The appeal and reviews of "Minna no Uta♪Ehon Theater": A world of animation that can be enjoyed by both children and adults

Everyone's Songs♪ Picture Book Theater - Everyone's Songs♪ Picture Book Theater

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

others

■ Broadcast period

December 24, 2007 - December 25, 2007
NHK E-TV December 24, 2007 to December 25, 2007 (1st to 3rd episodes)

■Broadcasting station

NHK

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 3

■ Director

Tsuneo Goda

■ Production

・Produced by Dwarf

■Works

©NHK

■Cast

Narration: Sachiko Kagami (Makuma-kun's Travels)
Narration by Gekidan Hitori (Grandpa Grasshopper's Kamishibai)
Narration by Noppo Takami

■ Main staff

・Direction: UrumaDelvi ("The School of Bites")
・Written by Tsuneo Goda ("Makuku-kun's Travels")
・Written by Takami Noppo ("Grandpa Grasshopper's Kamishibai")
・Illustration and direction: Tsuneo Goda ("Makuma-kun's Travels")
・Direction: Keiko Iino ("Grandpa Grasshopper's Kamishibai")
・Art/Yuichi Ito ("Grandpa Grasshopper's Kamishibai")
・Music by Matsumae Kimitaka ("School of Bites")
・Music by Takeshi Yoshida ("Makuma-kun's Travels")
・Music by Toshihiro Nakanishi ・Music by Toshiaki Matsumoto ("Grandpa Grasshopper's Kamishibai")
Director: Tsuneo Goda Producer: Dwarf

■Subtitle

・#1／Kajiri School (2007/12/24)
・#2／Makuma-kun's Travels (2007/12/24)
・#3/Grandpa Grasshopper's Kamishibai (2007/12/24)

■ Related works

・Minna no Uta series

Minna no Uta♪Ehon Theater - Detailed evaluation and recommendation

"Minna no Uta Ehon Theater" is a short anime series of only three episodes that was broadcast on NHK from December 24th to 25th, 2007. However, despite its brevity, this work beautifully expresses the world of picture books beloved by children in the form of animation, and deeply moved viewers. In this review, we will explain in detail the appeal and background of "Minna no Uta Ehon Theater", as well as the points to recommend it.

Background and concept of the work

"Minna no Uta♪ Ehon Theater" was produced as part of NHK's long-running "Minna no Uta" series. "Minna no Uta" has been broadcast since 1961 and is a music program beloved by a wide range of generations, from children to adults. This series introduces new songs and animations every month, providing viewers with fresh excitement. As part of this series, "Minna no Uta♪ Ehon Theater" is a new attempt to recreate the world of picture books through animation.

The concept of this work is to express the story of a picture book through animation, allowing the viewer to become more immersed in the story. The appeal of a picture book lies in its combination of visuals and text, but animation further expresses this through movement and sound, allowing the viewer to experience new emotions. Also, while respecting the original picture book, the work adds expressions unique to animation, further enhancing the appeal of the original work.

Details and appeal of each episode

Episode 1: "School of Bites"

"Kajiri no Gakkou" is a production directed by UrumaDelvi. The story depicts the Kajirimushi learning at school, and aims to teach children the joy of studying. The animation beautifully depicts the adorable movements of the Kajirimushi and the school scenery, and has the power to draw viewers in. Additionally, Matsumae Kimitaka's music adds depth to the story and stirs the emotions of the viewers.

The appeal of this story is that it not only teaches children the importance of studying, but also the importance of friendship and cooperation. The way the Kagirimushi solve problems together resonates with viewers and makes them want to work hard. In addition, the story faithfully reproduces the original picture book, while adding expressions unique to animation, further enhancing the appeal of the original.

Episode 2: Makuma-kun's Travels

"Makuma-kun's Overseas Trip" was written, illustrated, and directed by Tsuneo Goda. The story depicts Makuma-kun going on a trip abroad, and is intended to teach children the joys of travel. The animation portrays Makuma-kun's adventures in a realistic way, drawing the viewer into the world of travel. Additionally, Takeshi Yoshida's music adds depth to the story and stirs the viewer's emotions.

