Nasu: Wandering Bird in a Suitcase - A thorough review of the moving journey and depth of the characters

Eggplant: A Migratory Bird in a Suitcase - A moving road race and the drama of life

"Nasu: Wandering Bird with a Suitcase" was released as an OVA in 2007 and is based on the popular manga series "Nasu" by Kuroda Io. This work is a moving story set in the world of cycle road racing, depicting the struggles and growth of the athletes. Below, we will introduce detailed information and reviews of this work, as well as recommended points.

Overview

"Nasu: Wandering Bird with a Suitcase" is set in the "Velta a España" in Spain, and is a story of the Paopao Beer team's heated race at the "Japan Cup Cycling Road Race" held in Japan. The human drama of the main character, Pepe Benenheri, his teammate Chocchi and other riders is depicted.

story

On the day before the final day of the "Velta a España", national hero racer Marco Rondanini suddenly commits suicide. This incident causes Pepe's teammate Cioci to question his life as a racer, triggered by the death of his hometown senior Marco. Meanwhile, Team Paopao Beer heads to Utsunomiya, where the Japan Cup will be held. Paopao Beer will no longer have a team next year, but this is their first visit to Japan and they are cheered on by the locals, so the team is in high spirits before the race. However, the day before the race, Cioci confesses to Pepe that he will retire next year from the difficult racing life that is forced on him for points. However, Pepe does not listen to Cioci's words, saying that he "lives to win, not for points". What will the outcome of Team Paopao's race be? Who will be the winner? The hot battle is about to begin.

Commentary

The film is based on a chapter of the manga "Nasu" (Kodansha, Afternoon KC) by Kuroda Io, who is well-known for his "Sexy Voice and Robo". Miyazaki Hayao, Otomo Katsuhiro, Terada Katsuya and others have all praised Kuroda's unique touch and innovative drama. The director is Takasaka Kitaro, who is also in charge of the script and character design, just like the previous film. Takasaka, who was the animation director for "Spirited Away" and "Howl's Moving Castle" and is an indispensable presence in Miyazaki Hayao's works, depicts the world of road racing with more power, precision and drama than the previous film. As with the previous film, the animation is produced by Madhouse ("Forest of Piano", "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time", "Death Note"), a world-renowned animation studio with a reputation for high quality, and they have beautifully recreated the speed and dynamism of bicycle racing. The main character Pepe is voiced by Yo Oizumi, who is still active in TV dramas and variety shows, as in the previous film, while a star-studded cast of voice actors, including Koichi Yamadera as Pepe's teammate Chochi, and Maaya Sakamoto as the team volunteer Toyoshiro Toyoshiro. The theme song is a cover of "The Bicycle Show Song" by Kiyoshiro Imawano, a huge bicycle fan, just like in the previous film, and the cast and crew are strong.

This time, the setting moves from one of the world's three major bicycle races, Spain's "Velta a Espana," to the "Japan Cup Cycling Road Race" held in Japan, where Team Paopao Beer puts on a heated race. The "Japan Cup" is the highest level professional bicycle race held in Japan, and this year marks the 16th time it has been held at Utsunomiya City Forest Park. It is considered the highest level race in Asia due to the ability of the participating athletes, the difficulty of the race, and the prestige, and it is the only race in Japan where athletes who compete in major overseas races such as the "Tour de France" race. It attracts enthusiastic bicycle fans from all over the country every year and receives tremendous support.

cast

• Pepe Benenheri/Yo Oizumi
• Jean Luigi Cioci/Koichi Yamadera
• Marco Rondanini/Akio Otsuka
• Hikaru Toyoshiro/Maaya Sakamoto
• Gilmore/Yushi Sato
• Regio/Hisao Egawa
• Nino/Akira Sasanuma
• Mitsukazu Toyoki/Reita Shibai
• Amedeo/Tadatsugu Fujimura (Hokkaido Television)
• Mecha/Masamichi Ureshino (Hokkaido Television)
• Paopao Beer Director: Yoshimasa Sakaguchi
• Hernandez/Minoru Hirano
• Frankie/Hiroaki Hirata
• Zoman/Shige Shibuya
• Dagdag/Kazunari Tanaka
• Director: Gorchinko / Bon Ishihara
• Masseuse/Yasumoto Hiroki
• Aunt / Chieko Aioi
• Zancone/Seiji Sasaki
• Live announcer/Taro Shirato
• Commentator: Daisuke Imanaka

