2012 Spring Anime] In-depth reviews of "AKB0048," "Apollon on the Hill," "Nyaruko-san," and "Hyouka," which will celebrate their 10th anniversary this year! Anime 10 Years Ago!

In the world of anime, 10 years ago may seem like a long time ago, but at the same time, there are still active series being broadcast today. In this issue, we would like to take a look at what kind of works were broadcast in the world of TV anime during the winter cool of 10 years ago.

AKB0048

Starting with AKB48, mass idol groups have had a huge impact on the world of anime and comics, and one culmination is probably "AKB0048 (AKB zero zero forty-eight)".

This work is set in the year 0048 of the stellar calendar, the year in which humanity has escaped from Earth. In this world where entertainment is banned, it is the illegal idol "AKB0048" that sends dreams to the people. Girls are gathered from all over the world by audition and become research students, aiming to become members of the first army, the Assumed Members. The successor members are those who inherit the name of the legendary idol group "AKB48," which was active in the old days. In an era when entertainment is banned, the members cannot serve with half-hearted determination. Only those who endure intense lessons and training and have the "light of succession" in their hearts can become the successor members and the "Super Sacred Center Nova" who performs the center of all songs.

The concept of "AKB0048," an outlawed idol group regarded as terrorists, fighting against special forces that suppress the performing arts to deliver live performances, seems unprecedented and links to idols in the Heisei era. The world is in the age of warring idol groups, and if they do not fight and deliver their charm, they will not survive.

The AKB48 group is a group that continues to change with the graduation and reorganization of individual members, but in this work, the name of the group is carried on into the distant future through an assumed name system. In this work, the name of the group is carried on into the distant future through an assumed name system. Will our feelings disappear someday? This is a dreamlike fantasy that answers these questions for fans.

The film is directed by Shoji Kawamori, known for his "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross" series. The theme of "Songs and Battles" is maintained in the film, which depicts the growth of two research students, Nagisa and Eri, and their fierce battles with the puppet weapon "AKB0048 Live Suit". They break through the enemy's defense network with the battleship "Katyusha" and enter from satellite orbit with the variable assault stage ship "Flying Get" to perform a guerrilla live performance. The essence of Kawamori-ism can be seen in the powerful idea of using science fiction to connect two themes that seem to have no connection: singing and battles.

The main cast of this work consists of nine members selected through screening and auditions from the 200 members of the AKB48 group, and this is another interesting aspect of the large group of idols. In addition to the male-oriented "Magazine Special" and "Bessatsu Shonen Magazine," comic works were also published in "Bessatsu Friend," which at the time had a readership mainly of high school girls, and "Nakayoshi," which targeted elementary and junior high school girls. This is a phenomenon unique to AKB-related works, which are supported by a wide range of readers regardless of gender.

SAKAMICHI NO APOLON

The 34th episode of Fuji Television's "Noitamina" slot, known for its high-quality productions, was "Apollon on the Hill," an anime adaptation of Yuki Kodama's comic of the same title, a coming-of-age ensemble drama set in 1960s Sasebo, where two opposites, the sensitive boy Kaoru and the self-conscious Sentaro, strengthen their bond through jazz.

Based on the novel "This Manga is Amazing! 2009", the original work was voted No. 1 in the "Onna" (female) section. The anime version will be directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, who directed "Cowboy Bebop," and the music will be composed by Yoko Kanno, who also wrote the music for "Cowboy Bebop. Cowboy Bebop" is a masterpiece that made a strong impact in the animation world with its emotional story and jazz opening music. With its coming-of-age animation and music animation aspects, "Apollon on the Hill" has the best talents in the world.

A unique approach was taken in "Apollo on the Hill. The unique feature of "Apollo on the Hill" was the active use of musicians in the performance scenes, and the use of these musicians in the film. The piano player Kaoru is played by pianist Takashi Matsunaga, who made his major debut at the age of 17 and composed the opening song for "News Station" at the age of 18. Drummer Shun Ishiwaka provided motion for Sentaro's drumming. Junichi, whom Sentaro also considers his older brother, is sung by singer/songwriter Masayoshi Furukawa and played by trumpet player Shinpei Ryoke. Not only were sound recordings of the singing and performances used, but actual sessions were filmed with 10 cameras, and performance scenes were created from this footage.

