Reevaluating the moving song "But I Love You"

"But I Love You": A message of love conveyed by NHK's short animation

The short anime "But I Love You," broadcast on NHK Educational TV (now NHK E-Tele) in February 2000, conveys a deep message of love in just two minutes. This anime was produced as part of NHK's popular program "Minna no Uta" and left a strong impression on viewers. Below, we will introduce detailed information and the appeal of this work, and also delve into its background, production process, and impact on viewers.

Overview

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

others

■ Broadcast period

February 2000

■Broadcasting station

・Broadcasting／NHK Educational TV (NHK E-Tele)

■Frequencies

2 minutes

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Production

・CG animation/Fumio Ooi ・Photo footage/Asuka Katagiri

■Works

©NHK

Story and Themes

"But I Love You" depicts the complexity and universality of love. The story unfolds against the backdrop of a couple's everyday lives. The main character, a man, tries to express his love for his girlfriend despite being busy with work, but finds it difficult to put it into words. Meanwhile, his girlfriend, although feeling his love, is confused about how to express her own feelings. This short anime portrays the depth of love that cannot be put into words and the consideration one must show for one another.

The main themes are "the difficulty of expressing love" and "unconditional love." Anime attempts to convey emotions that cannot be conveyed through words alone to viewers through images and music. In particular, the expression technique that combines CG animation and photographic images skillfully depicts the subtleties of emotions while providing a visual impact.

Production background and technology

This work was produced as part of NHK's "Minna no Uta" series. "Minna no Uta" is a long-running program that has been on the air since 1961 and is loved by a wide range of viewers, from children to adults. "Dakedo I LOVE YOU" was particularly noted for its adult theme.

The production involved CG animation artist Fumio Ooi and photo-imaging artist Asuka Katagiri. Ooi used his CG animation techniques to create a realistic visual expression. Meanwhile, Katagiri used photo-imaging to delve deeper into the emotions of the story. The collaboration between these two has resulted in a work that is visually and emotionally rich in expression.

During the production process, importance was attached to the collaboration with music from the script stage. A simple yet profound melody was chosen for the music to express the complexity of love. The fusion of images and music drew the viewer into the story and made the message of love more powerful.

Impact on viewers

"But I Love You" was loved by many viewers when it was first broadcast. It was especially praised for the deep themes it portrayed in the short two-minute length of the show. Viewers commented, "I was reminded of the difficulties of love," and "I was reminded of my feelings for my partner and family."

Furthermore, this work appealed to a wide range of age groups by dealing with a theme aimed at adults, even among the NHK "Minna no Uta" series. The universality of love that can be felt by people of all ages, from children to adults, led to high praise from viewers.

Work evaluation and recommendation

"But I Love You" has been highly praised for the way it has portrayed a deep theme in a short amount of time. In particular, it has been highly praised for its visual expressiveness achieved by combining CG animation with photographic images, and for its deep emotional exploration in conjunction with music. It also left a strong impression on viewers for its portrayal of the complexity and universality of love.

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

• Deep themes : In just two minutes, the film explores the complexity and universality of love, allowing viewers to reexamine their feelings for their loved ones and families.
• Visually expressive : The fusion of computer-generated animation and photographic images creates a visually striking yet emotionally charged story that draws the viewer into the story.
• Collaboration with music : A simple yet profound melody was chosen to express the complexity of love. The fusion of visuals and music allows the audience to empathize deeply with the story.
• Appeal to a wide range of viewers : From children to adults, the universality of love can be felt. In particular, the fact that the film deals with adult themes appeals to a wide range of age groups.

Related works and recommendations

For viewers who enjoyed "But I Love You," we also recommend the following related works. These works also delve deeply into the theme of love and leave a strong impression on viewers.

• "5 Centimeters per Second" : A work by director Makoto Shinkai that depicts beautiful images and a heartbreaking love story. You can feel the complexity and universality of love.
• Your Name : Makoto Shinkai's masterpiece tells the story of a love that transcends time and space. It has been highly praised for its visual expression and its collaboration with music.
• Weathering With You : Makoto Shinkai's latest work explores themes of environmental issues and love, and is characterised by visual impact and deep emotional depth.

summary

"But I Love You" is a work from NHK's "Minna no Uta" series that deals with a particularly mature theme, and in just two minutes it conveys a profound message of love. It was highly praised for its visual expressiveness, achieved by combining CG animation with photographic images, and for the way it delves deeply into emotions through its collaboration with music, leaving a strong impression on viewers. Through this work, viewers can feel the complexity and universality of love, and reaffirm their feelings for their partners and families. Please enjoy these works, including related works, that delve deeply into the theme of love.