"Sola" Review: A fusion of beautiful visuals and deep story

sola - Sora - Comprehensive evaluation and recommendation

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

others

■ Broadcast period

April 7, 2007 - June 30, 2007 TV Aichi April 6, 2007 - June 29, 2007 (Episodes 1-13) Every Friday 25:28-25:58
Chiba TV April 8, 2007 to July 1, 2007 (Episodes 1 to 13) Every Sunday 25:30 to 26:00
AT-X May 24, 2007 to August 16, 2007 (Episodes 1 to 13) Every Thursday 9:30 to 10:00

■Broadcasting station

UHF, AT-X

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 13

■Original Story

・Original story: Naoki Hisaya

■ Director

Tomoki Kobayashi

■ Production

Animation production: Nomad Production: sola project (Bandai Visual, Lantis, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners)

■Works

©sola project

■ Story

Yorito is a first-year high school boy who loves the sky.
Ishizuki Mana is a very lively classmate of Ito.
Mana's younger sister, Koyori, is a second-grader in elementary school. She has fallen ill and is hospitalized in a hospital on a hill overlooking the sea.
At the hospital, Koyori meets Aono Morimiya, who is also Yorito's older sister and is very close to him.

Yorito and Mana went to visit Aono and Koyori. It was Aono's birthday.
Mana gave them a cake as a present, and Yorino gave them a doll as a present.
The four of them messing around...
At that time, a mysterious man, Tsuyoshi Tsujido, and a girl who always wears Gothic Lolita clothes, Mayuko Kamikawa, were traveling together.
A young girl, Mari Shikata, lived alone and quietly in a church on the outskirts of town.

The encounter between Yorito and Mari was sudden. One night at 4am. At a nature park on the beach with beautiful grass.
Under the pale light of the street lamps, Yorito was preparing to take a photo of the dawn sky.
I set up a tripod facing the sea and attached the camera.
Rubbing his hands against the still-chilly air, he looked up at the sky.
"Okay, today is the day," I thought, and tried to look into the camera, when at that moment I heard a loud bang.
Then, an unfamiliar girl, Mari, appeared next to a nearby vending machine.

When Ito meets Mari and the girls meet, everyone's stories begin to move.

■Explanation

One wish that cannot be granted...
Deliver these feelings!

Morimiya Yorito is a boy whose hobby is taking pictures of the sky. One day, when he comes to Mizube no Mori Park to take pictures of the dawn sky, he meets a mysterious girl named Shikata Mari. However, her true identity is that of a being who can only live in the world of night, known as "Yoka." When a boy who loves the sky meets a girl who cannot see the blue sky, the gears of fate begin to turn!

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Cast

・Morimiya Ito/Okamoto Nobuhiko/Shikata Mari/Noto Mamiko/Morimiya Aono/Nakahara Mai/Ishizuki Mana/Honda Yoko/Ishizuki Koyori/Shimizu Ai/Kamikawa Mayuko/Kaneda Tomoko/Tsujido Tsuyoshi/Fujiwara Keiji/Sakura Sae/Koshimizu Ami/Uehara Touko/Ono Ryoko/Mizuguchi Chisato/Yahagi Sayuri

■ Main staff

・Original story/Hisaya Naoki・Character story/Nanao Naru・Director/Kobayashi Tomoki・Series composition/Hanada Jukki・Character design, chief animation director/Koga Makoto・Art director/Hirose Yoshinori・Color design/Umezaki Hiroko・Director of photography/Yoshida Hiroshi・Editor/Shigemura Kengo・Music/Fujima Jin・Sound director/Aketagawa Jin・Music production/Lantis・Producers/Nagatani Takayuki, Inoue Shunji, Hosokawa Osamu, Satomi Tetsuro, Ono Tatsuya・Production producer/Takae Yuji・Animation production/Nomad・Production/sola project (Bandai Visual, Lantis, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners)

■ Main Characters

A boy who attends Morimiya Ito High School. He has a bright and friendly personality.
A girl with a mysterious aura who lives alone at Shiho Mari Church.
Aono Morimiya is the calm and collected sister of Yorito. She is currently hospitalized.
・Ishizuki Mana A caring classmate of Ito.
・Ishizuki Koyori: Mana's reliable younger sister.
・Kamikawa Mayuko A girl who acts together with Tsujido.
Tsuyoshi Tsujido A mysterious man who acts together with Mayuko.
・A classmate of Sakura Saeito and Mana.
・Uehara Touko: A classmate of Ito and Mana.
・Mizuguchi Chisato and Mana's classmate.

