The appeal and reviews of "AIR prelude": Experience the emotional prologue

Detailed review and recommendation of AIR prelude

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

18+ games

■ Release date

November 17, 2004

■Release and sales

TBS

■Frequencies

40 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Key/Visual Arts

■ Director

Tatsuya Ishihara

■ Production

・Animation Production: Kyoto Animation ・Production: Tsubasa Denshoukai (TBS, Pony Canyon, Movic, Kyoto Animation)

■Works

©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasa Denshokai

■ Story

A young man arrives in a town facing the sea. His name is Kunizaki Otohito, and he travels from town to town making a living as a puppeteer. He has the mysterious "power" to make puppets move without touching them. A young girl named Kanrin speaks to him. She is friendly and smiles innocently. Meeting her marks the beginning of Otohito's life in this land. Days pass peacefully, enveloped in summer scenes. He meets the girls repeatedly in the sunlight. The summer continues endlessly, beneath the expansive blue sky. In that atmosphere, she waits. A short summer to fulfill a far-away promise imposed on the one with the "power"...

■Explanation

A legendary anime produced by Kyoto Animation before "K-ON!"! Faithfully recreates the world of the hit game "AIR" with its wonderful story and music!

■Cast

・Kunizaki Yuto/Ono Daisuke・Kamio Misuzu/Kawakami Tomoko・Kirishima Yoshino/Okamoto Asami・Tono Minagi/Yuzuki Suzuka・Kamio Haruko/Hisakawa Aya・Kirishima Sei/Touma Yumi・Michiru/Tamura Yukari・Potato/Konno Hiromi・Kannabi no Mikoto/Nishimura Chinami・Ranagi Ya/Kanna Nobutoshi・Uraha/Inoue Kikuko

■ Main staff

・Original work: Key/Visual Art's
・Director / Tatsuya Ishihara・Series composition, script / Fumihiko Shimo・Character concept / Itaru Hinoue・Character design, chief animation director / Tomoe Aratani・Color design / Akiyo Takeda・Art director, art setting / Joji Unokuchi・Director of photography / Ryuta Nakagami・Editing / Seiji Morita・Music / Shinji Orito, Magome Togoshi, Jun Maeda・Music remastering / Ted Jensen・Sound director / Yota Tsuruoka・Producers / Yoshihisa Nakayama, Shinichi Nakamura, Kozue Kanba, Yoko Hatta・Animation production / Kyoto Animation・Production / Tsubasa Denshoukai (TBS, Pony Canyon, Movic, Kyoto Animation)

■ Main Characters

A young man who continues traveling in search of the meaning of the vague mission entrusted to him by his mother to find a certain girl. He always carries a doll given to him by his mother. Perhaps because he has always traveled alone, he is not good at socializing.
A girl whom Ototo met in a seaside town. She has a friendly demeanor, but she has few friends and is usually alone. Her favorite food is the "thick and rich peach flavor" that can be found in the vending machine at Takeda Shoten.
After losing her parents, she lives with her sister, who is a doctor at a clinic in town. She talks to Otomo, who is hanging out, in an amusing way. She loves animals and often walks around with her dog Potato.
・Tono Minagi A quiet, beautiful girl who always plays with Michiru. She doesn't show her emotions and tends to be misunderstood because of her slightly off-putting way of speaking, but she is a gentle girl full of maternal love. She is the president of the astronomy club and is classmates with Misuzu.
Haruko Kamio Haruko often goes out and rarely has parent-child conversations with Kanrin. Haruko is a heavy drinker every night, and Otoko is forced to join her for a drink.
Kirishima: A doctor at the Sei Kirishima Clinic and Yoshino's older sister. She dotes on her one and only Yoshino and grants all her younger sister's requests. She is friendly to those she likes, but merciless to those who hurt her.
Michiru is Minagi's best friend and a lively girl with a bit of a rowdy side. She adores Minagi and they always play together in front of the deserted station. She and Oto are in fierce conflict as if they are sworn enemies.
・Potato A mysterious creature called Potato. With its strange barking sound, "Pikopiko," it's hard to believe it's a dog. Yoshino loves him and they chat a lot.
・A girl who lives under guard at Kannabi no Mikoto Shrine.
A samurai assigned to guard Yanagi Kanna.
A lady-in-waiting who serves Uraha Kanna. She is gentle and knowledgeable.
Sora: A crow that was picked up by Kanrin on her way home from school and named "Sora."

