The appeal and reviews of "NINETEEN 19": The depth of an anime that depicts the brilliance of youth

"NINETEEN 19": A stylish love story depicting the brilliance and sadness of youth

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

July 27, 1990

■Release and sales

Shueisha, Victor Music Industries

■Frequencies

45 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Kitagawa Sho

■ Director

Koichi Chiaki

■ Production

Produced by Madhouse, Shueisha, Victor Music Industries

■ Story

Kazushi Kubota is a sensitive 19-year-old. By chance, he meets his high school classmate and crush, Masana Fujisaki, at a disco. Kazushi is intimidated by Masana, who has transformed into a popular model, but...

■Explanation

Kitagawa Sho, known for "B.B. Fish", "Hotman", "BENGO!", etc., has made an original anime version of the same-named series that was serialized in Weekly Young Jump. The director and storyboard artist is Chiaki Koichi.
A stylish love story set in the living spaces of Roppongi, Aoyama, and Shibuya, depicting the real lives of university students set to the sound of Toshiki Kadomatsu. Many popular voice actors, including Masaya Onosaka, Hiromi Tsuru, Kouichi Yamadera, and Kappei Yamaguchi, appear in the film.

■Cast

・Kubota Kazushi/Onosaka Masaya/Fujisaki Masana/Tsuru Hiromi/Kawahara Kazuya/Yamadera Koichi/Kusano Hiroaki/Yamaguchi Kappei/Yagi/Koyasu Takehito/Eiko/Tamagawa Sakiko/Miko/Amano Yuri/Utako/Mitsuishi Kotono/Model A/Naka Tomoko/Model B/Kobayashi Yuko/Store manager/Obayashi Ryusuke

■ Main staff

・Producers: Hiroshi Watanabe, Toshio Ikuaki・Original story: Sho Kitagawa・Planning: Yuko Sakurai, Weekly Young Jump・Producers: Masao Maruyama, Kazuo Nakano, Isamu Senda・Director, Storyboard: Koichi Chiaki・Screenplay: Yuji Kawahara・Character design, animation director: Takayuki Onda・Art director: Yuji Ikeda・Director of photography: Kinichi Ishikawa・Sound director: Yasunori Honda・Theme song and music: Toshio Kadomatsu・Music: Hiroshi Sakamoto・Produced by: Madhouse・Produced by: Shueisha, Victor Music Industries

■ Main Characters

The protagonist is Kazushi Kubota. He is a student at Daikanyama Gakuin University. He works part-time at Coffee Do. His favorite car is an Isuzu Gemini.
・Masana Fujisaki A classmate of Kubota's in junior high school and the object of his unrequited love. She works as a model while attending a vocational school.
・Kawahara Kazuya Fujisaki's ex-boyfriend.
Hiroaki Kusano: Kubota's best friend since middle school. A student at Daikanyama Gakuin University.
・A classmate of Yagi Kubota from junior high school.

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
“I MUST CHANGE MY LIFE & LOVE FOR ME”
Lyrics by Toshiki Kadomatsu Composition by Toshiki Kadomatsu Arrangement by Toshiki Kadomatsu Vocals by Toshiki Kadomatsu・TM
"Desire"
Lyrics by Toshiki Kadomatsu Composition by Toshiki Kadomatsu Arrangement by Toshiki Kadomatsu Vocals by Toshiki Kadomatsu・IN1
"Miss you"
Lyrics: Kumi Shoji Composition: Kumi Shoji Arrangement: Masataka Matsutoya Vocals: Kumi Shoji・IN2
"BOYS"

・IN3
"Don't ever hurt me"
Lyricist: Mike Dunn
Composed by Tomohito Aoki, Arranged by Yuzo Hayashi, Sung by Akira Okazawa, IN4
"Storm of Usubeni"
Lyrics by: Kimiyo Sato Music by: Kumi Shoji Arrangement by: Masataka Matsutoya Vocals by: Kumi Shoji, IN5
"One and only lover"
Lyrics/Hiroshi Sakamoto Composition/Hiroshi Sakamoto Arrangement/Hiroshi Sakamoto Singer/Hiroshi Sakamoto

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

"NINETEEN 19" was released as an OVA in 1990 and is based on the manga of the same name by Sho Kitagawa. This work is known as a stylish love story that depicts the brilliance and sadness of youth. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and features of the work, as well as recommended points.

■ The appeal of the story

The protagonist, Kazushi Kubota, is a 19-year-old college student attending Daikanyama Gakuin University. By chance, he meets his middle school classmate and idol, Masana Fujisaki, at a disco. Masana has transformed into a popular model, and Kazushi is intimidated by her dazzling appearance. However, their reunion leads to a gradual development in their relationship.

The story of this work realistically depicts the bittersweetness and sadness of youth, and resonates with viewers. It carefully depicts the gap between Kazushi's pure love and Masana's glamorous world, as well as the process by which their relationship develops. It also depicts friendship and rivalry, making it a rich youth drama.

■Charm of the characters

Kazushi Kubota is a pure and straightforward character who is well liked by viewers. His love and conflicts are depicted realistically, making him an easy character to sympathize with. On the other hand, Masana Fujisaki is a character who combines a glamorous life as a model with a delicate inner self, and her charm draws viewers in.

