Anime Column] Anime Writers' Choice: A Look Back at the Anime of 2014! We pick up 10 notable anime!

More than 40 anime films were released in 2014, and the number of on-air TV anime productions easily exceeded 100, making last year another busy year for many works. This year's list is a selection of 10 anime films of interest to anime writers from among such a wide variety of works! If you missed any of them, this is a good time to check them out.

Tamako Love Story
A film sequel to the TV anime "Tamako Market," which aired in 2013. The comical elements of the TV series have faded, and the film is a straightforward coming-of-age movie about the love between two childhood friends. The scene in which they confess their love on the platform of Kyoto Station, out of the shopping district and school where it takes place, is full of freshness. The parody of Shochiku's Mt. Fuji logo and the fact that there is no superfluous epilogue after the end rolls show the filmmakers' intention to make a single film. I recommend this film to those who have not seen the TV series.

Crayon Shin-chan Gachinko the Movie! Gyakusyu no Robo-To-chan."
Hiroshi Nohara, 35 years old, has a lovely wife and children and lives in a house with a mortgage, and is often called a "winner. When Hiroshi is transformed into a robot to-chan, everything is taken away from him. The film is packed with the best parts of science fiction, such as the secret of Robo-To-chan and the action between robots, making it a true "Gekishin". The final battle against the giant robots is a hilarious one, with guest voice actor Korokke doing his best impersonation of the robot while fighting. The final battle, in which the father's will is on the line, is also heartwarming.

Pretty Cure All Stars NewStage 3: Eternal Friend
The "All-Stars" series in which successive Pretty Cure stars compete against each other. This film, the finale of the "NewStage" series, tells the shocking story of an overprotective mother who stands in the way as an enemy. The mother who locks her human child into a dream world for the sake of her beloved son and his giant apron is terrifying. As a fan of the series, I am happy to see that it is "Yumehara Zomi," aka Cure Dream from "Yes!

Giovanni's Island."
This theatrical film depicts the fate of the brothers living on the island of Shikotan, based on the Soviet military occupation just after World War II. The story is harsh, as the brothers' home is confiscated and they are taken to a foreign country, but the most memorable aspects of the film are the characters depicted with a fairy-tale touch and the fantastic worldview. The scenes of Japanese and Russian children singing each other's songs and running a toy train are so beautiful that the viewer cannot take his or her eyes off the action. The good performances by the cast of entertainers, including Yusuke Santamaria as the comedy relief, also soften the seriousness of the story.

The LEGO(R) Movie
All anime that begin with the synopsis "The main character is an ordinary ......" are basically lies, but Emmett, the main character of this movie, is really a minifigure made of LEGO bricks that is too ordinary. It is exhilarating to see him, who has nothing to offer, use his normality to save the world! The Japanese dubbed version has a cast of more than 100 characters with a very small number of voices. The voice actors skillfully play multiple characters, matching the theme of LEGO, which can be reconfigured to expand the world.

Ping Pong THE ANIMATION
An animated television adaptation of Taiyo Matsumoto's ping-pong manga that was serialized in the 1990s. The anime recreates the touch of the original work and includes episodes that were not depicted in the manga. The warmth with which even the sub-characters, such as China, who has left the elite course to study in Japan, and Egami, who goes on a wandering journey after losing a match, is pleasant to watch. There are many highlights besides table tennis, such as China's native Chinese and the "Hama Show" that he sings enthusiastically on Christmas night.

Glass Slip
This original TV animation depicts a summer in the life of high school students in a port town in Fukui Prefecture. A boy, Dori Okikura, who has moved from place to place due to his parents' work, always feels "sudden and natural loneliness. Episode 12, "Hanabi (Again)," in which the main character, Toruko Fukamizu, who is in love with him, experiences this feeling, was an episode that evoked intense sadness, coupled with the scenery of a fireworks display held in a snowy landscape. The use of the subtitle, which echoes that of the first episode "Fireworks," as well as the use of harmonies and other production techniques, also offer a fresh surprise.

Knights of Sidonia
This work attracted attention when Polygon Pictures, a long-established CG studio highly acclaimed in the U.S., began production of an animated television series for the Japanese market. The film depicts the mortal struggle of humans living together on the spaceship Cydonia in order to escape from a mysterious life form. In addition to the flashy mecha-action that focuses on close combat, the story is enlivened by science fiction elements, such as humans who have become capable of photosynthesis through genetic manipulation. The sexy female characters, who expose their skin for photosynthesis, also add to the excitement of the story.

Oniida suki! Zeus-kun."
This unique animation commercial by JA Zen-Noh has gained popularity for its cute characters and surrealistic storyline. The chaotic plot, which includes an episode in which the viewer simply plays a game of "shiritori" (a game of shiritori with words related to meat), has caught the hearts of viewers. The opening theme "Onikuja Ponesuku! is a famous song by Kana Hanazawa, the lead actress, who responded to a difficult request: "Please sing a song that makes me want to eat domestic meat. It will probably be passed down through the generations as a song about domestic food products, on par with Muscle Shoujo Band's "Nihon no Rice.

Nandaka Veronica
This work was aired as a 10-minute program on NHK E-television and attracted a lot of attention with its high quality animation. Veronica, an ultra-rationalistic and selfish girl from outer space, comes into contact with the Earth's culture, including songs, love, and pets, which to her seem like a waste of time. The passionate performance by comedian "Kintaro," in his first starring role as a voice actor, is a real treat. Her passionate performance is unbelievable for her first starring role as a voice actor, and she expresses Veronica's cuteness in a way that the word "tsundere" does not do justice to. This film made me realize once again that mimicry and acting ability are in direct proportion.

(Text/Katsunori Takahashi)