Anime Writer's Choice: 5 Noteworthy Anime Films for Spring 2022! Anime Column

Spring is the season when the largest number of anime start each year, and according to Akiba Research Institute, the total number of anime for spring 2022 is more than 60. Among them, we will introduce five notable works. These include "Shikimori-san, Not Just Cute," based on a comic series in "Magazine Pocket," "Palipi Komei," serialized in "Weekly Young Magazine," "SPY x FAMILY," co-produced by WIT STUDIO and CloverWorks, and "BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls," planned, created, and produced by BN Pictures. BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls' Story-", and "Chiika", which is also undergoing numerous collaborations.

Shikimori-san is more than just cute.

This is a love comedy that follows the daily life of Izumi, a high school student with a constitution that attracts bad luck, and his girlfriend, Shikimori-san. Normally, Shikimori-san is cute, but when Izumi is in danger, her expression changes completely. She turns into a good-looking girl who saves the day by demonstrating her outstanding physical abilities.
The PV starts with a scene in which she saves Izumi from being run over by a truck. The contrast between her bright pink hair and her piercing blue eyes, which have been processed by the camera, is stunning. The bluish tint of some of her hair in some cuts and key visuals seems to ooze her toughness that cannot be hidden. Directed by Ryota Ito, with series composition by Yoshimi Narita and production by Animation Studio, the main staff of the fall 2021 anime "Senpai ga uzai junpai no hanashi no hanashi. The production team that portrayed a crass but dependable senior takes on the challenge of creating a cool and cute heroine this time.

Parisian Kongming

Zhuge Kongming, a well-known hero from the Chinese history book "The Legend of the Three Kingdoms," is reincarnated in modern Japan. He falls in love with the singing voice of a new artist, Eiko Tsukimi, and creates a sensation in the music scene as her military strategist, or manager. Renowned as a military genius, Kongming's production skills are also top-notch. He arranges the wits and strategies he once used on the battlefield for live performances, and the audience, hooked on his tricks, unwittingly becomes enamored with Eiko's performance. It will be interesting to see how the anecdotes of Confucius, such as "The Three Patronages," will be portrayed in the modern age.
The animation is produced by P.A. WORKS, which has produced many original works, and this is the first time for them to animate an original manga work. This title is also noteworthy in the sense that it will be set in Shibuya, the studio that has inspired viewers to make pilgrimages to sacred places through its beautiful depictions of regional cities.

SPY x FAMILY

The hit series, which received a huge response immediately after its serialization in Shonen Jump + began in March 2019, is finally being adapted into an anime. It is a spy action story in which Lloyd, a secret agent, Yol, an assassin, and Anya, a psychic, create the Forger family, a pseudo-family of father, mother, and daughter, and live under one roof while hiding their true identities from each other.
In the trailer, the Forger family is shown walking through the brick streets, taking pictures together, and other family-like activities. On the other hand, the scenes in which the Forgers are on a dangerous mission as spies are depicted in a series of short, powerful shots, and we can expect to see the same dynamic performance in the feature film. The cast features Takuya Eguchi as Lloyd, Saori Hayami as Yol, and Atsumi Tanesaki as Anya, all voice actors who have starred in many films. The storytelling is well-paced as each character reveals his or her inner life, and the balance between seriousness and comedy is enthralling.

BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls' Story

This original title from BN Pictures, which will soon be reorganizing the BANDAI NAMCO Group, is based on the theme of golf. It opens a coming-of-age story of two geniuses who have taken opposite paths: Eve, who earns her living by betting on golf, and Aoi Amawashi, who is an ace at a prestigious golf school. In this music video, Aoi Amawashi takes a series of flashy shots under the bright sunshine. The singing voice of Kamie Hirose, who sings the anime theme song for the first time in 20 years, matches the refreshing worldview of the film.
The casting of Toru Furuya as Reiya Amuro, the golf club advisor, and Shuichi Ikeda as Eve's mentor, Leo Mirafoden, is a masterpiece that showcases the organizational skills of the Bandai Namco Group. Furuya, known for his love of golf, also delivers a variety show in which he and Hirose take lessons together, and there are multiple hooks for golf beginners to enjoy.

Chiikawa

The popular Twitter manga "Chiikawa" is now available as a short anime. The "Chiikawa fortune-telling," which has been airing since January, is all about cuteness, but the anime's official website says that the story is about "pink," which is Chiikawa's weapon of choice. The pink sasumata, Chiika's weapon, is also clearly visible on the official anime website, and expectations are high for the visualization of yet-unseen scenes of her defeat.
Like "Chiikawa Fortune-Telling," the program will be aired on Fuji Television's information program "Mezamashi TV" from around 7:40 a.m. The program will be broadcast in the same time slot as "Chiikawa Fortune-Telling. The fact that it is aired at a time when daytime and nighttime are reversed, a difficult time zone for anime fans, can be said to be typical of "Chiikawa," which is known for its serious plot development.

(Text by Katsunori Takahashi)

(C) Maki Hotarugo, Kodansha / Shikimori-san Production Committee
(C) Yotsuba Yuto, Ryo Ogawa, Kodansha / "Paripi Komei" Production Committee
(C) Tatsuya Endo/Shueisha/SPY x FAMILY Production Committee
(C) BNP/BIRDIE WING Golf Club
(C) NAGANO/Chiikawa Production Committee