The appeal and reviews of "A Piece of Phantasmagoria": A new frontier for fantasy

"A Piece of Phantasmagoria" - A short story depicting a fantasy world

Overview

"A Piece of Phantasmagoria" is a 15-episode anime series that was broadcast on NHK-BS in 1995. Each episode is just 5 minutes long, and depicts the fantastical world of picture book author Tamura Shigeru, accompanied by ambient mellow music by Teshikai Yutoro. The original work is Tamura Shigeru's "PHANTASMAGORIA" (published by Kakusha), the script and visual direction is Tsuda Shinichi, the direction is Terashima Akiyuki, the producer is Shionaga Mitsuo, the executive producer is Suzuki Yuji, the music is Teshikai Yutoro, and the animation is by Kashiwagi Kyoko, Kimura Mitsuhiro, and the project team Sarah. The production is by "Love is Okay" and the copyright belongs to ©1995 TAMURA SHIGERU/BANDAI VISUAL.

■ Story

"A Piece of Phantasmagoria" depicts various fantastical episodes, such as the life of the glass sea, the snowman's journey south, the day when the giant light bulb glowed, rumors of a great meteor, the confession of a planetarium technician, and an experiment to raise the artificial moon. Each episode unfolds a different worldview, and viewers are drawn into the beautiful visuals and music.

■Explanation

This work, which was born from Shigeru Tamura's picture book, is a short story that unearths a transparent time, fusing a fantastical worldview with the music of Yuto Teshio. In the short time of 5 minutes for each episode, viewers can experience a small story. Shigeru Tamura's unique illustrations and Yuto Teshio's beautiful music come together to lead the viewer into a fantastical world.

■Cast

The narration is done by Morio Agata and Kano Kaori. Their voices further enhance the atmosphere of the work.

■ Main staff

The original story, illustrations and supervision were done by Shigeru Tamura, the script and visual direction was Shinichi Tsuda, the direction was Akiyuki Terashima, the production was Mitsuo Shionaga, the executive producer was Yuji Suzuki, the music was by Yuto Teshiumi, the animation was by Kyoko Kashiwagi, Mitsuhiro Kimura and the project team Sarah. It was produced by "If You Have Love, It's Okay".

■Subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• 1/ "Aurora Show"
• 2/ "Rainbow Valley Paint Factory"
• 3. "Sea of ​​Glass"
• 4. "Southern Continent"
• 5. "Light Bulb Day"
• 6. "Ghost Town"
• 7. "Mushroom Village"
• 8. "Moonshine"
• 9. "Cactus Town"
• 10/ "Hon'yara Bakery"
• 11/ "Altair's Tavern"
• 12. "Artificial Moon"
• 13/ "Digital Zone"
• 14/ "Shooting Star Night"
• 15/ "The End of the Journey"

■ Related works

Related to "A Piece of Phantasmagoria" are Shigeru Tamura's other works "Galaxy Fish" and "The Whale's Leap," which also depict Shigeru Tamura's unique fantasy world.

■Detailed episode commentary

A detailed breakdown of each episode is provided below.

1/ "Aurora Show"

In this episode, a fantastical show unfolds against the backdrop of the beautiful scenery of the Aurora Borealis. The viewer is drawn into the beauty and feels as if they are there. The music by Teshikai Yutoro further enhances the mysterious atmosphere of the Aurora Borealis.

2/ "Rainbow Valley Paint Factory"

This episode is set in a paint factory in Rainbow Valley. It depicts the daily lives of the people who work in the factory and the process of how paint is made. The colorful visuals and music by Teshia Utoro combine to captivate the viewer.

3. "Sea of ​​Glass"

This episode depicts the lives of people who live in a sea of ​​glass. The beauty of the sea of ​​glass and the stories of the people who live in it will move the viewers. The music by Teshikai Yutoro enhances the transparency of the sea of ​​glass.

4. "Southern Continent"

This is the episode where Snowman sets off on a journey to the southern continent. It depicts Snowman's adventures and the beautiful scenery of the southern continent. The music by Teshikai Yutoro adds to the excitement of Snowman's journey.

5. "Light Bulb Day"

This episode depicts the day when a giant light bulb lights up. The world illuminated by the light of the light bulb and the story of the people living there will move the viewers. The music by Teshia Yutoro enhances the beauty of the light bulb.

6. "Ghost Town"

This episode is set in a ghost town. The loneliness of the ghost town and the stories of the people living there move the viewers. The music by Teshia Utoro further enhances the atmosphere of the ghost town.

7. "Mushroom Village"

This episode is set in Mushroom Village. The beautiful scenery of Mushroom Village and the stories of the people living there will move the viewers. The music by Teshikai Yutoro enhances the charm of Mushroom Village.

8. "Moonshine"

This episode tells the story of people who make moonshine. It describes how moonshine is made and the lives of the people behind it. The music by Teshikai Yutoro enhances the appeal of moonshine.

9. "Cactus Town"

This episode is set in Cactus Town. The beautiful scenery of Cactus Town and the stories of the people who live there will move the viewers. Teshia Utoro's music enhances the charm of Cactus Town.

10/ "Hon'yara Bakery"

This episode is set in a bakery. It depicts the daily lives of the people who work there and the process of making bread. The music by Teshia Utoro enhances the warmth of the bakery.

11/ "Altair's Tavern"

This episode is set in Altair's bar. It depicts the daily lives of the people who work there and the atmosphere of the bar. The music by Teshikai Yutoro enhances the charm of the bar.

12. "Artificial Moon"

This episode depicts an experiment to raise the artificial moon. The beauty of the artificial moon and the story of the people living on it will move the viewers. The music by Teshia Utoro enhances the charm of the artificial moon.

13/ "Digital Zone"

This episode is set in the Digital Zone. The beautiful scenery of the Digital Zone and the stories of the people living there will move the viewers. The music by Teshikai Yutoro enhances the charm of the Digital Zone.

14/ "Shooting Star Night"

This episode depicts the rumor of a great shooting star. The beauty of the shooting star and the story of the people living among them will move the viewers. The music by Teshia Utoro enhances the charm of the shooting star.

15/ "The End of the Journey"

This episode depicts the end of the journey. The emotions felt at the end of the journey and the stories of the people who live through it move the viewers. Teshikai Yutoro's music enhances the emotions felt at the end of the journey.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"A Piece of Phantasmagoria" is a short story that unearths a transparent time, fusing Shigeru Tamura's unique fantasy world with the beautiful music of Yuto Teshimi. In the short time of 5 minutes per episode, viewers can experience a small story. The viewer is drawn into the beautiful visuals and music, and is led into a fantastical world.

This work is highly recommended for fantasy fans and those who enjoy beautiful visuals and music. Tamura Shigeru's other works, "Galaxy Fish" and "The Whale's Leap," are also enjoyable as works depicting fantasy worlds. "A Piece of Phantasmagoria" is a work that will move and heal the viewer, so please give it a watch.