The appeal of this story is that it depicts Makuma-kun's growth as he encounters new cultures and people. Viewers can enjoy traveling with Makuma-kun and learn the importance of intercultural understanding. Kagami Sachiko's narration also adds warmth to the story and provides viewers with a sense of security. While faithfully recreating the original picture book, the film adds expressions unique to animation, further enhancing the appeal of the original work.

Episode 3: Grasshopper Grandpa's Kamishibai

"Grandpa Grasshopper's Kamishibai" was written by Takami Noppo and directed by Iino Keiko. The story depicts Grandpa Grasshopper performing a Kamishibai story, and is intended to convey the joy of storytelling to children. The animation beautifully depicts the world of Kamishibai and has the power to draw the viewer in. Additionally, Toshiaki Matsumoto's music adds depth to the story and stirs the viewer's emotions.

The appeal of this story is that it conveys the power and importance of stories through the sight of Grasshopper Grandpa telling the story to children. Viewers are drawn into the world of the picture storytelling and are able to rediscover the appeal of stories. Gekidan Hitori's narration also adds humor to the story, bringing smiles to viewers' faces. While faithfully recreating the original picture book, the film adds expressions unique to animation, further enhancing the appeal of the original work.

Achievements of the production staff

The success of "Minna no Uta Picture Book Theater" is the culmination of the efforts and talents of the production staff. Director Goda Tsuneo took on the difficult task of recreating the world of picture books through animation, and he succeeded brilliantly. Additionally, Uruma Delvi, Iino Keiko, and Takami Noppo, who directed each episode, gave each story its own personality and charm, and have the power to draw the audience in. Furthermore, Matsumae Kimitaka, Yoshida Takeshi, Nakanishi Toshihiro, and Matsumoto Toshiaki, who were in charge of the music, gave the stories depth and emotion, touching the hearts of the viewers.

The production company Dwarf worked with NHK to produce this work, providing animation that children will love. Dwarf has many years of experience in producing children's animations, and their experience and technology contributed greatly to the success of "Minna no Uta Picture Book Theater."

Recommended points

"Minna no Uta Picture Book Theater" is a work that allows children to rediscover the charm of stories by experiencing the world of picture books through animation. The following points are the reasons why we especially recommend it.

1. The world of picture books recreated through animation

This work faithfully reproduces the original picture book while adding the unique expression of animation to provide new excitement to the audience. The combination of the visuals and text of the picture book is further enhanced by the movement and sound of the animation, allowing the audience to become immersed in the story.

2. Convey the joys of studying and traveling to children

"Kajiri's School" and "Makuma-kun's Travels" respectively convey the joys of studying and traveling. Through these stories, viewers can learn that studying and traveling are opportunities for personal growth, and develop a positive attitude towards studying and traveling.

3. Communicate the power and importance of stories

"Grandpa Grasshopper's Kamishibai" conveys the power and importance of stories. Through this story, viewers can once again recognize the power that stories have to move people and enrich their hearts.

4. The Power of Music

The music by Matsumae Kimitaka, Yoshida Takeshi, Nakanishi Toshihiro and Matsumoto Toshiaki adds depth and emotion to the story, moving the viewer to the core. Music is a vital element of animation, and here it is expressed to the fullest.

5. Talent of the production staff

The talents of the production staff, including Tsuneo Goda, UrumaDelvi, Keiko Iino, and Noppo Takami, are the backbone of this work's success. Their efforts and skill have created an animation that has touched audiences and is beloved by children.

summary

"Minna no Uta Picture Book Theater" is a short animated series of only three episodes, but its content has the power to deeply move children and make them rediscover the charm of stories. By recreating the world of picture books in animation, viewers can gain new inspiration and learn about the joys of studying, traveling, and stories. The talent and hard work of the production staff also underpinned the success of this work, creating an animation that is beloved by viewers. I highly recommend this series to parents and educators who want their children to experience the world of picture books, as well as viewers who want to explore new possibilities in animation.