The appeal and reviews of Kochira Tamago: An anime experience not to be missed

"Please respond to this egg": A moving OVA that depicts the preciousness of life

■Overview of the work

"Please Answer Me, Here's an Egg" is an OVA released on July 26, 2008. It is based on a fairy tale by Kishi Nobuko and was directed by Oya Mitsuko. Animation is by Mushi Production, the production organization is Please Answer Me, Here's an Egg Anime Production Committee, Kumamoto, and the production company is Pictures Network Co., Ltd. Copyright is owned by Mushi Production, Tezuka Productions, and Please Answer Me, Here's an Egg Production Committee. The work is a single episode and depicts the theme of the preciousness of life.

■ Story

Taku, who had just started the sixth grade, suddenly heard a voice. "Big brother, big brother, this is the egg, please answer." It was the voice of a new life growing in Taku's mother's womb. Taku gradually began to sense the preciousness of life as the "egg" continued to grow rapidly through repeated cell division. Then, one day, the egg, which seemed unusually depressed, called out to Taku. "Um, I guess I'm not really welcome after all." For various reasons, Taku's parents were considering an "abortion." When Taku heard this, he stood up. What will happen in this drama of rescuing the egg?

■Explanation

In June 2006, the "Here's a Tamago, Please Answer Me" Anime Production Committee, Kumamoto was established by a dozen people in Kumamoto, where Nobuko Kishi, the original author of "Here's a Tamago, Please Answer Me", lives. Kishi said, "While watching TV, I was stunned to see a high school girl who was engaged in compensated dating laughing and saying that if she gets pregnant, she can just have an abortion. I wrote this to tell those girls that "life is precious." The production committee began a fundraising campaign with the aim of making an anime version of this work and showing it to children who are in the midst of a situation where life is not taken seriously, and to convey the mystery and importance of life, and to spread this message from Kumamoto to the rest of the country. The work was completed with the support of many people in Kumamoto and the cooperation of people all over the country.

■ Main staff

・Producers: Noriaki Hiraga, Noriko Yoneda ・Original story: Nobuko Kishi ・Director: Mitsuko Oya ・Screenplay: Shigeki Chiba ・Character design: Tamaki Kobe ・Animation production: Mushi Production Co., Ltd.
・Production organization: Here's an egg response please Anime Production Committee ・Kumamoto ・Production company: Pictures Network Co., Ltd.

■ Evaluation and impressions of the work

"Please Respond to Me, Here's an Egg" is a work that deals with the preciousness of life, and has been highly praised for its message. In particular, the story behind its creation, which was produced to convey the message to children that "life is precious," is imbued with deep feelings. The story of how the original author, Nobuko Kishi, got the idea from a thoughtless remark made by a high school girl on television is also important in understanding the background of the work.

The story begins with sixth grader Taku hearing the voice of a new life growing in his mother's womb. Taku communicates with this life, called "Egg," and begins to appreciate the preciousness of life. However, when Taku finds out that the parents are considering an abortion, he takes action to save the egg. This development deeply moves viewers and makes them think deeply about the value of life.

Mushi Productions, the studio in charge of animation, is a historic studio that has worked on many of Tezuka Osamu's works, and their technical and expressive abilities are fully demonstrated in this work. The character designs by Kobe Tamaki are easy for children to relate to, further enhancing the moving story.

Director Mitsuko Oya has succeeded in faithfully capturing the message of the original work and conveying it to viewers. Screenwriter Shigeki Chiba has also respected the theme of the original work while creating a dramatic plot. With the efforts of producers Noriaki Hiragata and Noriko Yoneda, the film has embodied the vision of the production committee.

■ Appeal and recommendation points of the work

The greatest appeal of "Please Respond to Me" is its moving story that depicts the preciousness of life. In particular, the film was produced with deep thought in mind, with the aim of conveying the message "life is precious" to children. Watching this film with your family can provide an opportunity to discuss the value of life.

The animation quality is also high, highlighting Mushi Production's technical capabilities. The character designs are also friendly, making it enjoyable for both children and adults. The team of director Mitsuko Oya and screenwriter Shigeki Chiba is also excellent, faithfully portraying the message of the original work.

The recommended points are as follows:

• A moving story about the preciousness of life
• The background to conveying the message to children that "life is precious"
• High quality animation from Mushi Production
• Friendly character design
• A faithful adaptation of the original by a team of director and screenwriter

Related information

"Please Respond to Me" was completed with the support of local people in Kumamoto and cooperation from all over Japan. You can gain a deeper understanding of the work by learning about the background of the work, such as the fundraising activities of the production committee and the thoughts of the original author, Nobuko Kishi. In addition, the history of Mushi Productions and its connection to the works of Osamu Tezuka are also important points in enjoying the work.

This work is a moving story that depicts the preciousness of life, and is packed with high-quality animation and the deep thoughts of the production committee. I hope that families will watch it together and use it as an opportunity to discuss the value of life.