Senbonmatsubara - Boys Living with the River - A Thorough Review of the Moving Story and Realistic Description

The appeal and evaluation of "Senbonmatsubara: Boys Living with the River"

Overview

Senbon Matsubara: The Boys Who Live with the River is an animated feature film released on July 11, 1992, based on Kishi Takeo's light novel Senbon Matsubara. The film depicts the growth of boys and human drama against the backdrop of the great flood that occurred in the third year of the Horeki era and the subsequent flood control work known as the Horeki Flood Control Project. It was directed by Dezaki Satoshi and produced by Space Eizo, TV Tokyo, TV Aichi, Mushi Production, Minami Nippon Broadcasting, Gifu Broadcasting, Mie Television, and Magic Bus. It has an Eirin rating of 113729 and is made up of one 90-minute episode.

story

In the third year of the Horeki era, Takasuwa Nakaseko village (present-day Kaizu town, Gifu prefecture) experienced continuous, unexpected rains, causing the levee of Abushima to break and flooding. Yokichi, the son of a farmer, cried out to his father, "Why don't you ask the Shogun to dam the river on Abushima?" Next, the levee on the northern end was about to break, and Yokichi worked with the adults as a laborer to help out. As the flood control work progressed, the levee on the opposite bank broke and the water on Takasuwa Naka's side receded, but Kosuke, the grandson of the elder, lost his entire family in the flood. The following spring, large-scale flood control work began, and Yokichi and Kosuke bravely set out to work, but what would happen next?

Commentary

"Senbon Matsubara - Boys Living with the River" is a work that depicts the story of the Horeki Flood Control Project, Satsuma samurai, and boys. It is a video drama that depicts the relationship between water and the Japanese people, and is set in Gifu Prefecture, where the three rivers of Kiso, Nagara, and Ibi, which are rich in water, meet. The symbol of this work is the "Senbon Matsubara" where beautiful pine trees stand in a row. In the past, these three rivers often flooded, attacking villages and engulfing fields and houses. Farmers protected themselves from floods by building banks called "waju". In the third year of the Horeki era, the shogunate ordered the Shimazu family of the Satsuma domain to carry out a difficult flood control project at the Satsuma domain's labor and expense. The project was completed a year and a half later, and it has been passed down to future generations as the "Horeki Flood Control Project." "Senbon Matsubara" depicts the "Abushima Sequestering Embankment," the most difficult part of the project. The film is directed by Tetsu Dezaki, who also directed the TV anime "Captain," and the opening theme song "Mukashi Monogatari" is performed by the famous actor Hisaya Morishige.

cast

• Yokichi: Nozomu Sasaki
• Yahei: Taro Ishida
• Hirata Yuji: Miyauchi Kohei
• Village headman: Masao Imanishi
• Grandma: Aiko Konoshima
• Narrator: Aiko Konoshima

Main Staff

• Original work: Takeo Kishi "Senbonmatsubara"
• Screenplay: Toshiaki Imaizumi
• Director: Tetsu Dezaki
• Special voice appearance: Hisaya Morishige
• Directed by: Ittoku Tanahashi
• Character design: Setsuko Yobuichi
• Animation director: Keizo Shimizu
• Art director: Nobutaka Ike
• Director of photography: Hiroshi Isakawa
• Sound Director: Mizumoto Kan
• Music: Masumi Hiyoshi, Junko Shimoda
• Edited by: Harutoshi Ogata
• Production: Space Eizo, TV Tokyo, TV Aichi, Mushi Production, Minami Nippon Broadcasting, Gifu Broadcasting, Mie Television, Magic Bus
• Produced by: Naomichi Sugino, Tokumaru Kokubo, Yoshiaki Seto, Akira Ito
• Planning: Eiji Toriyama, Mikio Miyanaga, Tetsuo Terashima
• Producer: Yoshiyuki Matsuzaki
• Planning participation: Ministry of Construction, Chubu Regional Construction Bureau
• Publicity manager: Ikuko Sekine
• Production desk: Keiko Ito
• Assistant producers: Dan Hibino, Ikujiro Nakana, Shunichi Ito
• Public relations: Ichiro Higuchi, Akiko Odawara, Hirokazu Kuriyama
• Title: Yoshiyuki Yamada

