The appeal and reviews of "Interlude": A thorough analysis of the deep story and the appeal of the characters

"Interlude": The charm of the OVA that invites you into a world of mystery and adventure

■Overview of the work

"Interlude" is an original video animation (OVA) released in 2004, based on an original game for consumer game consoles by NEC Interchannel. It has three short episodes, each 40 minutes long, but each episode has a dense storyline. Produced by Toei Animation, it draws viewers in with its high-quality animation and deep storyline. The series is directed by Tatsuya Nagamine and Masahiro Hosoda, written by Akemi Mende, and directed by Eisaku Inoue, bringing out the best in the original work.

■ Story

The story of "Interlude" begins with the daily life of the protagonist, Naoya Aizawa. Naoya was living an ordinary school life with his childhood friend Maiko Tamaki, but one day he meets Izumi Marufuji on the train. Shortly after, he encounters a mysterious phenomenon in which people disappear from the platform in an instant, and in the deserted world, he meets a girl named Aya Watsuji. After meeting Aya, Naoya's daily life begins to fall apart, and he becomes involved in a series of mysterious incidents. While a mysterious girl, Mutsuki Saegusa, appears and warns him to stop looking for Aya, Naoya, with the desire to meet Aya in his heart, sets out on a journey to solve the mystery of the two worlds. Then, the existence of the mysterious plan "Pandora Project" that tears the two apart is revealed, and the true nature of the world is gradually revealed.

■ Characters

The protagonist of this work, Naoya Aizawa, was living an ordinary life, but he started having mysterious dreams and got lost in another world where he met Aya Watsuji. Naoya will change his own destiny greatly in order to solve the huge mystery hidden in the two worlds. Aya Watsuji is a girl who lives in an uninhabited other world different from the one Naoya lives in, and is an expert archer. Her reason for existence and actions are shrouded in mystery, but they seem to be closely related to the fate of the two worlds. Maiko Tamaki is Naoya's childhood friend and has a wild personality. She hates studying and loves to play, and she always gets Naoya involved, but she is also a kind girl who has feelings for him. Izumi Marufuji is an office lady who works at the city hall and is investigating strange incidents. She has a natural airhead personality and a nice body, and the story unfolds from the scene where she is saved by Naoya. Mutsuki Saegusa is a mysterious girl who tries to stop Naoya's actions, and she is accompanied by a demon dog called "Hejihog". She also seems to have some kind of relationship with Naoya, but the details are unknown.

■Production Background

The original work for "Interlude" is an original game for consumer game consoles by NEC Interchannel, which attracted high expectations even before its release, and the initial shipment sold out in an instant. The story, which featured a huge amount of visual images and story text, as well as popular voice actors, caused an explosive popularity. For the OVA version, Toei Animation's up-and-coming top staff gathered all their efforts to recreate the charm of the original work in animation. A luxurious staff including director Tatsuya Nagamine, scriptwriter and series composition Akemi Mende, chief animation director Eisaku Inoue, and art director Makoto Suwada participated in the production, resulting in high-quality animation.

■Cast

The cast of this work includes popular voice actors such as Morita Masakazu as Aizawa Naoya, Kuwashima Houko as Watsuji Aya, Tamura Yukari as Tamaki Maiko, Kanetsuki Mami as Marufuji Izumi, and Otani Ikue as Saegusa Mutsuki. In addition, talented voice actors such as Goda Hozumi as Fuyuki Ikuo, Nishihara Kumiko as Kimura Chika, Touma Yumi as Fujinobe Haruka, Toyoshima Machiko as Minegishi Kaoruko, Yamazaki Wakana as Takase Yuki, and Watanabe Misa as Saegusa Miyako are also participating, enhancing the charm of the characters.

■ Main staff

The main staff of "Interlude" includes Longshot and NEC Interchannel for the original story, Kazutaka Sado and Shuji Kondo for planning, Tatsuya Nagamine and Masahiro Hosoda for directors, Akemi Mende for script and series composition, Kazutaka Sado and Hiroaki Shibata for producers, Hideo Horibe and Yukitoshi Hoya for original character design, Eisaku Inoue for animation character design and general animation director, Makoto Suwada, Makoto Shimizu and Kentaro Akiyama for art direction, Yoshiko Sakuma for color design, Takeshi Fukuda and Tomokazu Shiratori for digital photography, Masahiro Goto for editing, Yasuo Tachibana for sound, Yasuyuki Konno for sound effects, Sayaka Mizuno for music selection, and Koichiro Kameyama for music. Animation is produced by Toei Animation, and production is handled by Longshot, NEC Interchannel, Toei Animation, and Happinet Pictures.

■Subtitle

"Interlude" consists of three episodes, each with its own subtitle:

• Vol.1 (March 25, 2004)
• Vol.2 (June 25, 2004)
• Vol.3 (August 27, 2004)

■ Theme songs and music

The ending theme of this work, "Ooki na Koede", was written by Reo Satonozuka, composed and arranged by Koichiro Kameyama, and sung by Young Fresh. This song links with the theme of the story and resonates deeply with the viewers.

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Interlude" has been highly praised not only by fans of the original game, but also by anime fans. In particular, the storyline, which skillfully combines elements of mystery and adventure, and the charming portrayals of the characters, have captivated viewers. Toei Animation's high-quality animation and star-studded cast also add to the appeal of this work. The relationship between Naoya and Aya, and the human drama depicted in the process of unraveling the mysteries of the two worlds, deeply move viewers. Furthermore, the unique portrayals of supporting characters such as Tamaki Maiko and Marufuji Izumi are also not to be missed. Overall, it is a short but dense work packed with charming characters and a dense story.

■ Recommendation points

"Interlude" is recommended for those who enjoy solving mysteries and adventures, those who are looking for deep human drama, and those who want to experience beautiful animation and charming characters. In particular, those who have played the original game will be able to enjoy the story from a new perspective in the anime version. In addition, for anime fans, the quality of Toei Animation and the luxurious cast are attractive. The relationship between Naoya and Aya, and the human drama depicted in the process of unraveling the mystery of the two worlds will deeply move the viewer. In addition, the unique portrayals of supporting characters such as Tamaki Maiko and Marufuji Izumi are not to be missed. Overall, it is a work that is short but packed with a dense story and charming characters.

■ Related works

The original game for "Interlude" is an original game for consumer game consoles by NEC Interchannel, which attracted high expectations even before its release, and the initial shipment sold out in an instant. The story, which featured a huge amount of visual images and story text, as well as popular voice actors, caused an explosive popularity. For the OVA version, Toei Animation's up-and-coming top staff gathered all their strength to recreate the charm of the original work in animation. A luxurious staff including director Tatsuya Nagamine, scriptwriter and series composition Akemi Mende, chief animation director Eisaku Inoue, and art director Makoto Suwada participated in the production, resulting in high-quality animation.

■ Summary

"Interlude" is a fascinating OVA that invites you into a world of mystery and adventure. Highly praised by fans of the original game and anime fans alike, this work is short but packed with a dense story and charming characters. The relationship between Naoya and Aya, and the human drama depicted in the process of unraveling the mysteries of the two worlds will deeply move viewers. In addition, the unique portrayals of supporting characters such as Maiko Tamaki and Izumi Marufuji are not to be missed. Throughout, Toei Animation's high-quality animation and luxurious cast enhance the charm of this work. This work is recommended for those who want to enjoy mystery solving and adventure, those who want deep human drama, and those who want to experience beautiful animation and attractive characters.