■Subtitle

・Episode 1: Sky Blue Kasa (2007/04/06)
・Episode 2/Miagelao (2007/04/13)
・Episode 3: Odayakanahi (2007/04/20)
Episode 4: Negai Futari (2007/04/27)
・Episode 5/Furisosoghikari (2007/05/04)
・Episode 6: Ikenienochi (2007/05/11)
Episode 7: Gray Night (2007/05/18)
Episode 8: Unforgettable Memories (2007/05/25)
・Episode 9: The End of Drugs (2007/06/01)
・Episode 10: The Dream That Will Happen (2007/06/08)
Episode 11: Musou Renga (2007/06/15)
・Episode 12: Yuumeino Sakai (2007/06/22)
・Episode 13/Sora (2007/06/29)

■ Related works

・Sola Unaired episodes

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Sensitive Landscape・Lyrics by Aki Hata・Music by Kaoru Okubo・Arrangement by Kaoru Okubo・Singer by Ceui

・OP2
・Colorless Wind
Lyrics: Aki Hata; Composition: Kaoru Okubo; Arrangement: Kaoru Okubo; Singer: Aira Yuuki

・ED1
・mellow melody
Lyrics: Aki Hata; Composition: Kotaro Kodaka; Arrangement: Kotaro Kodaka; Singer: Ceui

・ED2
・Lyrics by Aki Hata ・Music by Katsuhiko Kurosu ・Arrangement by Kaoru Okubo ・Singer by Aira Yuuki

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"Sola" is a 13-episode TV anime series that was broadcast in 2007, and has captivated many fans with its unique worldview and beautiful visuals. The original story was written by Naoki Hisaya, the director was Tomoki Kobayashi, and the animation was produced by Nomad. Below, we will provide a detailed review and recommendation of this work.

Story and Themes

The story of "Sola" begins with the encounter between Morimiya Yorito, a boy who loves the sky, and Shikata Mari, a girl who can only live in the world of night. Yorito visits a park to photograph the dawn sky, where he meets Mari. Mari is a being known as the "Night Calamity," and is burdened with the sad fate of never being able to see the blue sky. This encounter is the catalyst for the story to unfold as the fates of Yorito, Mari, and the people around them intertwine.

The theme of this work is "unfulfilled wishes" and "the gears of fate." Through the relationship between Yorito and Mari, the work depicts the loneliness and hope that humans have, as well as the strength to overcome these. The story also progresses from the perspectives of various characters, including Yorito's older sister Aono, his classmate Mana, and Mana's younger sister Koyori, delving into the theme from multiple angles.

character

Each character in "Sola" is unique and plays an important role in deepening the story. The protagonist, Morimiya Yorito, has a bright and friendly personality and a strong love for Sora, and is depicted growing as he meets Mari. Shikata Mari has a mysterious aura and is burdened with the sad fate of only being able to live in the world of night, but it is moving to see her gradually change through her encounter with Yorito.

Yorito's older sister, Aono Morimiya, is calm and collected, and supports Yorito and Koyori even while she is hospitalized. Mana Ishizuki is a caring person who cares deeply for Yorito and Koyori, and is heavily involved in the progression of the story. Mana's younger sister, Koyori, is a reliable person, and a new friendship is born when she meets Aono. Mayuko Kamikawa and Tsuyoshi Tsujido are mysterious figures, and are important characters who support the story behind the scenes.

Visuals and Music

The visuals of "Sola" are very beautiful, especially the depiction of the sky. The visuals created by director Tomoki Kobayashi and animation studio Nomad are colorful and have a fantastical atmosphere. The designs by character designer and chief animation director Makoto Koga bring out the individuality of the characters.

Music is also an important element in enhancing the appeal of this work. The opening themes "Sensitive Landscape" and "Colorless Wind" and the ending themes "Mellow Melody" and "Miageru Ano Sora de" are written by Aki Hata and composed by Kaoru Okubo and Kotaro Kodaka, further enhancing the atmosphere of the story. The singing voices of singers Ceui and Aira Yuuki also match the worldview of the work.

evaluation

"Sola" leaves a strong impression on viewers with its beautiful visuals, deep themes, and unique characters. The story unfolds slowly and there are sad scenes at times, but this actually enhances the charm of the work. The music also works together with the story to capture the hearts of viewers.

This work is recommended for those who want to enjoy a story where youth and fantasy intersect, those who want beautiful visuals and music, and those who like works that make them think about deep themes. In particular, the unique worldview where the world of night and the real world intersect has a charm that cannot be found in other works.