■ Related works

・AIR
・AIR IN SUMMER
・AIR MEMORIES
・Theatrical version of AIR

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・ Bird Song ・ Lyrics by Jun Maeda (Key)
・Composition: Shinji Orito ・Arrangement: Kazuya Takase (I've)
・Singer: Lia

・ED1
・Farewell song
・Lyrics/Jun Maeda (Key)
・Composition: Togoshi Magome ・Arrangement: Togoshi Magome ・Singer: Lia

・IN1
・Blue Sky ・Lyrics by Jun Maeda (Key)
・Composition: Jun Maeda (Key)
・Arrangement/Shinji Orito ・Singer/Lia

■Detailed evaluation

"AIR prelude" is an original video animation (OVA) produced by Kyoto Animation, based on the popular game "AIR" by Key/Visual Arts. It was released by TBS on November 17, 2004, and consists of one 40-minute episode. It was directed by Tatsuya Ishihara, written by Fumihiko Shimo, and character designed and supervised by Tomoe Aratani. Music was provided by Shinji Orito, Magome Togoshi, and Jun Maeda, and the theme songs are "Tori no Uta" and "Farewell song" sung by Lia.

The story begins when a young man, Kunizaki Oto, arrives in a seaside town and meets a young girl, Kamio Misuzu, as he continues his journey, making a living as a puppeteer. Oto has a mysterious "power" that allows him to control puppets without touching them, and the story depicts a short summer in which he must fulfill a distant promise imposed on the one who possesses this power. The work depicts the meeting and parting of the girls against the backdrop of summer scenery, drawing viewers in with its beautiful visuals and moving story.

Each character has their own unique personality, and the purpose of Otohito's journey, Kanon's purity, Yoshino's brightness, and Minagi's serenity are depicted. In addition, supporting characters such as Haruko Kamio, Hijiri Kirishima, and Michiru also add depth to the story. In particular, the animal characters such as Potato and Sora are charming and add color to the story.

Visually, Kyoto Animation's beautiful drawings stand out. The detailed backgrounds, character expressions, and movements are all carefully drawn, and the visual beauty enhances the work's appeal. The music also plays an important role, with Lia's singing voice and the theme song, written and composed by Jun Maeda, enhancing the emotion of the story.

"AIR prelude" faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original game, while condensing the story into the short time of an OVA. As a result, fans who are familiar with the original will be able to enjoy it from a new perspective, and first-time viewers will be drawn into the moving story. This work is truly worthy of being called a "legendary anime," as it combines Kyoto Animation's technical capabilities with Key/Visual Arts' storytelling.

■Recommendation details

The reasons why we recommend "AIR prelude" are as follows:

1. **Beautiful visuals and music**: Kyoto Animation's beautiful drawings, Lia's singing voice, and Jun Maeda's music enhance the story. It's a work that is both visually and aurally satisfying.

2. **A moving story**: The story of the meeting and parting of Oto and Kanrin, depicted in a short period of time, and the promise imposed on those who possess "power", will deeply move viewers.

3. **Unique characters**: Each character, including Ototo, Kanrin, Yoshino, and Minagi, is unique and charming. The supporting characters also add depth to the story.

4. **Providing a new perspective for fans of the original game**: Fans who are familiar with the original game "AIR" can enjoy the story in a new format called OVA. It faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original while providing a new perspective.

5. **Kyoto Animation's technical skill**: This work fully demonstrates Kyoto Animation's technical skill, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of the animation.

"AIR prelude" is a work that is attractive for its beautiful visuals, moving story, and unique characters. It is recommended not only for fans of the original game, but also for viewers who are looking for beautiful animation and a moving story. Please watch this work and experience its charm.