Stand-up Eater Legends: A thorough analysis of the art of food and its appeal

The appeal and evaluation of "Tachiguishiretsuden"

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Light novel

■ Release date

April 8, 2006 - January 1, 2000

■Distribution company

Tohokushinsha, Production IG

■Frequencies

106 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Mamoru Oshii

■ Director

Mamoru Oshii

■ Production

・Animation production: Production IG
Produced by: Standing Eater Legend Production Committee (Production IG, Bandai Visual, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Tohokushinsha, Nippon Television Network Corporation)

■Works

©2006 Mamoru Oshii / Production IG / Standing Eater Legend Production Committee

■ Story

The year is 1945. Just after the end of the Pacific War. A corner of Tokyo is hoping to recover from the ruins. A fragile soba noodle shop in the black market. Just as the shop is about to close, a man appears. This man is none other than the legendary stand-up soba eater, Tsukimi no Ginji. "Tsukimi... by your side." Tsukimi no Ginji's merciless "cheating" is quietly set in motion. Times are changing. In the midst of the first Security Treaty protests, the beautiful female stand-up soba eater, Ketsuneko Croquette no Ogin, suddenly disappears. Crying Inumaru wanders the backstreets of the high-growth period. Chilled Tanuki no Masa, whose scandalous death made the existence of stand-up soba eaters known to the world. Gyudon no Ushigoro, who drove a major beef bowl chain into bankruptcy. The phantom "Stand-Up Eaters" have appeared and disappeared along with the changes in the way we eat, such as "The Philosophy of Hamburgers" that shook the American fast food industry. These are unorthodox heroes who made their mark in the darkness of food culture. Their legends are now vividly revived. *Quoted from the official Production.IG website

■Explanation

Oh no! He's a professional stand-up eater... This work makes full use of the new technique of "Super Livemation," which takes live-action photographs and creates animation. The "Stand-up Eaters" are legendary assassins who have made their mark on the history of the Showa period after World War II. The story of the eight stand-up eaters who have sent fear into the hearts of all kinds of restaurants, from soba shops, beef bowl restaurants, hamburger chains, food stalls, and curry stands, begins now. *Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Cast

・Ginji of Tsukimi/Kichijoji Monster・Ogin of Ketsuneko Croquette/Mako・Crying Inumaru/Mitsuhisa Ishikawa・Tetsu of the Hamburger/Kenji Kawai・Sub of Medium Spicy/Shoji Kawamori・Gyugorou of the Beef Bowl/Shinji Higuchi・Tatsu of the Frankfurt/Katsuya Terada・Masa of the Chilled Raccoon/Toshio Suzuki

●VOICE CAST
・Kouichi Yamadera ・Mako Hyodo ・Ryoko Sakakibara

■ Main staff

・Original story, script, and director: Mamoru Oshii ・Planning: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa ・Executive producers: Shigeru Watanabe, Yoshiro Yasunaga, Kiyotaka Ninomiya, Seiji Okuda ・Cinematography: Keiichi Sakazaki ・3DCG: IKIF
Visual effects: Hisashi Ezura Music: Kenji Kawai Sound director: Kazuhiro Wakabayashi Direction: Toshihiko Nishikubo Animation production: Production IG
Produced by: Standing Eater Legend Production Committee (Production IG, Bandai Visual, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Tohokushinsha, Nippon Television Network Corporation)
Distribution: Tohokushinsha, Production IG

■ Main Characters

A legendary stand-up eater who appeared in the black market just after the end of the war. He specializes in "sermons" on the subject of "Tsukimi Soba." Although it was hailed as the ultimate masterpiece born from the 1,000-year history of stand-up eaters, he disappeared leaving behind countless legends, and his whereabouts are unknown.
・Ogin of Ketsuneko Croquette In the 1950s, she was a female stand-up eater who was active in the Nagatacho area. She made a name for herself with her "Ketsuneko Croquette Soba" and her beauty and eloquence took the world by storm. On June 15, 1960, she disappeared after the All Japan Federation of Student Self-Governments stormed into the National Diet.
In the 1960s, he was a stand-up eater who appeared in local cities. He specializes in "crying" and "winning," but he doesn't have a specific theme. He has been beaten up dozens of times by enraged shop owners and customers. He is omnivorous and has a tendency to wander.
The victim of the so-called "Stand-up Eater Murder Incident" in the early 1970s. He was a unique stand-up eater whose theme was the seasonal "chilled raccoon dog," and many researchers consider him a pioneer of critical endeavors.
・Gyudon Gyugoro A stand-up eater who has been rampaging through the Kanto and Kansai regions with his gyudon-themed schemes. He led a dozen of his subordinates in attacks on stores, forcing the major chain Yochinoya into bankruptcy and later giving rise to many copycat crimes.
A stand-up eater randomly attacks a foreign-owned hamburger chain. This motiveless terrorism throws the restaurant industry into panic.
A stand-up eater who operates a wide range of venues, from Frankfurt's Tatsu Amusement Park to festival stalls and highway rest areas, with a "Frankfurt" theme. He disappeared after a brawl at a large foreign-owned amusement facility, and his whereabouts are unknown.
A stand-up eater who repeatedly eats and drinks without paying, mainly at stand-up curry restaurants, making full use of his appearance that makes him look like a medium-spicy Indian. The only word he uttered when cheating was "Chukara," which took the world by storm and gave birth to many copycat criminals.

