Review of "Toki: The Future of the Earth": A moving story and a deep theme

A detailed review and recommendation of "Toki: Staring at the Future of the Earth"

■ Public Media

TV Special

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

December 20, 2003 - December 27, 2003 TV SP Broadcast on Niigata Television in December 2003 First part 50 minutes 5 episodes omnibus Second part 50 minutes 3 episodes omnibus

Television Niigata December 20, 2003 to December 27, 2003 (1st to 2nd) Every Saturday 13:30 to 14:25

■Broadcasting station

Television Niigata

■Frequencies

50 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 2

■ Director

Sugii Gisaburo

■ Production

Production copyright: Promedia Niigata, Mushi Production Animation production cooperation: Group TAC

■Works

©Mushi Production, Promedia Niigata

■ Story

This is a story of the relationship between the Japanese crested ibis and humans told through six eras: the Jomon and Yayoi periods, the Nara period, the Sengoku period, the Edo period, and the present day. Due to human ego, it becomes increasingly difficult for the Japanese crested ibis, a bird that was once a familiar presence, to coexist with humans...

*Quoted from Mushi Production's official website

■Explanation

A story that looks to the future of Japanese cranes and humans. A story of Japanese cranes walking alongside the people in a world that has changed with the times.
An animation that tells the story of various human relationships as they change over the years.

This work depicts the coexistence of Japanese cranes and humans through animation, using different techniques and styles for each of six eras: the Jomon and Yayoi periods, Nara, Sengoku, Edo, and present day.
The director is Gisaburo Sugii, a master of the anime world.
Storyboard art, original drawings, and character design were done by Maeda Yasunari, who was in charge of direction and illustration for "Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi," and Eguchi Marisuke, who was the character designer and animation director for the film "Stormy Night" (2005).
This hand-drawn animation depicting the Edo and Genroku periods is a must-see.

*Quoted from Mushi Production's official website

■Cast

・Ura Takano, Yuki Masuda, Miki Nagasawa, Shoto Kashii, Susumu Chiba, Yoshimitsu Shimoyama, Junko Minagawa, Tomokazu Seki, Kenichi Ogata, Kenji Hamada, Yoko Sasaki, Minori Matsushima, Koichi Tokon, and HILUM

■ Main staff

・Director／Sugii Gisaburo・Screenplay／Nagasaka Hideyoshi・Composition／Soma Kazuhiko, Shintaku Junichi, Sunayama Kurasumi・Narration dialogue／Sekiguchi Jun・Direction／Maeda Yasunari, Tsuji Shinichi, Eguchi Marisuke, Arihara Seiji・Art／Abe Yukio・Editing／Furukawa Masashi・Color setting／Otake Kyoko・CG, Director of photography／Maeda Yasunari・Toki modeling／Shimomura Koichi・Music／Higashino Masaru, Ikeda Hiroo, Mori Akira
・Music Production: Stone Heaven ・Sound Director: Susumu Aketagawa ・Sound Production: Magic Capsule ・Producers: Hiroyuki Inada (TV Niigata), Naoki Hori (Pro Media Niigata), Akira Ito (Mushi Productions)
・Animation producers: Masaaki Fujita, Ken Fujita ・Planning, production: Television Niigata ・Planning, production cooperation: Tokyo Electric Power Company ・Production copyright: Promedia Niigata, Mushi Production ・Animation production cooperation: Group TAC ・Supervision: Bird Conservation Association ・Cooperation: Sado Toki Conservation Center ・Reporting cooperation: Haruo Sato (Advisor to the Sado Toki Conservation Society)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Towards a Toki-colored Future ・Lyrics by Satomi Arimori ・Music by LEGOLGEL
Arrangement: Akira Mori Vocals: LEGOLGEL

・ED1
・Our Shape・Lyrics by HILUMA
・Composition: LEGOLGEL
Arrangement: Masaru Higashino Vocals: LEGOLGEL

Detailed evaluation

"Toki: Gazing at the Future of This Earth" is a TV special that aired on Niigata Television in 2003, and was produced as an original anime work. This work depicts the relationship between the Japanese crested ibis bird and humans through six eras, from the Jomon and Yayoi periods to the present day. The work was directed by animation master Gisaburo Sugii, and the animation, drawn with different techniques and touches for each era, is visually very appealing.

