Anime Writer's Choice: Winter 2020 Anime Wrap-Up Review! Don't Mess with the Visual Arts Institute!" Kedama no Gonjiro" and 5 more! [Anime Column

A comprehensive review of some of the most notable anime completed in March 2020! Science SARU's visual adaptation of "Don't Mess with the Image Lab! Kedama no Gonjiro," which ran for a year, and "Uchitama? ～The "Uchi-tama? -", the fantasy "Airborne Dragons" serialized in "good! afternoon", and the original title "ID:INVADED ID:INVADED".

Don't mess with the Video Lab!

An anime adaptation of a popular comic in which three high school girls take on the challenge of creating an animated film, this episode 7 avant-garde episode inserts a scene in which Mizusaki Tsubame, an aspiring animator, has an original experience that piqued her interest in animation. Tsubame shows her great-grandmother, who has lost the use of her legs and hips, a sketch of how a seated person stands up. The great-grandmother then gets the hang of the sketch and stands up without any help.
What makes this simple little story so memorable is that it clearly demonstrates that animation has the power to change reality. The cut to the great-grandmother taking one step at a time, depicted from her grandmother's perspective, is a view that the swallows would not have been able to see had they not become interested in animation. Come to think of it, the ED animation depicted the three of them walking, and in the logo movie of the Institute of Image Arts and Sciences, the character for "Ei" must have been walking. This is one work in which even the mere act of walking seems to shine.

Kedama no Gonjiro

Gonjiro, a mysterious creature whose entire body is made of hairballs, solves troubles with Makoto Maekami, a fifth grader, under the slogan "Hotto Kedama Ney. Just like Gonjirou, who can change his appearance into various forms such as a body builder or a cook by changing the buttons on his belly, the animation is also diverse in expression. The worldview, in which anything goes as long as it is interesting, will keep viewers entertained, from getting lost in the world of manga and turning black and white to a felt animation made of hair.
In episode 15, the climax of the first half of the series, Mako opens her eyes after training to slap a middle-aged man's buttocks. The story of Gonjiro, who is rhythmically slapping his own buttocks, is a hotly anticipated development. Of course, the royal storyline is also appealing. The conclusion of episode 46, in which people from all over the world cooperate to save the earth from a crisis, is a great episode that reminds us that yarn and buttons have the theme of connecting.

Uchi Tama? ～Do you know our Tama? ~...the personification of a popular character created in 1983.

The anthropomorphic project of a popular character created in 1983 is now available in animation. The main character Tama, who is always getting lost, is represented by his trademark buti (pigtails) in the coloring of his hair, allowing viewers to enjoy the appearance of these nostalgic characters as human beings.
The key point is that they are only depicted as humans, but in reality they are still animals. The scenes of them sitting cross-legged next to a kennel or lying under a car are adorable when they are animals, but when they are portrayed as people, the atmosphere instantly becomes chaotic. As if to match the visuals, the story escalates to sumo wrestling in loincloths and rap performances. Cute and chaotic come together in this film.

Airborne Dragons

Based on a fantasy comic book about the crew of the dragon-catching ship Quin Zaza, which travels around hunting dragons. While the dragons glowing beautifully in the sunlight and the beautiful scenery seen from the airship are a sight to behold, even more noteworthy are the fictional dishes made from dragon meat.
A devil's food made from a small dragon roasted whole, a terrine of caragimo wrapped in cabbage leaves, and an oversized cutlet made from a giant piece of meat deep-fried as it is, all of these dishes are sure to make one drool. The commentary by Kazuhiko Inoue, who plays the cook, is mysteriously persuasive and serves as a seasoning that makes the dishes even more delicious. The fact that the food is expressed in 3DCG rather than hand-drawn is also a departure from other gourmet anime, and is guaranteed to make viewers hungry.

ID:INVADED ID:INVADED

A science fiction mystery in which the main character, Akito Naruhia, enters the murderer's deep psychological world, Ido, and deduces the case as the famous detective Sakaido. The scene of the id varies depending on the murderer, but the corpse of a dead girl called Kaeru-chan is always present, and solving the mystery of her death leads to solving the case in reality.
The world of the deep mind is fictional, but the key point is that Sakeido neatly drops each ido one by one. It is impressive to see him repeatedly dying to arrive at the correct solution, and saving the victims who are already dead in the real world. Sakaido's kindness makes us believe that the difference between reality and fiction is not that great.

(Text by Katsunori Takahashi)

(C) 2020 Sumihito Daido, Shogakukan/"Sightseeing Laboratory" Production Committee
(C) SIE, SME, ANX, Shogakukan (C) Gonjiro Project
(c) Sony Creative Products/"UCHITAMA? Production Committee
(C) Tainori Kuwabara, Kodansha / Airborne Dragons Production Committee
(c) 2019 "id Invade" Production Committee