A thorough analysis of the appeal and emotion of "AIR"! A review of the tear-jerking masterpiece anime

Comprehensive evaluation and recommendation of AIR

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

18+ games

■ Broadcast period

January 7, 2005 - March 25, 2005
BS-i January 6, 2005 to March 31, 2005 (Episodes 1 to 13) Every Thursday 24:30 to 25:00

■Broadcasting station

BS-i

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 13

■Original Story

Key/Visual Art's

■ 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"...

*Quoted from Kyoto Animation's official website

■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!

※Quoted from d Anime Store

■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."

■Subtitle

Episode 1: Breeze (2005/01/06)
・Episode 2: Town (2005/01/13)
Episode 3: Scary ~ whisper ~ (2005/01/20)
Episode 4: Plume (2005/01/27)
Episode 5: Tsubasa (2005/02/03)
Episode 6: Star (2005/02/10)
Episode 7: Dream (2005/02/17)
Episode 8: Natsu~summer~ (2005/02/24)
Episode 9: Moon (2005/03/03)
Episode 10: Hikari (2005/03/10)
Episode 11: Sea (2005/03/17)
・Final episode: Sky~Air~(2005/03/24)
・Compilation (2005/03/31)

■ Related works

・AIR prelude
・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

・ED2
・ Bird Song ・ Lyrics by Jun Maeda (Key)
・Composition: Shinji Orito ・Arrangement: Kazuya Takase (I've)
・Singer: Lia

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

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"AIR" is an anime series created by Key/Visual Art's and produced by Kyoto Animation. Broadcast in 2005, this work has captivated many fans with its beautiful visuals and moving story. Below, we will provide a detailed review and recommendation of the work.

Story and Themes

The story of "AIR" depicts the interactions between Kunizaki Oto and the girls he meets in a seaside town as he travels to fulfill the mission entrusted to him by his mother. Set against the backdrop of summer scenery, the story depicts Oto's meetings and partings with girls such as Misuzu, Yoshino, and Minagi, and ultimately depicts the short summer in which he must fulfill a promise imposed on those with "powers." The story is deeply moving to viewers, with themes of the transience and beauty of youth, and the depth of human bonds.

In particular, the scene where Otomo meets Misuzu and, touched by her purity and innocence, reexamines the meaning of his own existence is extremely moving. Also, do not miss the process in which Otomo gradually opens up through his interactions with Yoshino and Minagi. These episodes evoke empathy from the viewer and enhance the emotional impact of the story as a whole.

character

Each character in "AIR" is unique and leaves a strong impression on viewers. The main character, Kunizaki Oto, is a young man who goes on a journey to fulfill a mission entrusted to him by his mother. His lack of social skills and his mysterious "power" to move dolls without touching them draw the viewers' interest. Additionally, the charms of each character, such as Misuzu's friendliness and innocence, Yoshino's love for animals, and Minagi's maternal love, all enrich the story.

In particular, Misuzu's character is at the center of the story, and her presence plays an important role in moving Ototo's heart. Yoshino's interactions with her pet dog Potato and the friendship between Minagi and Michiru also add depth to the story. The relationships between these characters encourage viewers to empathize with them, enhancing the emotional impact of the story as a whole.

Visuals and Music

The visuals of "AIR" are created by Kyoto Animation's beautiful drawings and color designs, and realistically recreate summer scenes. In particular, the scenery of the seaside town and the repeated scenes of the girls meeting in the sunlight are visually very beautiful and leave a strong impression on the viewer. The character designs are also attractive, bringing out the individuality of each character.

Music is also one of the attractions of "AIR". The opening theme "Tori no Uta" and the ending themes "Farewell Song" and "Aozora" enhance the atmosphere of the story and bring out the emotions of the viewers. In particular, Lia's singing voice is beautiful, further enhancing the moving nature of the story. These pieces of music help the viewer to become immersed in the story and raise the quality of the work as a whole.

Production Staff

The production staff of "AIR" is a team that brings together the talents of Kyoto Animation. Director Ishihara Tatsuya directed the story to bring out its emotional impact to the fullest, leaving a strong impression on viewers. Shimo Fumihiko, who was in charge of series composition and scriptwriting, faithfully reproduced the worldview of the original work while adding his own interpretation, adding depth to the story. Aratani Tomoe, who was in charge of character design and chief animation director, provided beautiful designs that brought out the charm of each character. Thanks to the efforts of these staff members, "AIR" was completed as a high-quality anime work.

Related Titles

There are many related works to "AIR", including the original 18+ game. In particular, the movie version of "AIR" further deepens the story of the TV series, providing viewers with new excitement. In addition, related works such as "AIR prelude", "AIR IN SUMMER" and "AIR MEMORIES" also expand the worldview of the original work, making them must-sees for fans. By watching these related works, you can gain a deeper understanding of the worldview of "AIR" and rediscover the excitement.

Recommendation

"AIR" is an extremely high-quality anime that combines beautiful visuals, a moving story, charming characters, and wonderful music. In particular, the story, which depicts the transience and beauty of youth and the depth of human bonds, deeply moves viewers. Kyoto Animation's beautiful drawings and color design, as well as Lia's beautiful singing voice, also enhance the appeal of the work.

This work is highly recommended for viewers who like youth anime and moving stories. Also, fans who have played the original 18+ game can experience new emotions through the TV series and movie version. Furthermore, by watching related works, you can gain a deeper understanding of the world of "AIR" and reaffirm the emotions. "AIR" is a wonderful anime work that provides viewers with emotion and healing. Please give it a watch.