Because performance and live scenes require more time and effort to draw than everyday scenes, 3DCG has been aggressively introduced in recent years in animation.

However, in this work, hand-drawn performance scenes are included in every performance. As mentioned above, the performance scenes are realistic and powerful because they are based on footage of actual sessions. In 2012, Mr. Matsunaga and Mr. Ishiwaka held a live performance, and it can be said that this is an anime that faces music head-on. In 2012, Mr. Matsunaga and Mr. Ishiwaka held a live performance, which is similar to the "inside man" live performances in today's idol anime.

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san

Nyaruko-san! Meow! Many of you may remember the high-tension phrase "Woo! It is an anime adaptation of Manta Aizora's light novel of the same title, and is nominally a "high-tension chaotic comedy.

Mahiro, an ordinary high school student, is attacked by a monster one day, but is saved by Nyaruko, a beautiful girl who calls herself the evil god Nyarlathotep. Nyaruko is an alien who has come to protect Mahiro and is an agent of the Planetary Protection Agency. Nyaruko lives in Mahiro's house and creates a commotion with her childhood friend, Kuko, and her classmate, Hasta, and other aliens.

The characters in this work are based on the Cthulu Mythos. The Cthulu Mythos is a horror story about the "Old Masters," absolute beings that cannot be overcome by humans, who go mad at the mere sight of them, as well as their dependents.

This is not a very suitable selection for a comedy, but the interesting thing about this work is that it adapts it to beautiful girls and boys. For example, Nyaruko is the evil god Nyarlathotep herself, and her countless manifestations are utilized as transformation abilities. Cujo is based on Cthugua, the god of fire who opposes Nyarlathotep. The setting of the short story "The One Who Dwells in Darkness" from the Cthulu Mythos, "Cthugua burns down the forest of Ngai, the home of Nyarlathotep," is reflected in "Haiyore! Nyaruko-san" reflects this. In other words, "Haiyore! Nyaruko-san" is also an anthropomorphic story based on the theme of the Cthulu Mythos.

The interesting thing about anthropomorphic works is that things with solid backgrounds become beautiful girls and boys, and the viewer can enjoy the work and deepen his or her understanding of the things that are the theme of the work. ...... When this work was broadcast, interest in the Cthulu Mythos grew, with bookstores running specials and videos explaining the original story being made. One of the joys of otaku activities is that by acquiring knowledge in this way, one can broaden one's horizons, such as by coming into contact with the original Cthulu Mythos and understanding Cthulu Mythos material in anime, games, and novels.

It is also noteworthy that Nyaruko and her friends are portrayed as otaku. This kind of self-affirmation of the otaku by the otaku is a characteristic event in otaku creation since the 2000s and symbolizes a certain brightness in the current otaku world.

Hyouka

An anime adaptation of a mystery novel by HONOBU Yonezawa.

Although it is a mystery, there are no murders or major incidents, but rather the unraveling of small mysteries in everyday life. The main characters are high school students who are members of the Classics Club, which is on the verge of being discontinued, and the mystery is, so to speak, life-size. The main character, Boutarou, is an "energy conservationist," while the curious Boutarou, who is fond of saying "I'm curious! the members of the Classics Club are life-size high school students who are easy to empathize with, and are ideal classmates who may or may not exist anywhere else. They are ideal classmates who are not likely to be found anywhere else. The story has a strong aspect of a school story and a coming-of-age story.

The strong light novel aspect was intentional, as Yonezawa felt that mystery and light novels were at the forefront of the genre at the time. This "life-size" feeling is skillfully expressed by Kyoto Animation, which has an established reputation for its drawings. The carefully drawn school and local scenery evokes nostalgia for working adults and empathy for students.

Yonezawa used to run a novel site on the Internet, and "Hyouka" was one of the works published there. After receiving favorable reviews on the site, he entered the Kadokawa Gakuen Novel Award and won the Encouragement Award in the Young Mystery & Horror category, marking his debut as an author. Currently, popular works on novel submission sites are being made into anime and comic books, and together with the example of "Hyouka," it shows how important a third party's point of view is in creative writing.

(Text by Shinichi Yanamoto)