Main Characters

• Yokichi: A farm boy from Takasuwa Junior High School. He is a lively and violent boy, but he has a kind heart and a strong sense of justice.
• Kosuke: A farmer boy from Oyabu Village, Nakatsuka, Fukutsuka. He lost his parents and siblings in a flood and was taken in by his grandfather Yahei.
• Yahei: The elder of Takasuwa Nakaseko village. He directs everyone and works hard, but he never sees the project complete. Kosuke's grandfather.
• Hirata Tsuneyuki: Chief retainer of the Shimazu clan. After leading the difficult construction project to completion, he committed seppuku to take responsibility for the many casualties.
• Egawa Jizaemon: A samurai of the Shimazu clan. He commits seppuku to avoid causing trouble to his lord after an incident that was caused by a lie told by the village headman.
• Noda Juroza: A colleague of Egawa Jizaemon. He becomes friends with Yokichi and Kosuke, but dies of an epidemic.
• Hamaoki Shigeemon: The person in charge of Yokichi's construction site. While caring for the farmers, he suffers as he stands between them and the shogunate.
• Hana: Goro's daughter
• Granny: Yokichi's grandmother
• Sakichi: Yokichi's father
• Ogimura Toichi: Shogunate Construction Officer

Theme songs and music

• TM
• "LOVE... In the Gentleness of Green"
• Composer: Masumi Hiyoshi
• Arrangement: Masumi Hiyoshi

Appeal of the work

Although "Senbon Matsubara: Boys Living with the River" is a story based on a historical background, it deeply moves viewers by depicting the growth of the boys and the human drama. In particular, the friendship between Yokichi and Kosuke, and their determination to persevere despite difficult circumstances without losing hope, resonate with modern viewers. In addition, the visual expression that contrasts the beautiful nature with the harsh environment is stunning, and director Dezaki Tetsu's directing ability shines through. Furthermore, the narration by the renowned actor Morishige Hisaya adds depth to the work, and makes it feel heavy with history.

evaluation

This work has been highly praised by a wide range of generations for its story based on historical facts and for depicting the growth of the boys. In particular, the human drama depicted against the backdrop of the large-scale flood control project known as the Horeki Flood Control Project deeply moves viewers. In addition, the directing ability of director Dezaki Tetsu and the narration by renowned actor Morishige Hisaya add depth to the work, giving it a sense of historical weight. Furthermore, the visual expression that contrasts beautiful nature with harsh environments is stunning, making it highly visually appealing.

Recommendation

"Senbon Matsubara: Boys Living with the River" has been highly praised by a wide range of generations for its story based on a historical background and for depicting the growth of the boys. In particular, the human drama depicted against the backdrop of the large-scale flood control project known as the Horeki Flood Control Project deeply moves viewers. Director Dezaki Tetsu's directing skills and the narration by renowned actor Morishige Hisaya add depth to the work, giving it a sense of historical weight. Furthermore, the visuals that contrast the beautiful nature with the harsh environment are stunning, making it highly visually appealing. This work is recommended for history buffs and those who want to enjoy the growth story of the boys. It is also recommended for those who want to enjoy the visuals that contrast the beautiful nature with the harsh environment.

Related information

Senbon Matsubara: The Boys Who Live with the River was released on July 11, 1992, and is based on the light novel Senbon Matsubara by Takeo Kishi. It was directed by Tetsu Dezaki and produced by Space Eizo, TV Tokyo, TV Aichi, Mushi Production, Minami Nippon Broadcasting, Gifu Broadcasting, Mie Television, and Magic Bus. It has an Eirin rating of 113729 and consists of one 90-minute episode. The film depicts the growth and human drama of the boys against the backdrop of the great flood that occurred in the third year of the Horeki era and the subsequent flood control work "Horeki Flood Control". In particular, the friendship between Yokichi and Kosuke, and their attitude of not losing hope and facing difficult situations will resonate with modern viewers. In addition, the visual expression that contrasts beautiful nature with harsh environments is also stunning, and director Tetsu Dezaki's directing skills shine. In addition, the narration by the famous actor Hisaya Morishige adds depth to the work and gives it a sense of historical weight.