The supporting characters, such as Kubota's best friend Kusano Hiroaki and Masana's ex-boyfriend Kawahara Kazuya, are also appealing. Kusano in particular is a good friend of Kazushi's, and you can feel the depth of their friendship. Kawahara adds tension to the story as Kazushi's rival, but his character is also deep and is appreciated for not being simply a villain.

■ The appeal of music

The music for this work was written by Toshiki Kadomatsu, whose sophisticated sound enhances the story. Toshiki Kadomatsu's songs, such as the opening theme "I MUST CHANGE MY LIFE & LOVE FOR ME" and the insert song "Miss you," enhance the atmosphere of the work. In addition, the music of Hiroshi Sakamoto is also included, making the music highly satisfying.

Toshiki Kadomatsu was a leading figure in the Japanese music scene in the 80s and 90s, and his music adds color to this work. In particular, there are many songs that sing of the sadness of youth and love, which match the theme of the story.

■ The appeal of video

The visuals of "NINETEEN 19" were produced by Madhouse and are characterized by high quality animation for an OVA at the time. Director Koichi Chiaki was also in charge of storyboards, and his vision is reflected throughout the film. In particular, the urban scenes of Roppongi, Aoyama, Shibuya, etc. are realistically drawn and visually appealing.

The work of character designer and animation director Naoyuki Onda is also highly praised. The characters' expressions and movements are drawn in detail, conveying the subtleties of their emotions. Art director Yuji Ikeda and cinematographer Kinichi Ishikawa also contributed to creating the atmosphere of the film.

■ The appeal of voice actors

Many popular voice actors, including Masaya Onosaka, Hiromi Tsuru, Kouichi Yamadera, and Kappei Yamaguchi, appear in this work. Masaya Onosaka's character, Kazushi Kubota, realistically expresses innocence and conflict, leaving a deep impression on viewers. Hiromi Tsuru's character, Masana Fujisaki, also brings out the charm of her character with her acting, which combines brilliance and delicacy.

The voice actors, Kazuya Kawahara (played by Koichi Yamadera) and Hiroaki Kusano (played by Kappei Yamaguchi), also express the personalities of their characters well, adding depth to the story. The supporting voice actors, Takehito Koyasu, Sakiko Tamagawa, Yuri Amano, Kotono Mitsuishi, and others, are also excellent, and the acting skills of the cast as a whole are outstanding.

■ Recommendation points

"NINETEEN 19" is a stylish love story that depicts the bittersweetness and sadness of youth, and can be recommended to many viewers. In particular, the following points are the reasons for the recommendation.

• Realistic youth drama : The drama depicts real emotions of youth, such as Kazushi Kubota's love, conflict, friendship and rivalry, resonating with viewers.
• Attractive characters : The characters, including Kazushi Kubota and Masana Fujisaki, are attractive and draw the viewers in. In particular, Kubota's purity and Masana's flamboyance are impressive.
• Sophisticated Music : Toshiki Kadomatsu's soundtrack adds excitement to the story, and songs that sing of the sadness of youth and love enhance the atmosphere of the work.
• High-quality visuals : The high-quality animation produced by Madhouse and the realistic depiction of urban scenes provide visual appeal.
• A strong cast of voice actors : Many popular voice actors, including Masaya Onosaka, Hiromi Tsuru, Kouichi Yamadera, and Kappei Yamaguchi, appear in the film, and their excellent acting skills shine through.

■Comparison with related works

"NINETEEN 19" is also compared to other works by Kitagawa Sho. For example, "B.B. Fish," "Hotman," and "BENGO!" are also known as his representative works. These works also have themes of youth and romance and share a common appeal, but "NINETEEN 19" is particularly characterized by its stylish atmosphere and the music by Kadomatsu Toshiki.

Other anime works that depict youth love stories include "Kimi ni Todoke" and "Orange." These works also depict the bittersweetness and sadness of youth, and resonate with viewers, but "NINETEEN 19" is characterized by an urban atmosphere from the 80s and 90s, and is also heavily influenced by music.

■ Viewer reactions

"NINETEEN 19" has been supported by many fans since its release. In particular, it has been highly praised by viewers for its realistic portrayal of youthful emotions and the music by Toshiki Kadomatsu. It was also released in the form of an OVA, which made it deeply loved by a limited fan base.

Even today, this work is talked about as a masterpiece of youth love story, and there are voices calling for a remake or a sequel. In particular, many viewers are impressed by the relationship between Kazushi Kubota and Masana Fujisaki, and by Toshiki Kadomatsu's music.

■ Summary

"NINETEEN 19" is a stylish love story that depicts the brilliance and sadness of youth, and is a work that can be recommended to many viewers. The combination of various elements, such as realistic youth drama, attractive characters, sophisticated music, high-quality visuals, and a rich cast of voice actors, deeply moves viewers. This is a must-see work, especially for those who like the urban atmosphere of the 80s and 90s and the music of Toshiki Kadomatsu. Please watch this work and feel the bittersweetness and sadness of youth.