Twilight of the Cockroaches: Exploring a unique worldview and profound themes

Twilight of the Cockroaches - Cockroach Tachinotasogare -

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

November 21, 1987 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Herald Ace

■ Eirin Number

112446

■Frequencies

105 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Director

・Director: Hiroaki Yoshida ・Animation Director: Toshio Hirata

■ Production

Animation Production: Madhouse Production Cooperation: Animation Staff Room Production: Hiroaki Yoshida, Hidenori Taga Production: TYO Kitty Film

■ Story

Mr. Saito is a designer working at an advertising agency. He is over 30 but still single and has no interest in women. His hobbies are building plastic models and cooking, and he is especially passionate about cooking. However, he has no interest in cleaning up after himself, and the kitchen is overflowing with dishes, making the Saito family a paradise for cockroaches. The cockroaches living in the Saito family home are the passionate and beautiful cockroach Naomi, her fiancé Ichiro, a city boy, Takashi the sportsman, Yasuo the humorous critic, Naomi's best friend Parsley, Naomi's grandfather who is knowledgeable about cockroach mythology, Ichiro's father who is an influential person in the cockroach country, Ichiro's mother, and the cockroach leader called the Professor. There are also veterans who survived the war with humans. The Saito family's meals are luxurious, including koshihikari rice, fresh meat and fish, German delicatessen, Norwegian sardines, and Bordeaux wine. For the cockroaches who live here, the time when they wandered in search of food was over, and they were entering an era of seeking a better quality of life. Just as Naomi and Ichiro were about to get married, a young cockroach named Hans escaped from the apartment country (Momoko's house). Naomi was instantly captivated by Hans. Hans returned to his home country leaving behind various troubles, but Naomi followed him. However, Hans' country was hell for cockroaches. Because of Momoko's hatred of cockroaches, innocent people died in the "cockroach trap" screaming the names of their families. In the midst of this crisis, the cockroach leader, Nyros, preaches that "After humans become extinct, a 'Millennium Kingdom' for the cockroaches will be realized, so let's do our best until then." Naomi and Hans fell in love amid the slaughter and hunger caused by humans. Meanwhile, at the Saito family, Ichiro was desperately searching for Naomi, and refused to cancel the wedding. However, on the night before the wedding, Momoko and Saito met by chance and fell in love. Naomi, who happened to return to the Saito family with Momoko, reunited with Ichiro and temporarily lost her memory due to the shock. The next day, Ichiro and Naomi's wedding became a "feast of death." Momoko, who hates cockroaches, found Ichiro and his friends after dinner with Saito and sprayed them with the "death spray." Naomi and Ichiro escaped with their lives, but for a moment they did not know what had happened. The professor said, "Let's meet Saito," but he was found dead the next morning. Momoko is the first woman Saito has seen in years, and when she tells him, "If you love me, do something about the cockroaches," he can't help but do nothing. And so the cockroach holocaust begins. The key to the fate of the cockroaches being killed one after another is hidden in the "mysterious cockroach myth." Naomi then gives birth to a child and leaves offspring.

■Explanation

This film combines live action and animation to depict cockroaches, who are detested by humans but still live tough lives. This is the debut film from director Yoshida Hiroaki, who started out in the commercial industry.

■Cast

・Mr. Saito/Kaoru Kobayashi・Momoko/Setsuko Karasuma・Mrs. Hosono/Eri Watanabe・Naomi/Atsuko Asano・Ichiro/Ichirota Miyagawa・Yasuo/Mitsuru Hirata・Parsley/Ryoko Takakura・Takashi/Kouzo Shioya・Professor/Hiroshi Yagyu・Alois/Takeshi Kusaka・Thora/Yayoi Kitabayashi・Gosuke/Keisuke Otori・Kantarou/Masato Tsujimura・Unchi/Tsutomu Sasaki・Fritz/Toshio Furukawa・Johen/Tsubasa Shioya・Commander/Yusaku Yara・Restaurant owner/Koichi Mori・Ichiro's mother/Taeko Nakanishi・Ichiro's father/Hajime Hana・Priest/Masato Ibu・Hans/Masato Furuoya・Naomi's grandfather/Tetsuro Tamba

■ Main staff

・Director / Hiroaki Yoshida・Screenplay / Hiroaki Yoshida・Producers / Hiroaki Yoshida, Hidenori Taga・Producers / Tatsumi Watanabe, Masamune Izumi・Character design / Hiroshi Kurogane・Cinematography / Kenji Misumi・Art / Kiichi Ichida・Music / Morgan Fisher・Sound / Ichiro Tsujii・Lighting / Masaaki Uchida・Editor / Seiji Endo・Production cooperation / Animation Staff Room <Animation Project>
・Producers: Iwa Yamaki, Masao Maruyama ・Animation Director: Toshio Hirata ・Animation Director, Character Design: Yoshinori Kanemori ・Animation Director: Kinichiro Suzuki ・Finishing Director: Hideko Kudo ・Director of Photography: Iwa Yamaki ・Cinematography: Kinichi Ishikawa ・Production Manager: Kuniaki Nagayama ・Assistant Animation Directors: Hiroyuki Ebata, Tatsuhiko Urahata, Hiroyuki Fukushima ・Assistant Animation Director: Kunihiko Sakurai

