Review of "Kokumin Kimigayo": Digging deeper into the fusion of history and music

"Kokumin・Kimigayo": Screen Music that Colored the Dawn of Japanese Animation

Overview

"Kokumin・Kimigayo" is a Japanese animation released on January 1, 1930, and its media is classified as "other." The original work is an original anime, and was produced by Yokohama Cinema Shokai. The work is a short one-episode story of just four minutes. When it was released, it was called "Japan's first screen music," and attracted a lot of attention.

Production background and technology

"Kokumin Kimigayo" is a work that combines live action and animation, and is a noteworthy presence in the history of Japanese animation films at the time. In the work, iconic Japanese landscapes such as Ise Shrine, Futamiura, and Mount Fuji are shown in live action, and a white ball (bouncing ball) moves along a musical scale on a staff. This technique is thought to have been inspired by Max Fleischer's 1929 work "Ye Olden Melodie's."

Significance and influence of the work

"Kokumin Kimigayo" was produced at a time when Japanese animation was still in its infancy, and its technical experiments had a major influence on later animation production. In particular, the screen music format was accepted as a new form of entertainment that stimulated both the senses of sight and sound at the same time, and became an example of the importance of music in later animation works. It is also thought that this work, by combining traditional Japanese scenery with music, had the effect of enhancing the patriotism of the people.

Detailed explanation

Recommendations and ratings

Though short, "Kokumin Kimigayo" is a must-see for modern animation enthusiasts and history scholars due to its technical innovation and cultural significance. It should be especially praised for being the first Japanese film to use the screen music format, and it is a work that symbolizes the progress of Japanese animation technology at the time. Furthermore, by combining traditional Japanese scenery with music, this film succeeds in making a strong impression on the viewer both visually and aurally.

Related works and recommendation list

If you are interested in "Kokumin Kimigayo," we also recommend the following related works. These works also offer a fusion of early animation techniques and music.

• "A Tale of a Firefly" (Max Fleischer, 1929) - The work that inspired the "National Anthem"
• "Momotaro's Sea Eagle" (1943) - A work produced as a wartime propaganda animation.
• "Astro Boy" (1963) - A masterpiece from the period when Japanese animation began to develop in earnest.

summary

"Kokumin Kimigayo" is a Japanese animation released in 1930, and is a work that should be highly appreciated even today for its technical innovation and cultural significance. It is particularly noteworthy that it was the first Japanese film to adopt the screen music format, and that by combining traditional Japanese scenery with music, it left a strong impression on viewers both visually and aurally. This work is one that marks the dawn of Japanese animation, and is one that should be seen by many people.