The Wings of Honneamise
Apparently this feature length anime was something of a flop in Japan. This might be because the story relies on emotional depth and extraordinary attention to detail. It is probably not the best animation for pre-teen, or even younger teen audiences. Whatever the reason for this film not to have been a commercial success, it is one of the best Japanese animations ever as far as I'm concerned. It is set in a of parallel world like our own, populated with human being just like us, but at the same time the culture isn't quite any culture that has ever existed, a beautifully crafted setting of a place that never was. The technology is actually slightly behind ours, more like 50's tech, but oddly different than anything ever made in the 50's or any other time. Before I confuse you any further, let me just say it is a story about a young man inspired by the spirit of a girl to try to be the first man in space. Sorry, I'm not telling if he makes it or not.