A thorough review of the moving and profound story of "War Fairy Tale: Two Walnuts"!

War fairy tale: Two walnuts - Sensou Dou Wa Futatsu No Kurumi -

■ Public Media

TV Special

■ Original Media

Fairy tales

■ Broadcast period

August 15, 2007 - January 1, 0000 TV Asahi August 15, 2007 (1 episode) Thursday 10:30-11:25
Akita Asahi Broadcasting August 24, 2007 (1st time) Friday 10:35-11:30
Niigata TV 21 August 15, 2007 (1st episode) Thursday 10:30-11:25
Nagano Asahi Broadcasting August 15, 2007 (1st episode) Thursday 10:30-11:25
Shizuoka Asahi Television August 15, 2007 (1st episode) Thursday 10:30-11:25
Nagoya TV August 15, 2007 (1st episode) Thursday 10:50-11:45
Asahi Broadcasting August 31, 2007 (1 episode) Friday 13:55-14:50
Setonaikai Broadcasting August 15, 2007 (1st episode) Thursday 10:35-11:30
Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting August 15, 2007 (1st episode) Thursday 10:45-11:40
Nagasaki Cultural Broadcasting August 15, 2007 (1st episode) Thursday 14:00-14:55
Oita Asahi Broadcasting August 15, 2007 (1st episode) Thursday 10:45-11:40
Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting August 15, 2007 (1st episode) Thursday 9:55-10:50

■Broadcasting station

TV Asahi

■Frequencies

60 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Akiyuki Nosaka

■ Director

・General Director: Tetsuo Yasumi ・Director: Minetaro Hirai

■ Production

Produced by TV Asahi and Shin-Ei Animation

■Works

©K2/Shinei

■ Story

Ayaka Nakanishi is 12 years old. She is a typical sixth grader who has finally taken her dog Ryan for a walk after being nagged by her grandmother and mother, with whom she lives.
Ayaka, pulled along by Ryan, walks into the grounds of a nearby temple. She follows the signboard of the "War Victims Memorial" nearby without reading it, and there she sees a description of the Great Tokyo Air Raid that occurred in the early hours of March 10, 1945.
Gradually the sky darkens and finally it starts to rain. Thunder begins to rumble, and Ayaka and Ryan take refuge in a nearby phone booth. The lightning gets closer and closer, and finally it strikes the phone booth, causing Ayaka to lose consciousness.
Ayaka wakes up to Ryan's cries and is surprised to see that her surroundings look completely different. She is now in a downtown area with nothing but wooden houses and not a single building in sight, let alone the telephone booth she had taken refuge in.
When people passing by frown at her outfit, Ayaka realizes that she has been sent back in time by the lightning. Then, unreasonably, the people try to take Ryan away.
Ayaka panics and runs away, but is saved by a girl named Tomoko and her dog Hana. Tomoko takes Ayaka, who has nowhere to go, to her house.
There, Ayaka realizes that she has traveled back in time to March 7, 1945 - just before the date written on a sign in the temple grounds, but she cannot remember the details of what the sign said.
Ayaka is shocked to hear from Tomoko, who lives with her mother, younger brother, and her classmate Shokichi, who has lost all family, that even her pet dog has been forced to be donated because of the war.
Tomoko is also surprised to hear that Ayaka came from the future, but believes her through her cell phone. She worries about Ayaka, who has nowhere to go. In an attempt to encourage Ayaka, who has no one to call her, she gives her one of the pair of walnut bells made by her father, who died in the war.
The next day, Ryan and Hana are captured while out shopping. However, Ayaka manages to rescue Ryan and Hana from the authorities under cover of darkness. Ayaka never wants to leave Ryan again.
And once she's back in time in Tokyo, Ayaka wakes up to the fateful night of March 9th, 1945.

Late at night - just after midnight, an air raid siren sounds. Realizing that this is the beginning of the Great Tokyo Air Raid on March 10th, Ayaka flees in fear, just like Tomoko, the others, and the neighboring residents. Houses burst into flames one after another as countless incendiary bombs fall. Tomoko's mother, brother, and Shokichi are killed, and Ayaka, Tomoko, Ryan, and Hana are at the mercy of the crowds of people searching for a place to escape. In the end, Ayaka and Tomoko are torn apart by the fleeing crowds.
Ayaka invites Tomoko to meet her at the temple, and they try to escape the crowds with their respective dogs, but the raging flames that are burning down houses are threatening to engulf the two of them along with the people living there.

■Explanation

Ayaka Nakanishi is an ordinary elementary school student. During a walk with her dog Ryan,
You will travel back in time to a world three days before the Great Tokyo Air Raid.
The one who helped Ayaka and Ryan, who had nowhere to go, was a girl of the same age, Tomoko.
Tomoko gives Ayaka a pair of walnut bells, wishing her the speedy return to her world.
It was made by my father who died in the war.
However, her wish remained unfulfilled as the fateful day of March 10, 1945 arrived...

