The appeal and reviews of "W Wish": A thorough analysis of the touching story and character depth

W Wish - A mysterious school drama of sad feelings and lost memories

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

game

■ Broadcast period

October 3, 2004 - December 26, 2004

■Broadcasting station

UHF

■Frequencies

12 mins

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 13

■Original Story

Princess Soft

■ Director

Osamu Sekita

■ Production

Animation production: TriNet Entertainment, Picture Magic Animation production cooperation: Rikuen Tai Production: W Wish Production Committee

■Works

©2004 PrincessSoft/W Wish Production Committee

■ Story

All the mysteries lie in lost memories...

Junkazu Tono lost his parents in a serious accident when he was young. He himself lost his memories before the accident, and now lives alone with his younger sister, Izumi. One day, he begins to have strange dreams that recur. The girl in the dream speaks to him as "Big Brother." What does it mean? The key to solving all the mysteries lies in his lost memories...

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Explanation

A mysterious school drama where sad feelings and lost memories intersect!!

※Quoted from d Anime Store

■Cast

・Tono Junkazu/Fukuyama Jun・Tono Izumi/Shimizu Ai・Inohara Haruhi/Shintani Ryoko・Kishida Satoshi/Matsuki Miyu・Iida Akino/Nanri Yuka・Fujieda Ayaka/Kaneda Tomoko・Otori Tsubasa/Chiba Saeko

■ Main staff

・Original work: Princess Soft・Director: Osamu Sekita・Series composition: Katsumi Hasegawa・Original character concept: Mizuki Kisaragi・Character design and chief animation director: Yasunari Nitta・Art director: Mitsuharu Miyamae・Director of photography: Toshikatsu Tokoro・Color design: Haruko Nobori・Editor: Terumitsu Okada・Sound director: Koichi Iizuka・Music: Ryo Sakai・Producers: Saburo Omiya, Takashi Nakanishi・Animation producers: Toshiro Sakuma, Takahiro Okao・Animation production: TryNet Entertainment, Picture Magic・Animation production cooperation: Rikuen Tai・Production: W Wish Production Committee

■Subtitle

・Episode 1 / Junka and Izumina・Episode 2 / Help Me, Help Club・Episode 3 / Another Little Sister・Episode 4 / Overwhelming Anxiety・Episode 5 / The Night Before the Cherry Blossom Summer Festival...
・Episode 6: Memories in the Dark ・Episode 7: It's Summer! The Sea! Swimsuits!!
Episode 8: Album of Memories Episode 9: Hidden Past Episode 10: A Distorted World Episode 11: The Truth About Izumi Episode 12: A Forced Choice Episode 13: Three Feelings

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・KIZUNA～KIZUNA・Lyrics by Ayane・Music by TARAWO
・Arrangement: TARAWO
・Singer/Ayane

・ED1
・Memories good night
・Lyrics by Chiyomaru
・Composer: Chiyomaru
Arrangement: Chen Wing-fu; Song: tiaraway

・IN1
・GLORY DAYS
Lyrics by Ayane, Music by TARAWO
Arrangement: Toshimichi Isoe Vocals: Saeko Chiba

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

■ Story and Theme

"W Wish" is a TV anime series based on a game by Princess Soft, which was broadcast in 2004. The series is known as a mysterious school drama where lost memories and sad feelings intersect. The protagonist, Tono Junkazu, lost his parents at a young age and lives with his younger sister Izumina, having lost his memory. The story begins with a mysterious dream that Junkazu has repeatedly, in which a girl calls out to him "big brother," and this is an important element that brings the story to its core.

The themes of this work are memory, family ties, and the weight of choices. As Junkazu searches for his lost memories, he encounters various people and experiences that move him emotionally. In particular, viewers will feel deeply moved and empathize as his relationship with Izumina and the true identity of the girl in his dreams become clear. Furthermore, the secrets and mysteries that are revealed as the story progresses have the power to draw viewers in.

■ Characters

Each character in this work has their own unique background and emotions, which make a strong impression on the viewer. The main character, Tono Junkazu, is played by Fukuyama Jun as a voice actor. His delicate emotional expression realistically portrays Junkazu's anguish and hopes. Shimizu Ai, who plays his younger sister, Izumina, also skillfully expresses her purity and strength.

Other characters who enrich the story include Haruhi Inohara (Ryoko Shintani), Satoshi Kishida (Miyu Matsuki), Akino Iida (Yuka Nanri), Ayaka Fujieda (Tomoko Kaneda), and Tsubasa Otori (Sako Chiba). In particular, Tsubasa Otori's character, along with her singing voice, plays an important part in the story and leaves a deep impression on the viewers.

■ Production and direction

Director Osamu Sekita has skillfully created a mysterious atmosphere and moving scenes in this work. Series composer Katsumi Hasegawa has also carefully planned the development of the story, realizing storytelling that will not tire the audience. Character designer and chief animation director Yasunari Nitta has drawn the characters' expressions and movements with meticulous attention to detail, enhancing the visual appeal.

In addition, staff members such as art director Mitsuharu Miyamae, cinematographer Toshikatsu Tokoro, and color designer Haruko Nobori also contributed to the rich expression of the worldview of the work. In particular, color design is an element that greatly influences the atmosphere of the story and plays an important role in evoking the emotions of the viewer.

■Music

The music was composed by Ryo Sakai, and strongly brings out the emotional aspects of the work. The opening theme "KIZUNA ~ Kizuna" combines Ayane's powerful voice with TARAWO's composition to create a song that touches the hearts of viewers. The ending theme "Omoide Good Night" is a beautiful song with tiaraway's gentle voice that leaves an aftertaste of the story. In addition, the insert song "GLORY DAYS" and Chiba Saeko's voice liven up important scenes of the story.

■Recommendation

I highly recommend "W Wish" to anyone who enjoys a mysterious school drama, is interested in the themes of family ties and memories, and is looking for a moving story. This work not only deeply moves and sympathizes with the viewer, but also gives a lot to think about through the development of the story and the growth of the characters.

This work is especially recommended for those who want to enjoy the performances of talented voice actors such as Jun Fukuyama and Ai Shimizu. It will also appeal to music fans who want to enjoy the singing voices of Ayane, Tiaraway, and Saeko Chiba.

Furthermore, even though this work has a compact structure of only 13 episodes, it has the power to draw viewers in with its deep themes and detailed storytelling. It is also perfect for those who want to experience a moving story in a short period of time.

■ Summary

"W Wish" is a mysterious school drama where lost memories and sad feelings intersect, and is loved by many viewers. The story development, character growth, and the quality of the music and direction have been highly praised, giving viewers deep emotion and empathy. If you haven't seen this work yet, please give it a watch. I'm sure it will be a story that will stay deep in your heart.