Winter Day: The charm of anime that lets you enjoy beautiful snowy scenery and moving stories

The appeal and evaluation of "Winter Day"

■ Public Media

Independent Production

■ Original Media

none

■ Release date

January 1, 2003 - January 1, 0000

■Frequencies

105 min

■ Director

・Director: Kihachiro Kawamoto

■ Production

・Cooperation: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Iga Ueno, Igabito Committee ・Production: IMAGICA Entertainment, Dentsu Tech

■Works

©IMAGICA Entertainment, Dentsu Tech

■ Story

In response to the "hokku" composed by the main guest, the "waki" verse read by the host depicts Basho's travels through the wind. Basho had been invited by Nagoya's cultural figures as the main guest of this renku verse. Nomizu, the host, and others eagerly await Basho's arrival. At that moment, a man carrying a straw hat made of camellia petals blown by the wind enters. As everyone wonders who it is, the traveler removes his hat. It is none other than Basho, with a broad smile on his face. Looking over the camellia hedge, the group can be seen laughing innocently like children. The scene depicts the joyous atmosphere of those who have been waiting for the gathering.
In the final verse of the thirty-six verses, the old man who is tending the baths is boiling water for the noblewoman he loves, separated by a single piece of cloth. After getting out of the bath and getting ready, the noblewoman glances at the old man and enters the mansion, the shadow of purple wisteria falling on her shoulders.

■Explanation

"Winter Day" is an animation work created by Kawamoto, who called together 35 animation artists active in Japan and abroad, and is modeled on the style of renku, in which Matsuo Basho and several poets take turns reciting poems. The guest of honor in this unique and unprecedented endeavor was Russian Yuri Norstein.
In the poem "Waki" written by the proprietor Kawamoto, Kawamoto's puppets and expressions express the people who gather to enjoy the literary arts of this theater. To create this bright and cheerful atmosphere, the proportions and expressions of the puppets were chosen with "Hanaori" in mind, and the animation of the puppets was handled by Koichi Oikawa, who has participated since "Hanaori."
In the "Kyo" verse, Kawamoto created a theme about the heart of an old man who is in love with a noblewoman and is toyed with, inspired by a Noh play called "Koi no Oku" (Love Burden), which tells the story of an old man who is unable to concentrate on his work because of his love. In the "Shimo" verse scene, the puppets are animated in front of a blue screen, and the background of the mansion and wisteria flowers is composited.

■Cast

Voice cast: Noriko Furutake, Aoni Production, Narration by Yen Kikaku Co., Ltd., Basho, Noboru Mitani, Nomizu, Kyoko Kishida, Nihei, Ryuta Kashiwagi, Morikuni, Mutsumi Sasaki, Jugo, Kazutoyo Yoshimi, Shohei, Yutaka Watanabe

■ Main staff

"Wakiku" Screenplay by Nomizu / Director by Kihachiro Kawamoto / Puppet art by Kihachiro Kawamoto / Puppet animation by Kihachiro Kawamoto / Effect animation by Hirokazu Minegishi / Shinichi Suzuki (Studio Zero)
Photography: Jun Suganami (White Team), Masayuki Hosoyama (White Team), Toshiaki Kimura (White Team)
CGI: Kimie Aihara (White Team), Koji Toyoda (White Team)
・Production: Hiromichi Naito ・Art: Michi Miyoshi, Ryo Nakagawa, Hiroshi Baba, Miyuki Yasuda ・Doll production: Yoshiko Naniwa, Emiko Ochiai ・Doll joints: Takashi Komae ・Sazanka production: Emiko Ochiai ・Scripter: Yoko Naito ・Studio: Echo Studio ・V editor: Aimei Kameyama ・Digital editor: Koji Takesaka (IMAGICA)

