Anime Writers' Review of Winter 2019 Anime Wrap-Up! Introducing "The Promised Neverland," "The Wind Blows Strong," and 5 more! [Anime Column

We introduce the 2019 winter anime that has finally reached its final episode, the two-cour fall 2006 anime, as well as the popular works that have been distributed all over the web! We picked up "Yakusoku no Neverland" based on "Weekly Shonen Jump," "The Wind Blows Strongly" themed on the national sport Hakone Ekiden, "Mob Psycho II," the second season of the popular series, "Pingu in the City," a Swiss-born popular character, and "Love, Death & Robots" on Netflix! Netflix's "Love, Death & Robots".

The Promised Neverland.

This suspense anime follows Emma and Norman, who learn the truth behind the orphanage Grace-Field House, and plan a group escape with their friends. Director Mamoru Kobe dealt with a locked-room mystery in his previous film "Everything Becomes F THE PERFECT INSIDER," but in "The Promised Neverland" the orphanage where the children are confined is depicted as an eerie place, and the tension increases as the stage takes place inside the house.
Most striking is the use of color. Light rarely reaches the inside of the house, and the characters' skin changes color from orange by the flame of a lamp to blue by starlight. In the recollection after Norman tells Emma of his decision, only the memories are represented in their normal coloring, creating a vividly contrasting scene. The fact that this film appears to be a story about color is not unrelated to the fact that the flowers in the film were represented as depriving humans of their colors. The final scene, in which Emma bathes her entire body in the light of dawn and regains her own color, is a fitting end to "The Promised Neverland.

The Wind Blows Strong

A TV anime adaptation of a coming-of-age novel about ten students living in Take-seiso, a student dormitory at Kansei University, who aim to reach the top of the Hakone Ekiden (relay race). The 23 episodes depict a group of students with completely different personalities and abilities, including Kakeru (Kurahara Satoru), who is one of the best in the country but is troubled by a past trauma; Oji (Kashiwazaki Akane), who is a manga otaku and not very good at sports; and Haiji (Kiyose Haiji), who is the mastermind behind the plan. Since the race was broadcast on NTV, which actually relays the Hakone Ekiden, announcers were used for the live broadcast. The relay tickers and other information were also created in a very realistic manner.
There are many sports anime, but titles depicting long-distance running are rare. In this work, not only the athletes running on public roads, but also the streets along which they run and the people cheering them on are carefully depicted, reminding us that ekiden is a competition in which we pass through scenery that we will never see again. What happens to Haiji and his friends in the epilogue is unforgettable, perhaps because the theme of this work is ekiden.

Mob Psycho II

The second TV anime season of ONE's adolescent psychic manga. Compared to the first season, there are more urban battles, and the viewer is drawn into the psychic battles that unfold while destroying the surrounding architecture. The battle with Shimazaki, a teleporter who can read the movements of his opponents, is particularly spectacular. The idea of expressing instantaneous movement by having the background of the camera capturing Shimazaki change one after another is the coolest. The action sequences in the second half of the film are sure to make your hands sweat!
After the final episode, a completely new OVA will be produced. The special commercial shows the main character, Mob, and other familiar members soaking in a hot spring. Don't miss the latest work, which is scheduled to be shown at an event to be held on Tanabata.

Pingu in the City (2nd series)

The animation of the world's most famous penguin, Pingu, is back in 3DCG. The film takes place in the city from the Antarctic and depicts Pingu experiencing various jobs such as cook, firefighter, florist, and so on. The clay animation is reproduced in CG, and the warmth of the images is as if they were really made by kneading clay. Even the water splash effects look like clay, not to mention the low-sheen character models, so fans of the original series can enjoy the film without any sense of discomfort.
Pingu and his friends speak in the so-called "Pingu language," and all the characters are played by a cast of only two. Although we don't know what they are saying, it is addictive and makes us want to imitate their lines. Pingu's surprised face in each episode and the way he flashes his tongue at his sister Pinga are so cute that the time passes by quickly. All the episodes are enjoyable, but "Let's Make a Movie! is especially recommended.

Love, Death & Robots

Love, death, and robots. Everything you need for animation is in this wonderful title. Starting with an introduction in which the tap holes that hold the drawing paper in place turn into icons of hearts, robots, and skulls, the film is made up of 18 short stories full of extreme expressions. It is refreshing for those of us from countries where Article 175 of the Penal Code exists to see not only limbs blown off, but even genitalia depicted as they are.
The visual expressions are rich in variety, including photo-realistic, cartoon style, and even live-action mixed in. Each episode tells a completely different story, with the Red Army fighting monsters, being thrown alone into outer space, yogurt conquering the world, etc., and the obscenity of anything and everything is a pleasant surprise. The project itself is reminiscent of the omnibus anime "Robot Carnival," but perhaps it is the chaotic nature of the story that reminds viewers of game titles such as "Fallout" and "Borderlands.

(Text by Katsunori Takahashi)

(C) Kaiyu Shirai, Posuka Demizu/Shueisha, Yakusoku no Neverland Production Committee
(C) Kansei University Athletics Club Supporters Association
(C) ONE, Shogakukan/"Mob Psycho 100 II" Production Committee
(C) 2018 The Pygos Group (C) MATTEL, NHK, NEP, PP