Anime Column] Midterm Review of Summer 2016 Anime by Anime Writers

This corner introduces the hottest new TV anime titles. This time, we will introduce five new works: "Amazu to Inazuma" based on a gourmet manga serialized in "good! Afternoon"; "Time Travel Girl: Mari Waka and 8 Scientists" based on a biography of a great man; "B-PROJECT - Kodo*Ambitious" depicting the brilliance of 10 handsome idols; a new national anime series " Crayon Shin-chan Gaiden: Alien vs. Shinnosuke" and the traditional Taiwanese puppet show "Thunderbolt Fantasy: Touri Jien-Yuki," the lineup includes five titles; we hope you will take a look back at the summer 2016 anime so far and prepare for the climax of the year.

Amazu to Inazuma

A daily gourmet anime about a high school teacher, Kohei Inuzuka, who has lost his wife, and his daughter, Tsumugi, who loves to eat, and her student, Kotori Iida, a high school girl, who challenges them to cook. Although there are almost no scenes in which the father and daughter mention their deceased mother, her absence from their former lives there comes to the fore from the refrigerator that is too big for two people to live in, the double bed, and the family car that takes the daughter to kindergarten.

Perhaps because of their position as teacher and student, Kohei and Kotori turn their backs to each other in conversation at school. It is also impressive that the two look in the same direction and face the same ingredients only when they are cooking. The moment captured in this special moment of making and eating rice together is soothing.

Time Traveling Girls: Mari Waka and the Eight Scientists

This science adventure begins when junior high school student Mari Hayase is caught in a time slip in her father's laboratory. She is transported back in time and meets William Gilbert, known for his research on static electricity, Benjamin Franklin, who proved that lightning is electricity, Aleksandr Volta, who created the battery, and other scientists who devoted themselves to the invention and discovery of electricity. This film allows viewers to enjoy and learn about the research results they left behind as well as the culture of the time.

In episode 4, Mari's father Eiji, who had disappeared, appears. With a stun gun in his hand, he yells "Lectric Punch! and knocked down an Austrian soldier to save Volta's life. The scene in which he shows the stun gun, saying, "This is also the result of your invention," is a famous scene that reminds us that scientists' research is connected to our daily lives. Another point is that the equipment in the laboratory looks somewhat like a robot animation. Perhaps it is because the theme of the work is electricity.

B-PROJECT~Kodo*Ambitious

An anime adaptation of a virtual idol project comprehensively produced by T.M.Revolution's Takanori Nishikawa and planned and written by Chiyomaru Shikura of MAGES. While the handsome members of B-PROJECT shine brightly, the story also focuses on the gritty side of the idol industry, such as when a record company forbids them from appearing on a TV show and forces them to wear cat-ear costumes for a photogravure shoot.

Senior artist Takanori Nishiyama appeared in the outdoor live festival episode wearing the "HOT LIMIT" suit, showing that even after 18 years, he still wears the cutting-edge costume. The "O-hoshi-sama Curry" that was used as a tie-in in the film was actually sold as merchandise.

Crayon Shin-chan Gaiden: Alien vs. Shinnosuke

Crayon Shin-chan," celebrating the 25th anniversary of its TV anime, is now available as a distribution-only spin-off. Directed by Michio Mihara, who worked on "SHIN-MEN" as a storyboard writer, director, and supervisor; script by Kimiko Ueno, known for her horror and absurd developments; and character design by Yuichiro Sueyoshi, who worked on many important parts in the movie version. The members, who have delivered sharp episodes in the past, take on the challenge of a sci-fi thriller in the series' first online drama.

The story begins when the Nohara family wakes up in a strange spaceship. In a situation reminiscent of a locked room drama such as the movie "Alien," a psychological drama unfolds with the other passengers on board. The pipes that stretch throughout the ship not only create an eerie worldview, but also play a role in the unrestrained action. The ending theme is an arranged version of the famous song "Ora wa ninkimono," and there is a sudden reference to Akiko Hinagata, which is sure to make old fans grin.

Thunderbolt Fantasy: Touri Kyouki

Gen Ubuchi, creator of the "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" series, has teamed up with Taiwan's Hotei Theatre to produce this martial arts fantasy puppet show. The gorgeous costumes and the witty dialogue are appealing, but the highlight of the show is the action. When the puppets cross swords, blood spurts from the dolls, their limbs are shredded, and their heads fly high into the sky. When the dolls die out, they explode. The succession of such surprising scenes is guaranteed to send you into a frenzy. Effects such as rain, wind, dust, and lightning also add to the intensity of the battles.

Those who are accustomed to watching animated films are also surprised by the fact that the subjects of the dolls do not collapse, whether in close or distant views. This is a work in which the power of the material can be felt.

(Text by Katsunori Takahashi)