"Keguku" Jyugo, scriptwriter / Kihachiro Kawamoto, director / Kihachiro Kawamoto, puppet art / Kihachiro Kawamoto, puppet animation / Hirokazu Minegishi, effects animation / Shinichi Suzuki (Studio Zero)
Photography: Jun Suganami (White Team), Masayuki Hosoyama (White Team), Toshiaki Kimura (White Team)
CGI: Kimie Aihara (White Team), Koji Toyoda (White Team)
・Production: Hiromichi Naito ・Art: Nobutaka Hayami, Ryo Nakagawa, Hiroshi Baba ・Puppet production: Yoshiko Naniwa, Emiko Ochiai, Yoko Naito ・Puppet joints: Takashi Komae ・Scripter: Tokiko Ohmukae ・Studio: Shirogumi Studio ・V editor: Aimei Kameyama ・Digital editor: Koji Takesaka (IMAGICA)
・Cooperation: IMAGICA
・Producer: Tatsuo Shimamura (IMAGICA Entertainment)
・Planning/Kihachiro Kawamoto ・Director/Kihachiro Kawamoto ・Music/Shinichiro Ikebe ・Sound Director/Takashi Ui ・Performance/Tokyo Concerts ・Music Recording/Kenji Furukawa (Abaco Studio)
・Effects/Michihiro Ito (Sound Ring)
・Sound editing/Isamu Katto (Tokyo Television Center)
Assistant sound editors: Toru Kadokura (Tokyo Television Center), Keiichiro Morimoto (Tokyo Television Center)
・Title lettering: Miyuki Yasuda ・Technical coordinator: Takuro Takeya (IMAGICA)
Edited by Koji Takesaka (IMAGICA) and Akiko Chikazu (IMAGICA)
・Editing Assistant: Masanori Obe (IMAGICA)
・Production: Masahiko Tomotsuka (IMAGICA FORCE)
・Cooperation: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Iga Ueno, Igabito Committee ・Production: IMAGICA Entertainment, Dentsu Tech

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Winter Days" is a work produced by a group of animation artists from Japan and abroad under the direction of director Kihachiro Kawamoto, and has been praised for its unique style and profound themes. In particular, the incorporation of the renga (linked verse) form into the animation is extremely innovative, allowing viewers to enjoy both visual beauty and literary depth at the same time.

The opening verse, "Hokku," features Russian animation artist Yuri Norstein, whose international perspective breathes new life into the work. Norstein's "Hokku" symbolically depicts the beginning of Basho's journey, leaving a strong impression on the audience as a visual poem.

In the "Waki" verse, Kihachiro Kawamoto himself served as director, and expressed the joy and anticipation of the people waiting for Basho's arrival through the delicate expressions and movements of the puppet animation. In particular, the scene in which Basho appears with camellia petals on his hat is a memorable one that combines visual beauty and humor, bringing smiles to the faces of the audience. This scene makes the most of the techniques of puppet animation, and Koichi Oikawa's participation made a major contribution.

The "Kyo" verse depicts the inner conflict of an old man who yearns for a noble lady, and the story, inspired by the Noh play "Koi no Oshiage," unfolds into a deep human drama. In the scene where the old man boils water separated by a single piece of cloth, the blue screen animation and background compositing techniques are beautifully combined, creating a visual beauty and a profound sense of the story at the same time. In this scene, Kawamoto's puppet art and Hirokazu Minegishi's puppet animation work together to evoke strong emotions in the audience.

Music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of "Winter Days." Shinichiro Ikebe's music enhances the overall atmosphere of the work and, together with the visual beauty, draws the audience in. In particular, the performance by the Tokyo Concerts expresses the deep emotion of the work and touches the hearts of the audience.

"Winter Day" is a work that combines visual beauty with literary depth, and can be said to be a masterpiece that brings together the skills and passion of animation artists from Japan and abroad. The innovative attempt to incorporate the form of renga (linked verse) into animation and the story that depicts a deep human drama leave a strong impression on the audience. In particular, the scene where puppet animation technology and background synthesis technology are beautifully combined gives the audience a sense of both visual beauty and narrative depth at the same time, leaving a strong impression on the audience.

■Recommendation

"Winter Day" is highly recommended for those who enjoy the fusion of animation and literature, and for those who seek visual beauty and deep human drama. It is especially a must-see for those who are interested in the form of renku and the techniques of puppet animation. It is also recommended for those who enjoy the beauty of music.

This work is a masterpiece that combines visual beauty and literary depth, and leaves a strong impression on the audience. In particular, the scenes where puppet animation techniques and background synthesis techniques are beautifully combined give the audience a sense of both visual beauty and narrative depth at the same time, leaving a strong impression on the audience. Please watch this work and feel its charm.