■ Related works

・The Tale of the Female Standing Eater: Ogin of Ketsuneko Croquettes - Palestine Deadly Battle Edition

■ Theme songs and music

・ED1
・Grey Petals ・Lyrics by Yumi Kojima ・Music by Kenji Kawai ・Singer by Mako Hyodo

・IN1
・Mousou Boogie ・Lyrics by Yumi Kojima ・Music by Kenji Kawai ・Singer by EMI

The appeal and evaluation of "Tachiguishiretsuden"

Director Mamoru Oshii's "Standing Eaters" is an animated film released in 2006 that garnered attention for its unique worldview and use of the new animation technique "Super Livemation." Set in postwar Japan, the film tells the story of the "standing eaters" who operate behind the scenes of food culture. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and reviews of this film.

The appeal of the story

"Stand-Up Eaters Legends" depicts the exploits of various stand-up eaters set in Japan from 1945 to the 1970s. Each stand-up eater is themed around a different ingredient or dish, and their backgrounds and motives are explored in depth. For example, Tsukimi no Ginji, who was active in the black market just after the end of the war, is a character who uses "preaching" to trick people with his theme of "Tsukimi Soba." His existence symbolizes the lives and feelings of people during the chaotic period after the war.

In the 1950s, Ogin of Ketsunekorokke used her beauty and eloquence to create a business centered on Ketsunekorokke soba, but her life took a dramatic turn when she became entangled in a political incident and disappeared. Her story can be seen as a symbol of the changes in postwar Japanese society and the role of women.

Furthermore, stories of stand-up eaters that reflect the social background of each era, such as "Crying Inumaru" from the 1960s and "Cold Tanuki Masa" from the 1970s, are not just entertaining but also provide deep insight from a historical perspective. Through the lives of these characters, the transition of food culture and the dark side of society are highlighted, and the shows are filled with deeply moving and thought-provoking elements that will leave viewers in awe.

Innovation in animation technology

"Standing Eater Legend" uses a new technique called "Super Livemation," which creates animation by incorporating live-action photographs. This technology fuses realistic backgrounds with animation, creating a unique atmosphere. In particular, the scenes that recreate Tokyo's postwar black market and Showa-era streetscapes have a strong visual impact and a strong historical sense of reality.

This is also a work that highlights Production IG's high level of animation technology. The movements and expressions of the characters, as well as the details of the backgrounds, are carefully drawn, achieving both visual beauty and depth of story. In particular, the scenes depicting the cheating of the stand-up eaters skillfully express tension and thrills, drawing the viewer in.

Music and Sound

The music was composed by Kenji Kawai, whose unique melodies enhance the atmosphere of the entire work. The ending theme "Grey Petals" is particularly symbolic of the theme of the work, sung by Mako Hyodo. The inserted song "Mousou Boogie" also plays a role in livening up the tempo of the work, along with EMI's singing voice.

Don't miss the meticulous sound design by sound director Kazuhiro Wakabayashi. In the scenes where the stand-up eaters set up their schemes, sound effects and background music are used effectively to heighten the tension, allowing you to experience the world of the work not only visually but also aurally.

Cast and characters

The cast includes such talented voice actors as Yamadera Kouichi, Hyodo Mako, and Sakakibara Ryoko. In particular, Kichijoji Kaijin, who plays Tsukimi no Ginji, and Mako, who plays Ketsuneko Croquette no Ogin, bring out the best in their characters. In addition, the voice actors of each character, such as Ishikawa Mitsuhisa, who plays Crying Inumaru, and Kawai Kenji, who plays Hamburger Tetsu, bring out the charm of their characters.

The character settings of each stand-up eater are also fascinating. For example, "Gyudon no Gyugoro" has enough influence to drive a major beef bowl chain into bankruptcy, and "Hamburger no Tetsu" has shocked the American fast food industry. Each character's background and motives are deeply depicted. The stories of these characters are not just entertainment, but also contain social messages.

Related works and their appeal

A related work to "Stand-Up Eaters" is "Female Stand-Up Eaters: Ogin of Ketsunekorokke - Palestine Deadly Battle Edition". This work delves deeper into the story of Ogin of Ketsunekorokke, depicting her exploits and the battle in Palestine. Through this related work, you can gain a broader understanding of the world of stand-up eaters.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Stand-Up Eaters" is a work that combines director Mamoru Oshii's unique perspective with new animation techniques, and the appeal of its story and characters has attracted many viewers. In particular, the story of the stand-up eaters, set against the backdrop of the changes in post-war Japanese society, offers deep insight from a historical perspective and has educational value as well as entertainment value.

This work is recommended not only for animation lovers, but also for those interested in history and social issues. It is also enjoyable for those who are interested in the evolution and behind-the-scenes of food culture. It is also recommended for those who have enjoyed other works by director Mamoru Oshii, as it offers a new perspective and a new experience of technique.

"Stand-up Eaters' Legend" is a work that combines visual beauty, a deep story, and new animation technology, and no matter how many times you watch it, you will always find something new. Please watch this work and experience the world of stand-up eaters.