Review of "Prayers": Exploring the depths of prayers contained in cold voices

"Prayers Tsumetaichoe": A dystopian world where music and love intersect

Prayers Tsumetai Koe is a 2004 original video animation (OVA) based on a light novel by Ikeda Yuuki. It was directed by Satsukime Yusaku, produced by PPM, and released by Ikina Entertainment, Softgarage, and JSDSS. With two short but intense episodes of 30 minutes each, it expertly explores themes of music, love, and dystopia.

story

The story takes place in Shibuya, an independent country isolated from Japan in 2014. This city is a world of chaos and transience, inhabited only by young people who have been cut off by adults. Here, there are people called "Prayers" who fight with music to earn money. Through a music battle game called "Pray," they play beautiful yet cruel melodies and engage in deadly battles.

The story centers around the love story between the genius Prayer player Task and the mysterious girl Shoko, who has no memory. Task is an interesting character who, despite his outstanding guitar skills, is not particularly popular due to his sweetness in that he has never killed anyone in a play. On the other hand, Shoko, while expressionless, has a beautiful voice, and the story progresses as she teams up with Task.

This story begins with the question, "What is true love?" and explores a new form of love in the unique environment of Shibuya in 2014. Through the relationship between Task and Shoko, it depicts the nature of love and the complexities of human relationships.

Cast and crew

The main cast includes a diverse group of voice actors, including Handa Kento as Task, Ogura Yuko as Shoko, and Ienaka Hiroshi as Tohru. The main staff also includes professionals from various fields, such as Ikeda Yuki (original author and planner), Sakaguchi Kazuhisa (scriptwriter), Takigawa Kazuo (character designer), and Tsuji Akira (music composer). Tsuji Akira's sound, in particular, is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story.

Main Characters

Task is a genius guitarist, but has the sweetness of never having killed anyone in Play. Usually blunt, cool and taciturn, he changes through his encounter with Shoko, which is a highlight of the story. Shoko is a mysterious girl with no memories, and although she is expressionless, she has a beautiful voice. The story progresses as she teams up with Task. Tohru is Task's manager, and is a complex character who is kind to his family and friends, but also has a ruthless side.

Stages and items

Shibuya, where the story takes place, is depicted as an independent country isolated from Japan in the year 2014. Electricity, water, food, etc. are transported by pipes from the top floor of the Cerulean Tower, which is between 246, and young people live like insects trapped by a spider. The dystopian depiction is striking, with street vendors overflowing under the large screen at Q Front, 109 becoming a food stall village, Center Street being overrun with black markets, and the Shoto mansion becoming a brothel. ONAIREAST is also depicted as the venue for Pray, where the Prayer players battle it out musically, and the audience who bet money on the outcome go wild with joy.

Pray is a battle game illegally developed by computer geeks, inspired by the digital drugs that were rampant in the early new century. It features an extreme setting in which players insert a jack into a hole in their temple, turn music into an electric signal through a special amplifier, and shoot it directly into each other's brains, destroying their minds and bodies. When separate songs are combined into one, a new song is born, which is depicted as a melody that is back-to-back with death, and is called Pray. The story progresses with this music game as the backbone.

Episodes and related works

"Prayers Tsumetai Koe" is made up of two episodes, the first "Tsumetai Koe" was released on August 6, 2004, and the second "Soulful Place" was released on August 26, 2005. There is also a related work, "Prayers Volume 2." Through these episodes, the relationship between Task and Shoko and the dystopian worldview of Shibuya are deeply depicted.

Theme songs and music

The ending theme, "Saigo no Awakening," is sung by Kaori Funakubo and is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story. This song has a beautiful melody that symbolizes the relationship between Task and Shoko and the dystopian worldview of Shibuya.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Prayers: Tsumetai Koe" is a work that skillfully depicts the themes of music, love, and dystopia. Although it is short, it offers a dense time and gives viewers deep emotion and thoughts. In particular, the relationship between Task and Shoko and Shibuya's dystopian worldview will leave a strong impression on viewers. In addition, the sound by Tsuji Yo, who was in charge of the music, is an important element that enhances the atmosphere of the story and will capture the hearts of viewers.

This work is recommended for those who are interested in music and dystopian worldviews, and those who want to explore the nature of deep human relationships and love. This work, which offers a short but dense time, will give viewers a new perspective and moving experiences. Please give it a watch.