In the Anime News Network interview, director Naoko Yamada has confirmed that he is working on a new animation feature with SARU Science. Yamada made an announcement while promoting his new anime film garden of memories at the Scotland Loves Animation festival.
Yamada also said that he was working on a storyboard for the untitled film. He believed it was a huge task on his part and had been thinking about it a lot lately.
garden of memories is Yamada’s second work since joining Science SARU in 2021. Previously he directed Heike’s story anime series and previously worked as lead animator, intermediate artist, and background artist for various Kyoto Animation projects like Lucky Star, Kanon, Clannadand Melancholy Haruhi Suzumiya.
He has also directed K-On! Movie, Tamako’s Love Story, Silent Voice, and Liz and the Blue Bird. Yamada left Kyoto Animation in 2020 and is also directing animated episodes for the anthology series Tokyo Modern Love.
Annecy Film Festival depicts garden of memories short film as:
Untidy rooms. Empty beer cans, empty wine bottles, half empty glass of whiskey…
A girl wakes up in a daze and begins to prepare herself. YOUR morning begins. YOU are lazy and hard to wake up. Emoticon is I watch over YOU. I play tricks on YOU, while YOU play guitar and drink. One day, in town, YOU walked past a CHILD FRIEND who bought an Anemone that I liked, and remembering that I liked it, YOU rushed to buy it.
THE CHILDHOOD FRIEND features Anemone with care.
One day, years after I died, YOU heard a voice from the closet. Opened, YOU see MY garden right in front of YOU. Emotions overflowing from ME and YOU.
On leaving the room with memories, the picture of the Anemone YOU painted is displayed in YOUR new room.
Source: Anime News Network (Andrew Osmond Interview)