Main Staff

• Original story by Kuroda Io's "Eggplant"
• Director, scriptwriter, character design: Kitaro Takasaka
• Planning: Masao Maruyama
• Animation director: Kenichi Yoshida
• Art director: Naoya Tanaka
• Color design: Osamu Mikasa
• CGI Director: Masami Tanji
• Directed by Atsushi Takahashi
• Assistant Director: Tomomi Yoshino
• Director of photography: Michiya Kato
• Edited by Takeshi Seyama, Megumi Uchida, Rie Matsubara
• Music by Toshiyuki Honda
• Music producer: Kozue Okada (AMO)
• Sound Director: Akihiko Nakajima, Masafumi Mima
• Sound effects: Shizuo Kurahashi (Soundbox)
• Recording studio/Aoi Studio
• Sound Production/Techno Sound
• Producers: Hiroshi Hirayama, Masao Toyoshima, Jungo Maruta
• Associate producers: Manabu Tamura, Mikio Ono, Yukiko Futakata
• Production Producers: Tomoki Toyoda, Akira Shinohara
• Animation Production: Madhouse
• Produced by: "Nasu: Wandering Bird in a Suitcase" Production Committee (Vap, Asmik Ace, Madhouse)

Main Characters

• A road cycling racer belonging to Pepe Benenheri Team Paopaobeer, he has previously won one stage at the Vuelta a Espana.
• Jean Luigi Cioci is a road cycle racer belonging to the Paopao Beer Team. He is a different character from Cioci who appeared in the previous work "Nasu: Andalusian Summer". He trained together with the hero Rondani from his hometown. In the original manga, his name was "Kyo-chi".
• A road cycling racer from the same hometown as Marco Rondaniuccio. A legendary athlete who won the World Championship and wore the Maillot Arc-en-Ciel (a rainbow jersey that is a symbol of world champion).
• In the previous film, Gilmore was a member of Team Paopao Beer, but in this film he is a member of Team Golchinko.
• Hikaru Toyoshiro is a woman who will be supporting Team Paopao Beer in the Japan Cup Cycle Road Race. Her favorite food is pickled eggplant.
• Zancone is a talented rider who has won the World Championships and the Giro d'Italia in the past, but he is also an eccentric who is described by his teammate Gilmore as "simple-minded."

Related Titles

• Eggplant Andalusian Summer

Theme songs and music

• TM1
• Bicycle show song
• Lyricist: Tetsuro Hoshino
• Composition: Gendai Kanae
• Arrangement: Kiyoshiro Imawano
• Sung by Kiyoshiro Imawano

Rating and Recommended Points

"Nasu: Wandering Bird with a Suitcase" is set in the sport of road cycle racing, but it also delves deeply into the human drama of the athletes. In particular, scenes depicting Chotchi's conflict and Pepe's beliefs leave a strong impression on viewers. The depiction of the racing scenes is extremely realistic, drawing the audience in. The meticulous direction of director Takasaka Kitaro, combined with Madhouse's high-quality animation, make this a visually very satisfying work.

The recommended points include the following:

• Realistic racing scenes : The speed of the bicycle races and the movements of the athletes are depicted realistically, making it a very worthwhile sports anime to watch.
• Deep human drama : The players' struggles and growth are carefully depicted, creating a moving story.
• A star-studded cast of voice actors : A star-studded cast of voice actors, including Yo Oizumi, Kouichi Yamadera, and Maaya Sakamoto, bring out the charm of the characters.
• Beautiful Music : The theme song "Bicycle Show Song" by Kiyoshiro Imawano and the music by Toshiyuki Honda add to the atmosphere of the film.

This work is recommended not only for those who like sports anime, but also for those who want to enjoy human drama. In particular, it is a must-see work for those who are interested in bicycle racing. Please give it a watch.