD combo in on November 11, 2014, offering English subtitles and an English dub track, along with special features like an interview with director , audio commentary featuring the producer and Japanese voice cast, and cast interviews. In , released dual-format (Blu-ray/DVD) editions starting October 20, 2014, including a standard version and multiple collector's editions with rigid slipcases, 48-page art booklets translating Japanese content, o-cards, and reversible artwork options. These international packages emphasized for global audiences, featuring region-free options in some markets to broaden availability. Digital streaming options emerged in 2015, with Patema Inverted added to for subtitled viewing worldwide, followed by dubbed versions on select platforms. It has since been available on services like and , maintaining steady digital access without major re-releases or updates through 2025, which has helped sustain its among enthusiasts. The prompt rollout of these home media formats was influenced by the film's successful limited theatrical run, allowing distributors to quickly meet demand for personal viewings.

Reception

Critical reception

Patema Inverted received generally favorable reviews from critics, with a Tomatometer score of 73% based on 15 reviews on . On , the film holds a score of 66 out of 100, derived from 8 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Critics widely praised the film's innovative use of in its animation, which created visually striking sequences that enhanced the sense of disorientation and wonder. described it as a "visually stunning" work that imaginatively explores its premise, appealing to anime enthusiasts through its heartfelt emotional core. awarded an overall B+ rating, commending the strong world-building that juxtaposes the underground and surface societies, along with fluid animation that conveys motion and kinetic energy effectively. highlighted the "stunning" animation and its "beautiful for love and progress," noting how it reorients the viewer's perspective on the environment. Some reviewers pointed to shortcomings in the narrative execution, including pacing issues during exposition-heavy sections that disrupted the flow. criticized the "clunky" storytelling and abrupt shifts in tone, which made action sequences feel unengaging despite the strong concept. aggregates also noted complaints about predictable plotting and limited character development, with flat designs and two-dimensional antagonists reducing emotional investment. The film earned consensus for its thematic depth, using inverted as an for societal division and the pursuit of unity, handled subtly without overt political messaging. interpreted as a for personal freedom and challenging norms, while emphasized its role in promoting across opposing worlds. In retrospective assessments, such as a 2024 review from The People's Movies, the film continues to be valued for its visual innovation among sci-fi fans despite narrative limitations.

Awards and nominations

Patema Inverted received several awards and nominations shortly after its release, reflecting its recognition in the and communities. At the 2013 Scotland Loves Anime festival, the film won both the Audience Award and the Judges Award. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2013 Asia Pacific Screen Awards, with producer Mikio Ono representing the production. The film earned the Excellence Award in the Animation category at the 2013 , organized by Japan's . Additionally, it received a nomination for Best Media Work in the 2014 Seiun Awards, Japan's premier honor, though it did not win. No major new awards or nominations have been bestowed on the film since 2014, though it continues to garner enduring recognition in anime retrospectives for its innovative storytelling. The film's critical acclaim contributed to these honors, highlighting its unique gravitational themes and visual style.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2981768/
  2. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=13906
  3. https://gkids.com/films/patema-inverted/
  4. https://asianwiki.com/Patema_Inverted
  5. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/movies/patema-inverted-is-yasuhiro-yoshiuras-animated-world.html
  6. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2981768/awards/
  7. https://myanimelist.net/anime/12477/Sakasama_no_Patema
  8. https://www.metacritic.com/movie/patema-inverted/
  9. https://en.jff.jpf.go.jp/article/yasuhiroyoshiura/
  10. https://fullfrontal.moe/interview-yasuhiro-yoshiura/
  11. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=14890
  12. https://rantbit.wordpress.com/2014/06/20/yoshiura-yasuhiro-interview/
  13. https://db.nipponconnection.com/en/film/538/patema-inverted
  14. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2981768/fullcredits/
  15. https://www.screendaily.com/patema-inverted/5062920.article
  16. https://nsff.rs/movies/patema-inverted
  17. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/patema-inverted-2014
  18. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/patema-inverted
  19. https://myanimelist.net/featured/379/The_Characters_of_Patema_Inverted
  20. https://otakumode.com/news/51c466e03a5718274f042df4/Director-Yoshiura-Gets-Roaring-Applause-at-ldquo-Patema-Inverted-rdquo-World-Premiere-in-Annecy-France
  21. https://www.scifijapan.com/anime-animation/patema-inverted-press-notes
  22. https://www.crunchyroll.com/hi/anime-news/2014/08/26-1/video-exclusive-patema-inverted-anime-movie-clip
  23. https://www.animekansou.com/animemovieworstheisei.html
  24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa7sa-Zd-3E
  25. https://www.asmik-ace.co.jp/works/lineup/1022/
  26. https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Patema-Inverted-Blu-ray/110952/
  27. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-12-29/patema-inverted-collector-dvd-blu-ray-released-monday/.82723
  28. https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/G4PH0W3ZZ/patema-inverted
  29. https://www.netflix.com/title/80014961
  30. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/patema_inverted
  31. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/patema-inverted-film-review-728422/
  32. https://thepeoplesmovies.com/patema-inverted-2013-review/
  33. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-10-22/patema-inverted-anime-film-wins-at-scotland-loves-animation-fest
  34. https://www.asiapacificscreenawards.com/apsa-nominees-winners/2013/best-animated-film/patema-inverted-sakasama-no-patema
  35. https://j-mediaarts-festival.bunka.go.jp/en/award/single/patema-inverted/index.html
  36. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-04-28/gargantia-yamato-arpeggio-psycho-pass-patema-girls-and-panzer-earn-japan-sci-fi-con-nods
  37. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-11-13/ghibli-the-wind-rises-yoshiura-patema-inverted-vie-for-apsa-award
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