The appeal and reviews of "Muramatsuri": Exploring the deep worldview of the anime

The charm and historical significance of "Muramatsuri"

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

October 1930

■Frequencies

4 mins

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Director

Nobuo Ofuji

■ Production

Chiyogami Film Company

■ Story

White balls and the puppy Chinkoro Heita bounce along to the rhythm of the lyrics of the Ministry of Education song, "Village Festival."

■Explanation

An animation in which lyrics appear on the screen in sync with the Ministry of Education song "Mura Matsuri" on Victor Records. A record-talkie. It was inspired by the technique created by American filmmaker Fleischer in his "Screen Song Series."
Source: History of Japanese Animation Films, p.202

The historical background and behind-the-scenes story of "Muramatsuri"

"Village Festival" is a Japanese animated film released in 1930, and has great historical significance. This film adopted the innovative technique of synchronizing with the Ministry of Education song "Village Festival" on Victor Records, which gave a fresh surprise to the audience at the time. Director Ofuji Nobuo learned the techniques created by American Fleischer in his "Screen Song Series" and incorporated them into Japanese animation, establishing his own unique style.

Village Festival was produced by Chiyogami Eigasha, a company that was ahead of its time in both technology and creativity, and has produced many groundbreaking works. Village Festival is one of these films, providing entertainment that stimulates both the eyes and the ears in just four minutes.

The story unfolds to the lyrics of the Ministry of Education song "Mura Matsuri (Village Festival)." The sight of the white ball and the puppy Chinkoro Heira bouncing along to the rhythm brings joy and delight to the viewers. The synchronization of the lyrics and images is particularly appealing to children, and has a high educational value.

Technical features and influences of "Muramatsuri"

"Muramatsuri" was produced using a technique called record-talkie. This synchronizes Victor Record's songs with animation, allowing viewers to read the lyrics while watching the film. This technique was first introduced by American filmmaker Fleischer in his "Screen Song Series," and Japan learned this technique and developed it in its own way.

Technically, the synchronization of sound and video was crucial and required precise work. Synchronizing sound and video was particularly difficult with the technology of the 1930s, and required a great deal of trial and error. However, the resulting film, Village Festival, provided audiences with a new entertainment experience and helped to expand the possibilities of animation.

"Village Festival" also had educational value. The Ministry of Education song "Village Festival" was often used in school education and was used as a teaching material to help children memorize the lyrics. By combining animation with song, children were able to memorize the lyrics while having fun, and the educational effect was high. From this point of view, "Village Festival" can be said to be a work that shows new possibilities in the fusion of education and entertainment.

Evaluation and reception of "Muramatsuri"

"Village Festival" was highly praised when it was released. It was especially popular among children and families, drawing large audiences when it was shown in theaters. Entertainment that stimulated both the visual and auditory senses was a fresh experience for audiences at the time, and many people were drawn to its appeal.

It also received high praise from experts. In the history of Japanese animation, "Muramatsuri" was evaluated as "learning from the techniques created by American animation director Fleischer in the 'Screen Song' series," and its technical innovation was highly praised. Furthermore, its educational value was also recognized, and its use in school education was recommended.

On the other hand, the story of "Mura Matsuri" had to be developed in a short time of four minutes, which was a constraint. Some people said that it ended before the audience could get deeply into the story, but it is certain that many people were drawn to its charm.

The contemporary significance and recommendation of "Muramatsuri"

"Village Festival" was released in 1930, and is an old work from a modern perspective. However, its historical significance and technical innovation should still be appreciated today. In particular, the technique of synchronizing animation and music is often seen in modern animation, and "Village Festival" was a pioneer in this field, making it very significant.

The educational value of the song is still relevant today. Children can learn the lyrics while having fun, which is important in modern education, and "Village Festival" will help them achieve this. Furthermore, "Village Festival" is a recommended work as entertainment that the whole family can enjoy.

The reasons why I recommend "Muramatsuri" are as follows.

• Historical Significance: This work is of great significance as it demonstrates the technological innovation of Japanese animation in the 1930s.
• Educational value: Children can learn the lyrics while having fun, making it highly educational.
• Entertainment: As entertainment that stimulates both the visual and auditory senses, it can be enjoyed by the whole family.

As mentioned above, "Village Festival" is a work that combines historical significance, educational value, and entertainment value, and is a work that can be recommended to many people even today. I would like you to watch it at least once and experience its charm.