"Tinker Bell After School" Review: Charming characters and a touching story

Tinker Bell After School - Houkago no Tinker Bell

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Light novel

■ Release date

July 22, 1992

■Release and sales

Toshiba EMI

■Frequencies

50 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

・Original work: Shoichiro Hinata and Ken Mizuki (published by Shueisha Cobalt Bunko)

■ Director

・Director: Yasushi Murayama

■ Production

Produced and written by Ashi Productions, Yumex

■Works

©Shoichiro Hinata/Ken Mizuki/Shueisha/Ashi Productions/Yumex

■ Story

Ryoko, a popular high school DJ, has disappeared! The key word is "Peter Pan," a word left behind by a classmate who was supposed to be dead... What is the truth that Misako and Kenichi have uncovered as they begin their investigation?

■Explanation

The hugely popular humorous mystery "After School Series" from Shueisha Cobalt Bunko has finally been made into an anime. Released as an OVA in 1992, this work draws out the charm of the original work to the fullest while depicting the story from a new perspective. The original work is a collaboration between Shoichiro Hinata and Ken Mizuki, and is known for its exquisite fusion of the bittersweetness of youth and the thrill of mystery. In adapting it into anime, director Yasushi Murayama faithfully reproduced the worldview of the work while pursuing unique visual expression. In particular, if you pay attention to the characters' expressions and movements, you can see that it captures the atmosphere of the original work while bringing out the unique charm of anime.

■Cast

Kenichi/Nobuo Tobita・Misako/Yuko Mizutani・Hiroo/Masami Kikuchi・Ryoko/Maria Kawamura・Sasamoto/Tetsuya Iwanaga・Edogawa/Yasunori Matsumoto・Keiko Tanno/Akiko Hiramatsu・Koshin Okazaki/Keiji Fujiwara・Chief Hanamura/Ai Orikasa

■ Main staff

Produced by Junji Fujita Producers: Hiroshi Kato, Hiroshi Tazaki Original story by Shoichiro Hinata (published by Shueisha Cobalt Bunko)
・Character design/animation director/Yasuhide Maruyama ・Art director/Toshihisa Tojo ・Director of photography/Jin Kaneko ・Sound director/Hideyuki Tanaka ・Music/Tsuyoshi Ike ・Cooperation/Shueisha ・Production/writing/Ashi Productions, Youmex

■Subtitle

NULL

Detailed evaluation and recommendation

Story and Themes

"Tinker Bell After School" is a work that exquisitely combines the bittersweetness of youth with the thrill of a mystery. The story centers on the disappearance of Ryoko, a popular high school DJ. The protagonists Misako and Kenichi begin an investigation to solve the mystery surrounding her disappearance. The keyword in the story is "Peter Pan," and these words, left behind by a classmate who was supposed to be dead, have a major impact on the progression of the story. This work draws viewers in by depicting the brightness and darkness of youth while maintaining the tension of a mystery.

The themes depicted in the film are the beginning and end of youth, friendship, and growth. In particular, the relationship between Misako and Kenichi symbolizes the bittersweetness of youth, and it is moving to see the story progress as they grow. In addition, by using the keyword "Peter Pan" to depict the conflict between eternal boyhood and reality, the film presents a profound theme.

character

The characters in this work bring out the charm of the original work to the fullest. The main character, Misako, is a curious and proactive girl, and as the story progresses from her perspective, the viewer can feel her growth along with her. Kenichi is Misako's good partner, and his calmness and insight support the story. Ryoko is the central character of the story, and her disappearance deepens the mystery of the story. Other characters such as Hiroo, Sasamoto, and Edogawa add color to the story.

The acting of the cast is also superb, especially Nobuo Tobita as Kenichi and Yuko Mizutani as Misako, who bring out the best in their characters. Maria Kawamura also expresses her presence well as Ryoko, and she is an important element of the story.

Visuals and Music

Visually, director Yasushi Murayama has faithfully recreated the worldview of the original work while pursuing the unique expression of anime. In particular, when you look at the characters' expressions and movements, you can see that he has captured the atmosphere of the original work while bringing out the charm that is unique to anime. Additionally, the background art by art director Tojo Toshihisa is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story.

In terms of music, the music by Takeshi Ike adds excitement to the story. In particular, the melodies that symbolize the bittersweetness of youth are impressive and play a role in drawing out the emotions of the viewer. In addition, the sound effects by sound director Hideyuki Tanaka and the performances of the voice actors are also important elements that heighten the tension of the story.

Recommendation

"After School Tinker Bell" is a work that exquisitely combines the bittersweetness of youth with the thrill of mystery, and is especially recommended for those who like youth and mystery anime. Also, fans of the original work will be able to enjoy the story from a new perspective as it has been made into an anime. The quality of the visuals and music is also high, making it a work that is well worth watching overall. Please give it a watch.

Related Titles

If you enjoyed "Tinker Bell After School," we also recommend the following related works:

• "After School Series" - an original light novel series that depicts youth and mystery. In addition to the animated version of "After School Tinker Bell", there are many other episodes.
• "Peter Pan" - This work is related to the keyword "Peter Pan" in the story. By reading the original work, which depicts the eternal boyishness and the conflict in reality, you can understand "After School Tinker Bell" more deeply.
• "Youth anime" - Like "After School Tinker Bell," this is an anime that depicts the bittersweetness of youth. There are many masterpieces, such as "Your Name" and "Weathering with You."
• "Mystery Anime" - Like "After School Tinker Bell", this is an anime work that includes mystery elements. There are many works such as "Detective Conan" and "Another".

summary

"After School Tinker Bell" is a work that exquisitely combines the bittersweetness of youth with the thrill of mystery, and while bringing out the charm of the original work to the fullest, it pursues the unique expression of animation. The charm of the characters and the quality of the visuals and music are also high, making it an overall worthwhile work. It is especially recommended for those who like youth and mystery anime, so please give it a watch.