The story of the work follows the process by which human ego makes it difficult for the crested ibis to coexist with humans. In the Jomon and Yayoi periods, the work depicts how the crested ibis was deeply involved in people's lives, while in the Nara period, the crested ibis was viewed as sacred, but its distance from humans gradually widened. In the Sengoku period, the work depicts how the crested ibis was treated as a symbol of war, but its habitat was taken away, and in the Edo period, the crested ibis was depicted as an artistic subject, but its natural environment was destroyed. Finally, in the modern era, the work depicts the current situation of the crested ibis as an endangered species and how humans are working to protect it.

The greatest appeal of this work is the variety of animation techniques used to depict the relationship between ibises and humans in each era. In the Jomon and Yayoi periods, primitive animation realistically recreates the lives of people at that time. In the Nara period, more refined animation creates a sacred atmosphere. In the Sengoku period, powerful animation expresses the intensity of battle. In the Edo period, hand-drawn animation expresses artistic beauty. And in the present day, animation making full use of CG depicts the realism of ibis conservation efforts. These diverse animation techniques are highly visually appealing and have the power to draw viewers in.

The cast is also impressive, featuring talented voice actors such as Takano Ura, Masuda Yuki, Nagasawa Miki, Kashii Shoto, Chiba Susumu, Shimoyama Yoshimitsu, Minagawa Junko, Seki Tomokazu, Ogata Kenichi, Hamada Kenji, Sasaki Yoko, Matsushima Minori, Tokon Koichi, and HILUM. Their performances realistically portray the relationship between the Japanese crested ibis and humans in each era, and have the power to stir the emotions of viewers.

Music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of this work. The opening theme, "To a Toki-Colored Future," features LEGOLGEL's powerful vocals and Akira Mori's beautiful arrangement, expressing the hope for the future of the Toki. The ending theme, "Our Shape," features HILUMA's gentle vocals and Masaru Higashino's delicate arrangement, expressing the beauty of the coexistence of Toki and humans. These pieces of music resonate deeply with the viewer, helping them to understand the theme of the work more deeply.

Furthermore, by depicting the people working to protect the crested ibis, the work appeals to viewers to the importance of environmental protection. With the cooperation of the Sado Crested Ibis Conservation Center, the work depicts realistic scenes of crested ibis conservation efforts, allowing viewers to gain a deeper understanding of the significance of these activities. Also, under the supervision of the Bird Conservation Association, the work accurately depicts the crested ibis' ecology and details of conservation efforts, allowing viewers to deepen their knowledge of the species. These elements not only appeal to viewers' awareness of the importance of environmental protection, but also help them to deepen their understanding of the crested ibis.

Recommendation

"Toki: Gazing at the Future of the Earth" is a beautiful animation that depicts the relationship between ibises and humans, and conveys a powerful message to viewers about the importance of environmental protection. The diverse animation techniques used to depict the relationship between ibises and humans in each era are visually very appealing and have the power to draw viewers in. The stellar cast and beautiful music are also important elements that enhance the appeal of this work. Furthermore, by depicting the people working to protect ibises, it appeals to viewers about the importance of environmental protection and helps them to deepen their understanding of ibises. For these reasons, "Toki: Gazing at the Future of the Earth" is highly recommended for those who are interested in environmental protection and those who want to enjoy the beauty of animation.

This work is a TV special broadcast on Niigata Television, consisting of two episodes, totaling 50 minutes. Viewers can find detailed information about this work on the Niigata Television official website and the Mushi Production official website. DVDs and Blu-rays are also available, allowing viewers to enjoy this work through these media. Furthermore, viewers who are interested in crested ibis conservation efforts can find details about these efforts on the Sado Crested Ibis Conservation Center's official website. By utilizing this information, viewers can gain a deeper understanding of this work and deepen their understanding of crested ibises.

"Toki: Gazing into the Future of the Earth" is a beautiful animation that depicts the relationship between ibises and humans, and conveys a powerful message to viewers about the importance of environmental protection. Through this work, viewers can deepen their understanding of ibises and reaffirm the importance of environmental protection. Please watch this work and gaze into the future of ibises and humans.