"The Restaurant of Many Orders" Review: Unique Story and Characters

"The Restaurant of Many Orders": Miyazawa Kenji's fantasy world depicted in animation

■Overview of the work

The Restaurant of Many Orders is an animated film based on the novel of the same name by Kenji Miyazawa. It was released in 1991 and was directed by Tadanari Okamoto and produced by Satoko Okamoto and Junko Fukuma. This film is the last work of director Tadanari Okamoto and is packed with his unique perspective and techniques. The film is 19 minutes long and is a co-production between Sakura Eigasha and Echo.

■ Story

Two hunters are chasing prey deep in the mountains and end up lost deep in the forest. Suddenly, a mansion called "Yamanekoken" appears out of the mist and they arrive at it. The mansion is a mysterious restaurant, and as the two follow the instructions in the message and open the door, they encounter one strange event after another. Eventually, they realize that someone is about to cook them, and try to run away, but...

■Explanation

"The Restaurant of Many Orders" is an adaptation of Miyazawa Kenji's masterpiece by animation artist Okamoto Tadanari, with his own unique interpretation. Director Okamoto has continued to challenge himself with new techniques with each new work he undertakes. In this work as well, he went through a process of trial and error, going from 3D to 2D animation in order to solidify the image he had conceived, and finally arrived at a fantastical expression using cel animation. However, two years after starting production, he fell ill and passed away suddenly. Based on the storyboards he left behind, director Kawamoto Kihachiro, a longtime friend of Okamoto's, joined the production staff as supervisor, and the film was completed.

In this work, director Okamoto's stern gaze on the destruction of nature and the cruelty of animals can be felt, and nature sends a warning to humans. It has the power to draw the viewer into a world of infinity, and it has attracted attention as the second co-production between Sakura Eigasha and Echo.

■ Main staff

・Original story: Kenji Miyazawa ・Director: Tadanari Okamoto ・Produced by: Satoko Okamoto (Echo Co., Ltd.), Junko Fukuma (Sakura Eigasha Co., Ltd.)
・Screenplay: Tadanari Okamoto・Direction: Tadanari Okamoto・Supervision: Kihachiro Kawamoto・Assistant Director: Yoshihiro Shinohara・Music: Ryohei Hirose・Setsuko Kawashita, Setsuko Onozawa, Masami Tokuyama・Cinematography: Akihiko Takahashi, Mikio Nakade・Lighting: Yuzuru Sato・Animation: Reiko Okuyama, Nobuko Abe, Keizo Kira, Satoru Yoshida, Takako Yokokawa, Eiko Miyabayashi, Mitsuko Oya, Tamaki Kanbe, Kazuo Tashiro, Katsushi Yasuda, Hiroshi Kagawa, Mitsuhiro Kimura, Setsuko Kagawa, Yasuhiro Wakui, Hiroshi Jinzenji, Shinichi Suzuki・Finishing touches: Chizuko Makisaka, Mieko Naruwaki, Masaru Kanehiro, Eriko Matsuo, Kaori Suzuki, Keiko Funahashi, Mari Nakagawa・Choreography: Dai Murata・Sound recording: Isamu Katto・Sound effects: Yukichi Kamiyama, MUSIC FACTORY
Editing: Fusako Morizui Negative editing: Naoko Aizawa Developing: IMAGICA
・Recording studios: Tokyo Television Center, Abaco Studio

■ Appeal and evaluation of the work

"The Restaurant of Many Orders" is a fantastical story based on the original work by Kenji Miyazawa, and is depicted with director Tadanari Okamoto's unique perspective and techniques. In particular, the fantastical expression created by cel animation combines visual beauty with a deep message. The film also warns against the destruction of nature and the cruelty of animals, raising issues for modern society.

This is the last work of director Okamoto Tadanari, and it is loved by many fans as his last work. In addition, under the supervision of director Kawamoto Kihachiro, it has been finished into a highly polished work. Although it is a short film, it has the power to leave a strong impression on the viewer, and is a work that I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to experience the world of Miyazawa Kenji through animation.

■ Recommendation points

・People who want to enjoy Kenji Miyazawa's original work in animation ・People looking for a fantastical world view and deep messages ・People who want to see all of director Tadanari Okamoto's works ・People looking for a work that makes them think about environmental destruction and animal cruelty ・People who want to be deeply moved in a short amount of time

■ Related works

・"Night on the Galactic Railroad": An animated version of another masterpiece by Kenji Miyazawa ・"Kaze no Matasaburo": An animated film based on a work by Kenji Miyazawa ・"Okonjoururi": An animated film co-produced by Sakura Eigasha and Echosha

■How to watch

"The Restaurant of Many Orders" is an independent production, so it cannot be viewed on general video streaming services. However, it is sometimes screened at fan communities and events for Kenji Miyazawa and director Tadanari Okamoto. DVDs and Blu-rays may also be sold in limited quantities, so be sure to check the official website and fan sites.

■ Summary

"The Restaurant of Many Orders" is a fantastic animated film based on the original work by Miyazawa Kenji. It is the last work of director Okamoto Tadanari, and is packed with his unique perspective and techniques. It warns against environmental destruction and animal cruelty, and also raises issues for modern society. Although it is a short film, it has the power to leave a strong impression on the viewer, and is highly recommended for those who want to experience Miyazawa Kenji's worldview through animation.