*Quoted from Bandai Visual

■Cast

・Ayaka/Eri Kitamura ・Tomoko/Megumi Nasu ・Shokichi/Rika Matsumoto ・Kenta/Tomoko Kaneda ・Reina/Yuki Matsuoka ・Toshiko/Mami ・Gen-san/Cho ・Yoko/Yuko Nagashima ・Tomiko/Ai Sato

■ Main staff

・Original story by Akiyuki Nosaka ・Script and general director by Tetsuo Yasumi ・Storyboard and director by Minetaro Hirai ・Planning by Michihiko Umezawa (TV Asahi), Yoshio Kato ・Characters by Shuichi Seki ・Animation director by Masae Otake ・Art director by Shinji Kawai ・Director of photography by Koichi Yanai ・Editor by Hajime Okayasu ・Sound director by Akira Okuma ・Music by Masae Sagara ・Sound effects by Akiko Muto (Soundbox)
Producers: Noboru Sugiyama (TV Asahi), Toshihide Yamada Production: TV Asahi, Shin-Ei Animation

■ Theme songs and music

・TM1
・Abandoned House in My Hometown ・Sung by Reina Takahashi

Detailed review and recommendation of "War Fairy Tale: Two Walnuts"

Background and significance of the work

"War Children's Story: Two Walnuts" is a TV special based on the original work by Akiyuki Nosaka, and is a moving work that depicts the misery of war and the bonds between people. This work was broadcast on TV Asahi on August 15, 2007, and is positioned as an important media to ensure that the history of war does not fade away. In particular, it left a deep impression on viewers by depicting the horror of the Great Tokyo Air Raid and the history of the subsequent reconstruction.

Story development and appeal

The story begins when Ayaka Nakanishi, a modern-day elementary school student, travels back in time while walking her dog Ryan and arrives in Tokyo on March 7, 1945. Ayaka meets a girl named Tomoko and witnesses the harshness of war and the lives of the people. The walnut bell that Tomoko gave her becomes a symbol of hope, but the fateful night of March 10 arrives, the night of the Great Tokyo Air Raid.

This story depicts the horror of war in a realistic way, while also depicting the strength of friendship, familial love, and the human spirit that never loses hope. The friendship between Ayaka and Tomoko, and the bond between Ryan and Hana, strike a strong chord with viewers. The story also incorporates the fantasy element of time travel, making historical events feel more familiar.

Character Appeal

The main character, Ayaka, is an ordinary elementary school student who faces the extraordinary situation of time slipping, and the story depicts her growing up. Her purity and strength resonate with viewers. Meanwhile, Tomoko plays an important role as a person who supports Ayaka, never losing hope even in the harshness of war. Her kindness and courage become a light that illuminates the dark shadows of war.

In addition, each character, such as Shokichi and Tomoko's family, is affected by the war in their own way, but they also support each other. The portrayal of these characters plays an important role in helping readers understand the tragedy of war more deeply.

Visual and musical evaluation

The visuals of this film are impressive for their beautiful drawings that make use of Shin-Ei Animation's technical capabilities, and for the scenes that realistically depict the horror of war. In particular, the scene of the Great Tokyo Air Raid, with its realistic depiction of the flames of incendiary bombs and the people fleeing, leaves a strong impression on the viewer. In addition, the daily lives of Ayaka and Tomoko, as well as modern-day scenes before the time slip, are also carefully depicted, supporting the development of the story.

The music, by Masae Sagara, adds excitement to the story with its moving melodies. In particular, the theme song "Abandoned House in My Hometown" expresses the sadness and hope of war together with Reina Takahashi's singing voice. The sound effects and background music also effectively convey the tension of war and the warmth of friendship.

Staff Evaluation

General Director Tetsuo Yasumi and Director Minetaro Hirai have faithfully reproduced the themes of the original work while creating a story that will touch the viewers. The script also incorporates the essence of the original work while skillfully incorporating the element of time travel. The technical skills of each staff member, including character design, animation director, art director, and cinematographer, have been highly praised.

Recommendations and messages to viewers

"War Fairy Tale: Two Walnuts" is a moving work that depicts the misery of war and the strength of humanity. I especially recommend it as an important medium for conveying the history of war to the younger generation. In addition, the story of friendship, family love, and hope will resonate with all generations. Please take the opportunity to think deeply about the history of war and human bonds through this work.

Related information and recommendations

After watching this movie, we also recommend the following related works:

"Grave of the Fireflies" - An animated film also based on the original work by Nosaka Akiyuki, it is a masterpiece that depicts the horrors of war.
"In This Corner of the World" - a moving anime film told from a woman's perspective about the effects of war.
"The Wind Rises" - A Studio Ghibli film set in a time of war, telling the story of a protagonist torn between dreams and reality.

These works also tell moving stories that depict the history of war and human strength, and by watching them together with "War Fairy Tale: Two Walnuts," you will be able to gain a deeper understanding and be deeply moved.

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