Recommendation

The reasons why we recommend "sola" are as follows:

• Beautiful visuals and music: The depiction of the sky, character designs, and music enhance the world of the work.
• Deep themes: Themes such as unfulfilled wishes and the gears of fate make this a work that will make the viewer think.
• Unique Characters: Characters including Ito and Mari add depth to the story.
• Unique worldview: The unique worldview where the world of night and the real world intersect is fascinating.

This work is recommended for those who want to enjoy a story where youth and fantasy intersect, those who want beautiful visuals and music, and those who like works that make them think about deep themes. In particular, the unique worldview where the world of night and the real world intersect has a charm that cannot be found in other works.

■ Detailed information

"Sola" was broadcast from April 7 to June 30, 2007. It was broadcast every Friday from 25:28 to 25:58 on TV Aichi, every Sunday from 25:30 to 26:00 on Chiba TV, and every Thursday from 9:30 to 10:00 on AT-X. It consists of 13 episodes, with subtitles for each episode as follows:

• Episode 1: Sky Blue Kasa (2007/04/06)
• Episode 2/Miagelao (2007/04/13)
• Episode 3: Odayakanahi (2007/04/20)
• Episode 4: Negai Futari (2007/04/27)
• Episode 5: Furisosog Hikari (2007/05/04)
• Episode 6: Ikenienochi (2007/05/11)
• Episode 7: Gray Night (2007/05/18)
• Episode 8: Unforgettable Thoughts (2007/05/25)
• Episode 9: The End of Drugs (2007/06/01)
• Episode 10: The Dream That Will Happen (2007/06/08)
• Episode 11: Musou Renga (2007/06/15)
• Episode 12: Yuumeino Sakai (2007/06/22)
• Episode 13/Sora (2007/06/29)

There are also episodes that have not been aired, and related works include "Sola Unaired Episodes."

■Cast and crew

The cast of "Sola" is as follows:

• Morimiya Yorihito/Okamoto Nobuhiko
• Mari Shikata/Mamiko Noto
• Aoi Morimiya/Mai Nakahara
• Mana Ishizuki/Yoko Honda
• By Koyori Ishizuki/Ai Shimizu
• Mayuko Kamikawa/Tomoko Kaneda
• Tsuyoshi Tsujido/Keiji Fujiwara
• Sae Sakura/Ami Koshimizu
• Touko Uehara/Ryoko Ono
• Chisato Mizuguchi/Sayuri Yahagi

The main staff are as follows:

• Original story by Naoki Hisaya
• Original character design: Naru Nanao
• Director: Tomoki Kobayashi
• Series Composition: Touki Hanada
• Character design and chief animation director: Makoto Koga
• Art Director: Yoshinori Hirose
• Color design: Hiroko Umezaki
• Director of photography: Hiroshi Yoshida
• Edited by Kengo Shigemura
• Music by Jin Fujima
• Sound Director: Aketagawa Jin
• Music Production: Lantis
• Producers: Takayuki Nagatani, Shunji Inoue, Osamu Hosokawa, Tetsuro Satomi, Tatsuya Ono
• Production producer: Yuji Takae
• Animation Production: Nomad
• Produced by: sola project (Bandai Visual, Lantis, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners)

■ Theme songs and music

The theme song and songs for "sola" are as follows.

• OP1
  ・Sensitive Landscape・Lyrics by Aki Hata・Music by Kaoru Okubo・Arrangement by Kaoru Okubo・Singer by Ceui
• OP2
  ・Colorless Wind
  Lyrics: Aki Hata; Composition: Kaoru Okubo; Arrangement: Kaoru Okubo; Singer: Aira Yuuki
• ED1
  ・mellow melody
  Lyrics: Aki Hata; Composition: Kotaro Kodaka; Arrangement: Kotaro Kodaka; Singer: Ceui
• ED2
  ・Lyrics by Aki Hata ・Music by Katsuhiko Kurosu ・Arrangement by Kaoru Okubo ・Singer by Aira Yuuki

Conclusion

"Sola" leaves a strong impression on viewers with its beautiful visuals, profound themes, and unique characters. The story unfolds slowly, and there are sad moments at times, but this actually enhances the charm of the work. The music also works as one with the story to capture the hearts of viewers. This work is recommended for those who want to enjoy a story where youth and fantasy intersect, those who seek beautiful visuals and music, and those who like works that make them think about deep themes. In particular, the unique worldview where the world of night and the real world intersect has a charm not found in other works.