The appeal and reputation of Kaede New Town: A thorough explanation of its livability and strong community

Kaede New Town - Kaede New Town - Detailed reviews and recommendations

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

March 6, 2008

■Release and sales

・Distributor: CoMix Wave Film

■Frequencies

28 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Naoto Iwakiri

■ Director

Naoto Iwakiri

■ Production

Animation: Naoto Iwakiri, Yu Ikejiri, Norihisa Nakama

■Works

©Codomo Inc./CoMix Wave Films/SPACE SHOWER TV Inc./Mars Sixteen

■ Story

Mikio is an ordinary fifth grader living in a new town on the outskirts of Osaka. He is interested in Haruko, a classmate, but all he can do is stare at her, and he can't even talk to her. Then one day, his partner, Mr. Glasses, tells him that Haruko is moving to a faraway town. Mikio is troubled, unable to do anything about it, but then the ghost Cupio appears in front of Mikio! Will he be able to convey his feelings to Haruko?

■Explanation

This is the directorial debut of Iwakiri Naoto, a multi-talented manga artist and illustrator who has directed numerous music videos. The music is provided by artists whose music videos Iwakiri has produced to date. Aprils, a futuristic pop band from Tokyo with many fans, and TOMOVSKY, the former vocalist of Castella, who gained immense popularity during the band boom, are in charge of the songs, creating a powerful collaboration of visuals and music. The role of the main character, Mikio, is played by Morinaga Yuki, a genius child actor who showed outstanding acting in the movie "Shaberedemo Shaberedemo." A heart-warming first love animation told in the lively Kansai dialect of children!

■Cast

・Mikio Osawa/Yuki Morinaga・Haruko Tezuka/Akari Toki・Yusuke Megane/Haruto Mitamura・Ghost Cupio/Mayu Yoshioka・Mio Tennoji/Ikuko Takase・Mikio's mother/Rie Nakagawa・Girl/Mayu Hayakawa・Announcer/Rei Naito・Teacher/Takahiro Hirano・College student/Yuki Fujiwara

■ Main staff

・Director: Naoto Iwakiri ・Original story: Naoto Iwakiri ・Screenplay: Naoto Iwakiri ・Character design: Naoto Iwakiri, Yusuke Ito ・Animation: Naoto Iwakiri, Yu Ikejiri, Norihisa Nakama ・Music, opening theme, main theme, ending theme: TOMOVSKY

■ Main Characters

・Mikio Osawa
11 years old. A shy fifth grader living in Kaede New Town. He is average in everything: academics, sports, and looks. He falls in love with Haruko, a girl in his class.
・Haruko Tezuka
11 years old. The Madonna of Mikio's class. She has an active and assertive side, but sometimes looks like she's hiding something. Due to her parents' circumstances, she will be transferring schools in a week.
・Yusuke with glasses
11 years old. Nicknamed "Meganekun." Mikio's classmate. He hates lies and cares about his friends. He's a good friend to Mikio. His straightforward personality makes up for Mikio's shyness, so they have a good relationship. But maybe he's too nosy...
・A ghost that possesses the ghost Kyupio Mikio. When he becomes an adult, he can no longer be seen.
Tennoji Mio A handsome elementary school student in the class next to Mikio. He is an all-around athlete, has a sociable personality, and is the object of admiration for the girls in his class. He is the complete opposite of Mikio.

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Kaede New Town Theme Song/Aprils

・ED1
・Fantasy Express ・Lyrics by Tomoyuki Oki ・Music by Tomoyuki Oki ・Singer by TOMOVSKY

■Detailed evaluation

"Kaede New Town" is the directorial debut of Naoto Iwakiri, and is a work that fully demonstrates his talent. Director Iwakiri is active in a wide range of fields, including music video production, manga, and illustration, and the fusion of visual beauty and music that makes use of his experience is a major attraction of this work.

The story is a heartbreaking tale of first love, in which Mikio, an ordinary fifth grader, falls in love with Haruko, a girl in his class, but is unable to confess his feelings to her when she decides to move away. To portray Mikio's feelings, the director realistically recreates the world as seen through the eyes of children, successfully evoking empathy in the viewer. The appearance of the ghost Cupio also adds a fantasy element, giving the story depth.

As for the cast, Morinaga Yuki, who plays Mikio, was highly praised for his acting in the movie "Shaberedemo Shaberedemo," and he shows his talent in this work as well. Toki Akari, who plays Haruko, and Mitamura Haruto, who plays Megane-kun, also liven up the story with their natural, childlike acting. Yoshioka Mayu, who plays Cupio, also expresses Cupio's cuteness through her tone of voice and acting, leaving a strong impression on viewers.

The music is by two amazing artists, Aprils and TOMOVSKY. The opening song, "Kaede New Town Theme," is Aprils' futuristic future pop that enhances the atmosphere of the story, and the ending song, "Fantasy Express," features TOMOVSKY's powerful singing voice that symbolizes Mikio's feelings. These songs are integrated with the visuals and leave a strong impression on the viewer.

The animation was produced by a team consisting of Iwakiri Naoto, Ikejiri Yu, and Nakama Norihisa, and the beautiful images were created with attention to detail. In particular, the depiction of the new town scenery and the expressions of the children is realistic yet has the charm that can only be achieved through animation. The character designs were also done by Iwakiri Naoto and Ito Yusuke, and they created characters that are unique yet easy to relate to.

The theme of this work is first love, and by depicting the sadness and joy that comes with it, it succeeds in evoking empathy in the viewer. It also offers a new perspective to the viewer by depicting the world from the perspective of children. Furthermore, the presence of the ghost Cupio adds an element of fantasy, giving the story depth. The combination of these elements makes "Kaede New Town" a work that leaves a strong impression on the viewer.

■Recommendation details

"Kaede New Town" depicts the sadness and joy of first love, and by depicting the world from the perspective of children in particular, it offers viewers a new perspective. The stellar cast, music, and beautiful animation add excitement to the story, making it a work that leaves a strong impression on viewers. This is a work that I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to experience the bittersweetness of first love or to those who want to know the world from a child's perspective.

Furthermore, to enjoy "Kaede New Town," we recommend that you pay attention to the following points while watching.

• Mikio's emotional changes: In order to portray the sadness and joy of Mikio's first love, the director realistically recreates the world from the children's point of view. Therefore, by paying attention to the changes in Mikio's emotional states, you can feel the depth of the story.
• The presence of Cupio: The ghost Cupio adds a fantasy element and depth to the story. By paying attention to Cupio's actions and words, you can enjoy predicting how the story will unfold.
• Fusion of music and visuals: With two amazing artists participating, Aprils and TOMOVSKY, paying attention to the fusion of music and visuals will help you feel the atmosphere of the story more deeply.
• Character design: Naoto Iwakiri and Yusuke Itou were in charge of the character designs, which have created unique yet relatable characters. By paying attention to the character designs, you can get a deeper feel for the characters' charms.

As mentioned above, "Kaede New Town" is a work that depicts the sadness and joy of first love, and by depicting the world from the perspective of children, it offers viewers a new perspective. The stellar cast, music, and beautiful animation add excitement to the story, making it a work that leaves a strong impression on viewers. This is a work that I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to experience the bittersweetness of first love or to those who want to know the world from the perspective of children.