2014 Fall Anime Mid-Year Review! Five notable works including "April is Your Lie" and "Shirobako" are introduced!

There are more than 50 new anime titles starting in the fall of 2014. It seems like quite a bountiful season, but it has already been about two months since the start of broadcasts. In this issue, anime writers will introduce five anime titles that all have different charms in the form of mid-term reviews.


April is Your Lie" is attracting attention for its high-quality performance scenes. Noitamina, which has released music-themed works such as "Nodame Cantabile" and "Sakamichi no Apollo," has opened a new page in its history.

SHIROBAKO" is a hot topic not only among anime fans but also within the industry. In addition to the work of the director and production staff, who are not well known, the characters are based on real people in the anime industry, which has also attracted a lot of interest.

Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryu no Ranbu" features a cast of talented voice actors led by Nana Mizuki. Despite the splendid cast, the story of a severe story in which the audience is at the mercy of a harsh fate has developed, and the audience was astonished by the story.

Tribe Crucle" has a relatively unusual structure, with the first half being a dance animation and the second half being a live-action part. The dance depiction is authentic, and the viewer should be able to feel the hot moves created by the animation and 3DCG.

Hi☆sCoool! Sehagirl," in which successive generations of hardware from game maker Sega are transformed into beautiful girls. This comedy features a large number of games, from classics that everyone knows to the latest titles currently in operation.


Interim reviews of the above five works are included below. Don't miss out on these fall anime that are getting more and more exciting.

April is Your Lie
Kimio Arima, a boy who is a traumatized former pianist prodigy, and Kaori Miyazono, a violinist whose creative performances captivate audiences. Kimio's monochrome mind is colorfully colored by his encounter with Kaori. The dancing cherry blossoms that symbolize Kaori, as well as the violent depiction of fresh blood flowing from Kosei's head, are nothing but proof that his body still retains its color. The blue eyes, emphasized by the transparent temples of his dark glasses, gradually draw the viewer's attention away from his body.

The highlight is episode 4, in which the two artists compete in a contest, but episode 5, in which a single artist draws the original pictures, is also very moving. The sometimes daring deformation of the expression is so reminiscent of Kaori's performance style. Seeing such brilliant workmanship, no one will be as angry as Mr. Kazama in the main story. We will continue to follow "April is Your Lie," which will reach its finale next spring at the same time as the completion of the original work.

SHIROBAKO
This film focuses on the production processors, who are involved in almost all stages of anime production, as well as the director, voice actors, and other various positions. The episodes that left a strong impression on me were episodes 5 and 6, in which there was a dispute over whether to use drawing or 3DCG for the showpiece scenes. Endo, an animator, was not satisfied that his cut was changed to 3D. When he finally says that he will quit the series he is in charge of, he learns that a veteran animator he respects is now active in the field of 3D. And instead of honestly accepting the advice of his predecessors and deciding to return to the field ......, his words cause even more confusion.

This is precisely the reason why "SHIROBAKO" does not fall into the category of a mere job introduction anime. What was it that changed his mind that had remained unmoved by the advice of the senior animators? This is where you can sense the unshakable confidence and pride of the staff.

Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryu no Ranbu
A princess who had been living a life without any inconvenience is led down a path of downfall when she is revealed as "Mana," a Norma who is incapable of using magic. The shocking nature of the production is one of the most shocking in this season's anime. The depiction of being stripped of her clothes, subjected to the humiliation of a physical examination, and imprisoned on a remote island in the middle of nowhere is a hard-hitting depiction reminiscent of a female prisoner story. The action in which he and the Norma girls hunt dragons as riders of a transformable humanoid weapon is also vivid, and the thrill of not knowing who will be sacrificed next accelerates the story.

The protagonist, Ange, is also a character who is not a simple person. She doesn't treat the other Normas as human beings, she immediately throws away the gifts she receives in the trash, and she even makes a crack about the director in the next episode's preview. However, as the story progresses, Ange changes, and the episodes are full of variety, including one in which she wears a bathing suit. This is one of the most unpredictable of the fall season's productions, so be sure to keep an eye out for it.

Tribe Kurukuru" (Tribe Kurukuru)
The main character, Haneru, dances daily in front of a mirror in a historical museum. The mirror is a magic mirror, and a girl named Kanon is peeping at her dancing in the room. The situation alone is fascinating, but as Kanon watches Haneru dance, she begins to dance. The two dance synchronized across the mirror. Before long, the sun sets, the magic mirror becomes transparent, and now Haneru witnesses her dancing.

The composition is truly brilliant in that the moment the positions of the two are reversed, the story begins to move. The theme of the dance battle, in which the winner is determined by the audience's reaction, and the detailed depiction of "being seen" are also interesting. Haneru dances according to her instincts without regard to the audience, while Kanon, who has a complex about her height, is overly concerned about what others think. How will these two opposites grow up? The film is a free-flowing parody of old and new cartoons and movies (Hitchcock!). ), and other free-flowing production elements draw the viewer in.

Hi☆sCoool! Sehagirl
Sega's previous hardware games, personified as beautiful girls, compete with the company's games in a dream come true. The appearance of popular characters from "Virtua Fighter" and "Space Channel 5," including the signature character Sonic, in polygons from the time of their creation is unforgettably moving. The overstuffed graphics, including a variety of parodies flying across the screen, nostalgia-inducing background music and sound effects, eye catches that make you read the over 100-word glossary in 2.5 seconds, and the enthusiastic, sweaty hands of Mr. Center, overflow with the SEGA feel of yesteryear.

While such touches unintentionally make our cheeks relax, we feel a touch of sadness because we know that Sega has already left the hardware business. Sega has already withdrawn from the hardware business and relocated its headquarters from Otorii, the setting of this work, to Shinagawa. Yes, this is a dream. It is indeed a dream. Then, we are brought back to reality by the ending theme, in which "intellectual creation," "abundant wisdom," "youthful power," and other things that middle-aged otaku have lost are called out one after another. What am I to do now that I am no longer young enough to read the word "universe" as "firmament" ......? Putting such concerns aside, for now I just want to enjoy 15 minutes of bliss.

(Text: Katsunori Takahashi)