■ Theme songs and music

・TM
"Fantasia"
Lyrics: Kano Kaori Composition: Morgan Fisher Arrangement: Morgan Fisher Singer: Kano Kaori IN1
"Goofy Rock'n Roll"
Lyrics by Junko Oyama Composition by Ryo Matsuda Arrangement by Katsutoshi Hoshi Song by Ryo Matsuda・IN2
"Go to the Sea"
Composition: Kiyoshi Nobutoki, IN3
"God of Thunder"
Composed by J.P. Suits Performed by Tokyo Academic Wind Orchestra IN4
"Cobra is in dire straits"
Composed by: Osamu Tojibayashi and IN5
"Kakkun Cafe Talk Edition M-1"
Composer: Shun Fukui

Twilight of the Cockroaches - Detailed Review and Recommendation

■ Background and production of the work

Released in 1987, "Twilight of the Cockroaches" was director Hiroaki Yoshida's debut film, showcasing his unique perspective as he made the move from commercials to animation. Produced by TYO Kitty Film in collaboration with Madhouse and Animation Staff Room, the film is 105 minutes long and tells a self-contained story. It was distributed by Herald Ace and registered under the Eirin number 112446.

■ The depths of the story

"Twilight of Cockroaches" depicts the lives of cockroaches in the life of Mr. Saito, a designer working at an advertising agency. Mr. Saito is an avid cook, but he never cleans up after himself, so the kitchen has become a haven for cockroaches. The cockroaches are depicted as unique characters, including Naomi, Ichiro, Takashi, Yasuo, and Parsley, and the story contains a social message by depicting their lives, romances, and conflicts with humans.

Just before Naomi and Ichiro's wedding, Hans, a fugitive from Momoko's household, appears and steals Naomi's heart. However, Hans' country is a hellish place for cockroaches, and the story depicts Momoko, who hates cockroaches, killing many of them. Naomi and Hans fall in love, and a scene that symbolizes the conflict with humans unfolds. In the end, the love between Saito and Momoko determines the fate of the cockroaches, and the story concludes with Naomi having offspring.

■Character Analysis

Mr. Saito: Mr. Saito, played by Kobayashi Kaoru, is a single designer over 30 years old who is an avid cook but never cleans up after himself. While his lifestyle creates a haven for cockroaches, his romance with Momoko is the turning point of the story.

Momoko: Momoko, played by Karasuma Setsuko, is a character who hates cockroaches, and her actions greatly affect the fate of the cockroaches. Her character develops through her romance with Saito.

Naomi: Naomi, played by Atsuko Asano, is a passionate, beautiful cockroach who is soon to be married to Ichiro, but is attracted to Hans. Her actions are central to the story and represent the future of the cockroaches.

Ichiro: Ichiro, played by Ichiro Miyagawa, is Naomi's fiancé and a city boy. The story depicts his love for Naomi and his desperate search for her whereabouts.

Hans: Hans, played by Masato Furuoya, is a young cockroach who escapes from the Momoko family and captures Naomi's heart. His presence is what changes the fate of the cockroaches.

■Video and Music

"Twilight of the Cockroaches" features a unique visual expression that combines live action and animation. Director Hiroaki Yoshida's experience in making commercials is utilized, and there are many scenes with a strong visual impact. In particular, the scenes depicting the lives of cockroaches and their conflict with humans beautifully express the fusion of realistic animation and live action.

The music is by Morgan Fisher, and the theme song "Fantasia" and the inserted song "Goofy Rock'n Roll" add excitement to the story. In particular, "Fantasia," with its impressive singing voice by Kaori Kano, is highly regarded as a song that symbolizes the sorrow and hope of the cockroaches.

■ Social significance and message

"Twilight of Cockroaches" is a work that conveys a social message through the conflict between different species, humans and cockroaches. By depicting the lives and love affairs of cockroaches, it highlights the problems in human society and the difficulties of coexistence. In particular, the scene in which Momoko, who hates cockroaches, slaughters them is perceived as a message criticizing the human attitude of excluding others.

Additionally, the love between Naomi and Hans, and the scene where Naomi has offspring, are depicted as messages of hope and for the future. The words of Nyloth, who aims for a "millennial kingdom" of cockroaches, make us imagine a world after the extinction of humans, and appeal to the importance of environmental issues and coexistence.

■ Recommendations and ratings

"Twilight of the Cockroaches" is highly acclaimed for its unique visual expression and profound message. In particular, as director Hiroaki Yoshida's debut work, it foreshadowed his subsequent career, and his talent as a director who moved from the world of commercials to animation films shines through.

While this work depicts social issues, it also resonates with viewers by depicting the unique characters of the cockroaches and their lives and love lives. In particular, the love between Naomi and Hans and the love between Saito and Momoko are memorable scenes that symbolize the relationship between different species, humans and cockroaches.

The music was also written by Morgan Fisher, and the theme song "Fantasia" and the inserted song "Goofy Rock'n Roll" add excitement to the story. In particular, "Fantasia," featuring Kaori's impressive singing voice, is highly regarded as a song that symbolizes the sorrow and hope of the cockroaches.

"Twilight of the Cockroaches" is a work that deeply moves viewers as it contains a social message. In particular, it makes viewers think by depicting the difficulty of coexistence and environmental issues through the conflict between different species, humans and cockroaches. The reason I recommend it is because it is a fascinating work with unique visual expression, deep message, and unique characters. Please give it a watch.