[Staff Spotlight! Uncovering Treasured Works] "Jubei-chan" and "Jubei-chan 2" - Original period drama fantasy by director Akitaro Daichi of "God Begins ◎".

Anime is much more interesting when viewed through staff connections!
In this column, we will introduce some of the good works of the past that we would like to focus on in relation to the staff.

Original anime works written and directed by Akitaro Daichi

In January 2015, "Kami hajimetemashita ◎" began broadcasting. Many people are probably excited to see that the enjoyment is as stable and fun as the first season.

Kami hajimetemashita" is a TV anime series based on the comic of the same title by Julietta Suzuki, serialized in Hakusensha's "Hana to Yume" magazine. The first season began in October 2012 with a total of 13 episodes. It was a comedy about a cute heroine and a handsome messenger of the gods, and was well received by both men and women alike for its mild, relaxed atmosphere.

The series is directed by Akitaro Daichi. His representative works are "Kodomo no Toy," "Amazing! Masaru-san," and "Ojarumaru. He has been known for his comedies, sometimes lyrically depicting original girls' manga, sometimes delivering snappy gags with bullets flying around, sometimes soothing the viewer with a calm atmosphere, and sometimes making the viewer's heart clench with a serious drama.... ....... The director has created a succession of animations that are happy to be rolled around in the palm of his hand, manipulating the rhythm of the film with a free and easy hand.

If you find "Kami hajimetemashita" pleasant, you should definitely watch "Jubei-chan: The Secret of Lovely Eyeballs" and "Jubei-chan 2: Siberian Yagyu Strikes Back," two of Daichi's best works. Director Daichi wrote the original story, directed, and wrote the screenplay for these original animations, which seem to be packed with everything that makes them interesting.

It has many elements similar to "Kami hajimemashita" (God Begins), such as gag scenes with rapid-fire dialogue, the sadness of the characters' conflicting feelings, the comic dialogue between the comic duo characters reminiscent of Onikiri and Toratoru, and the narration in the style of a lecture. I hesitate to mention this masterpiece now, but if you have not seen it yet, I urge you to do so. It is a must-see.

The adorable "Jubei Yagyu II" is attacked by assassins one after another!

Jubei-chan: The Secret of the Lovely Eyeball" was broadcast in April 1999 (13 episodes). The sequel, "Jubei-chan 2: Siberian Yagyu Strikes Back," aired five years later in January 2004 (13 episodes), and although some of the staff and cast members have been replaced, the two works can be viewed as part of the same series.

The story is a "period drama fantasy" set in the present day. There are certainly staff members in the animation industry who love the declining "period drama" genre. And there have been many attempts to "create a period drama in animation. Jubei-chan" is one of the most successful examples. It is a fun and enjoyable anime that can be watched by a simple anime fan with no interest in period dramas, without thinking about it, and still be able to fully enjoy the real thrill of a period drama.

Nanohana Jiyu (nicknamed Jubei-chan), a cute junior high school student living alone with her father, meets ODAGO Koinosuke, a samurai who has lived for 300 years, and receives a pink heart-shaped "Lovely Eye Patch" and is named the second generation of Jubei Yagyu, a one-eyed swordsman of the early Edo period. With the Lovely Eye Patch, Jubei-chan is able to transform into a female swordsman with unrivaled swordsmanship. Though she herself does not want to become such a troublesome thing.

Jubei-chan is targeted by various assassins against her will. In "Jubei-chan: The Secret of the Lovely Eyepiece," the "Ryujoji clan," which was crushed by the Yagyu family 300 years ago and aims for reconstruction, challenges Jubei-chan to a fight. And in "Jubei-chan 2: Siberian Yagyu Strikes Back," Jubei-chan's enemies are the half-Japanese Yagyu Frisha, daughter of Jubei Yagyu, and the "Northern Yagyu Clan," who were driven to the distant land of Russia by the Edo Yagyu.

The fun of anime "all in one". Don't let up until the very end.

As is typical of director Daichi's work, the enjoyment of anime is "all-inclusive. Moe" and "Burn" are naturally included. The charm of the main character Jubei, who is described as "chubby and plump," makes you want to murmur "I love him," just like the other characters in the film, and the development of Jubei's determination to be a "hero" and go into battle is heartwarming. Jubei-chan's "hero" character is a heartwarming development as he decides to go into battle.

While the entire film is peppered with laugh-out-loud moments, the tense sword-fighting action (chanbara) scenes are really cool!　There is no difficult setting in this film. All you have to do is just watch the screen and enjoy the happiness of the animation.

Although various characters are lively and intertwined, the main theme is the love between father and daughter, especially the family love between father and daughter. Jubei-chan's father, Nanohana Aya, shows a little too much love for his daughter, but it becomes clear that this is due to certain circumstances in the past.

Because of the family relationship between father and daughter, what is neglected and lost cannot be regained. That is why we must protect what we want to protect with all our might and without missing a moment. Adult viewers will be able to empathize with Aya's feelings.

If you enjoyed the first season, please watch the second season as well. Compared to "Jubei-chan 2: Siberian Yagyu Strikes Back," "Jubei-chan 2: The Secret of the Lovely Eyeballs" delves more deeply into the emotions and drama of several characters, making it a more intimate experience. Combined with the performance of the inserted song sung by Ritsuko Okazaki, it is sure to make your eyes light up several times during the course of the show!　In the second season, the action scenes have increased in proportion and are more "captivating" in scale.

There are many unexpected characters who reveal their true identities, and when the story is over, you may find yourself saying, "It's not over yet! The film is full of unexpected revelations, and even when the story is over, there are plenty of "don't worry, it's not over yet! It is a superb entertainment that can be enjoyed until the very end.

(Text by YAMAYU)


＜Introduction
Jubei-chan: The Secret of the Lovely Eyepatch
Nanohana Jiyu, an ordinary junior high school student who wears a "lovely eye patch" left by the great swordsman Yagyu Jubei, wears the fighting spirit of the patch and assumes the name of the second generation Yagyu Jubei. However, the assassins of the Ryujoji Shinkage school attack her one after another...

Jubei-chan 2: The Siberian Yagyu Strikes Back
This is a sequel to "Jubei-chan: The Secret of the Lovely Eyepiece," which depicts the battle of Nanohana Jiyuu, a girl who has been chosen to be the second generation Yagyu Jubei. A year has passed since then, and a new assassin appears in front of Nanohana Jiyu, who has returned to being a normal girl, with the long-held dream of "overthrowing Jubei.