Anime Writers' Choice: Must-See Movies in GW Release - "Hibike! Euphonium" to "Norshtein

A review of anime-related films not to be missed during the Golden Week holidays. The following films will be reviewed: "Sound the Movie! Euphonium ~Oath Finale~", the annual familiar "Crayon Shin-chan: The Honeymoon Hurricane ~Lost Hiroshi~", "Toei Manga Festival" which is back after 29 years, the 23rd theatrical version of "Detective Conan: The Dark Blue Fist", and the documentary on Russian masters "Yury the Movie Norshtein: Creating the Cloak" will be presented.

Sound the Movie! Euphonium - The Oath Finale

The latest in the "Hibike. Euphonium" series about the Kita-Uji High School brass band! Euphonium" series. The main character, Kumiko Koumae, has advanced to the second grade and has been assigned as an instructor for the new members, but the first-year students are not a simple bunch of curmudgeons. Kumiko herself changes little by little as she interacts with these unique juniors.
In addition to scenes of the brass band aiming for the gold medal at the national competition, the film often includes off-camera footage. The vertical images, which seem to have been taken by the band members with their smartphones, are blurred and halated, but they convey the freshness of adolescence. The film is a diary of a time that is present only here and now. It is also a nice touch that the music from "Liz and the Blue Bird," which was released last year, is performed in full.

Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Honeymoon Hurricane - The Lost Hiroshi

The 27th "Crayon Shin-chan" movie is set in Australia. The Nohara family goes on a slightly delayed honeymoon, but Hiroshi is kidnapped by a mysterious masked tribe and the family is in danger of being split up. Can Shinnosuke and his friends rescue Hiroshi?
Misae's struggle to get her husband back is amazing, and the way she overcomes the crisis while breastfeeding Himawari is comical, yet somehow heartwarming. The nostalgic melodies performed at the climax of the film are impressive, including the song selection. Listening to her soaring voice, one is reminded of the fact that it is Naraha Shimiki as Misae who has played the role of the Nohara family for the longest time. The casting of Yoshitada Otsuka, who speaks an unfamiliar language, Aoi Yuki in an unexpected role, and Yoshio Kojima, who appears in his first role in 11 years, also shine in this film.

Toei Comics Festival

Toei Doga (now Toei Animation)'s omnibus entertainment series "Toei Manga Matsuri" is back after a 29-year absence. The lineup included four short films: " Our Three Sisters," " Bakutsuri Bar Hunter," " Risaikuru Zoo," and " Oshiri Tantei. In reviving the series, the director had commented, "I hope everyone will enjoy these films for real children." However, when the lid is opened, all four films are littered with undertones such as peeing, farting, and pooping, making one wonder what "for real children" really means.
The "Bakkozuri Bar Hunter," in which the enemy launches a triangular beam attack, which makes sense considering Toei's logo, is also of interest, but the most notable is "Oshiri Tantei," which is based on a picture book. Like the TV series, this title is actually a movie title in that you can't take your eyes off the work for a moment, as it has a participatory gimmick of finding the "oshiri" hidden in the book. I thought to myself, "Well, I've studied surface criticism, so I should be able to figure this out," and pretended to be an animation detective, but this was surprisingly difficult. I was struggling to find the buttocks without paying attention to the story, when I heard children's voices in the theater saying, "I found it! I found it!" children's voices began to rise here and there in the theater. The cut to a scene where the kids are pointing at the screen with smiles on their faces, but in the end, they still can't find the buttocks. Why is that? I've seen more cartoons than them! I can't believe I lost to such an anal retentive kid. ......

Detective Conan: Fist of Dark Blue

This one takes place in Singapore. Conan and his friends get caught up in a conspiracy surrounding the world's largest blue sapphire, the "Fist of the Navy Blue. The incident takes place at Marina Bay Sands, a landmark in Singapore. The exterior of the building with its huge ship on top makes a great impact, and the tourist attractions are carefully depicted, making the viewer feel as if he or she is enjoying a luxury resort.
The character of Kid the Phantom Thief, who freely flies through the sky, makes the beautiful scenery even more glittering, and the abundant use of English dialogue in the film is unique to this work, which is the first in the series to be set in a foreign country. The guest character is Kyogoku Makoto, a karate master who is undefeated in 400 fights. Many of the characters in "Conan," including Ran, are strong-willed, but it will be interesting to see how the power of another dimension is expressed in this film!

Yury Norshtein: Creating the Cloak

This is a documentary film that explores the essence of Yury Norshtein, one of Russia's leading animation artists. The master animator has been making "The Cloak," based on Gogol's novel, for more than 30 years, but there are almost no actual scenes in the film, which is composed mainly of interviews with Norshtein and footage of his past works. When he is blamed for the fact that many fans are eagerly awaiting the completion of the film, and when he goes on to say, "When I start shooting, it's over quickly," and "No director could shoot faster than me," the audience is puzzled, wondering if the title of this film would be more appropriate: "Yury Norshteyn, I'll get serious from tomorrow," but he says, "I'll get serious from tomorrow. I have been thinking only about "The Cloak" for the past 30 years," he is not lying, as is evident from the large number of sketches that are plastered all over the walls of his studio.
I once shook Norshtein's hand when I was a student at one of his lectures, and I still remember his stature of well over 6 feet and his firm hands. I also remember his strong hands and his over 180-centimeter frame. I was impressed by his polite response to my blunt question, "Why did you do the voice-over for 'Jubei-chan'? The film includes a scene in which Norshteyn's large hand creates a character by overlapping small cutouts. This glimpse of the moment when animation is born will heighten our anticipation for "The Cloak.

(Text by Katsunori Takahashi)

(c) Ayano Takeda, Takarajimasya/"Hibike! Production Committee
(c) Yoshito Usui / Futabasha, Shin-Ei, TV Asahi, ADK 2019
(c) 2019 Toei Manga Festival Production Committee
(c) 2019 Gosho Aoyama / Detective Conan Production Committee