Anime Writer's Choice: 5 Anime Films to Watch During Golden Week! [Anime Column

The lineup of anime films to watch during Golden Week 2022 includes "ODD TAXI IN THE WOODS THE MOVIE," which brings the hits of 2021 to the screen; "Crayon Shin-chan Mononoke Ninja Chinpuden the Movie," celebrating the 30th anniversary of the anime; the 10th anniversary project "The Movie RE:cycle of the PENGUINDRUM [Part 1] Your Train is a Survival Strategy," "I, Tokidoki Lesser Panda" available on Disney+, and "Mobile Police Patlabor 2 the Movie" to be broadcast on BS12 on May 8.

Odd Taxi in the Woods: The Movie

This original ensemble drama about a mute cab driver named Odokawa (Odokawa) and the strange passengers he takes for rides became a hidden hit in 2021. While the film is a compilation of the TV anime, it adds a new perspective to the story by interweaving new parts. While the unexpected placement of the interview at the coffee shop as the main part of the story was a surprise, the development of the story as the situation gradually becomes clear is just like the TV series. The storyline is not only mysterious, but the way it is presented is also a reminder that the charm of "Odd Taxi" lies in the way it is told.
As the title suggests, "Witness the 'aftermath' of the shocking ending," the story also depicts the development after the last episode of the TV anime. Although there is a certain amount of confusion about the finalization of elements that had been left to the viewer, it is truly emotional to think that the support of so many fans led to the film and won it the ending it did.

Crayon Shin-chan Mononoke Ninja Chinpuden: The Movie

The theme of the 30th film is ninjas. The guest character Chiyome Hezogakure is pregnant. The film is filled with sword fights performed while carrying a large belly, and a highlight in the beginning is the puppet puppet technique, in which a puppet is controlled by a thin string tied around the finger. The scene where the puppets fight against a group of ninjas in the cramped quarters of the Nohara family is outstandingly cool, as is the synchronization between Chiyome and the puppets. Of the 100 or so theatrical animated films that are released each year, "Kureshin" is probably the only one that focuses on pregnant women.
On the other hand, the breakthrough power of Shinnosuke, the main character, cannot be overlooked. Shinnosuke is taken to a ninja village, and instead of wearing the ninja costume provided for him, he wears Chiyome's secondhand one. The five-year-old, who chooses a pink costume that was probably intended for a kunoichi (a ninja) based on his mood, breaks all the old traditions of the village and changes the villagers' mindset. This is a film that makes one feel the history of 30 years as the protagonist of a TV show that used to be a regular on the "TV shows you don't want your children to watch" list displays his righteousness with ease.

RE:cycle of the PENGUINDRUM the Movie [Part 1] Your Train is a Survival Strategy

Original TV animation "RE:cycle of the PENGUINDRUM," directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara and broadcast in 2011, is reconstructed for theatrical screening. The first 12 episodes of the series run through the story of twin brothers of the Takakura family, Kanba and Shoma, who are ordered by a mysterious penguin hat to search for "Pingu Drum" in order to save their sick sister, Himari. The new images that are interspersed between the episodes use the same technique used in "Sarazanmai" of blending live-action backgrounds with drawn characters, so that they look natural on the huge screen of a movie theater. The new film gives the viewer a strange sensation of being in the real world, or of being lost in the medieval world, and serves as a break from the raging storyline.
The film was a hit when it first aired with its powerful catchphrase, "To those of you who surely cannot become anything, I tell you. Ten years have passed since then, and those of us who have come to the theater to prove that the catchphrase was right are now confronted with a different line. We will have to wait for the second part of the film, which will be released in July, to see how the new words, with only a few letters changed but with a completely different meaning, will lead us to the conclusion of the film.

Sometimes I am a Lesser Panda

Set in Canada in 2002, this is a family comedy about a 13-year-old girl, Mei, who goes on a rampage as a giant red panda. As the director says, May is a nerd, and her adolescent behaviors are comically and critically expressed. For example, the scene in which her mother discovers a fancy doodle she drew imagining a handsome guy in the neighborhood is so realistic that it makes the viewer break out in a cold sweat, reminding us of the atmosphere at that time when nerd interests were still not so public. The film is also unique in that it incorporates many techniques familiar to Japanese animation, such as the twinkle in the eyes when she sees her favorite male idol and the brief black-and-white effects when she transforms into a red panda.
Although the method of canceling the theatrical release and distributing the film exclusively after showing the trailer in movie theaters cannot be overlooked, the making-of featurette can be easily enjoyed after the film is over, which is an advantage of the distribution service. In the making-of featurette, many fan artworks drawn by the staff members as children are generously exposed, reminding us that each and every one of the staff members is May.

Mobile Police Patlabor 2 the Movie

Mobile Police Patlabor 2 the Movie," released in 1993 and directed by Mamoru Oshii, will be broadcast on TV in its original sound version. While it is not uncommon for the original version to be more appealing than the sound renewal version, "PATLABOR 2" is unique in that the original version is clearly less theatrical, but somehow attracts the viewer's attention. The casting of non-professionals for all but the main characters gives the film a strange realism.
It is easy for anime fans to ignore the phantom bombing scene, but when the head of the defense department at the air defense command post says, "Turn back the FS (support fighters) heading south immediately," it is hard not to end the line with "heading south," just like in the original. The stiltedness of the line gives the impression of his unreliability and makes us want to imitate him. Other lines that I would like to say out loud, such as "You've got to be kidding me," "The situation, Gus! and "Situation, gas!" are just a few of the lines you'll want to say out loud in "Pato 2. So, get your throat conditioned and get ready for the on-air broadcast on May 8.

(Text by Katsunori Takahashi)

(C) P.I.C.S. / Odogawa Transportation Partners Inc.
(C) Yoshito Usui / Futabasha, Shin-Ei, TV Asahi, ADK 2022
(C) 2021 Ikuni Chowder / Pingrove Union
(C) Disney
(C) 1993 HEADGEAR / BANDAI VISUAL / TOHOKUSHINSHA / Production I.G