"Urban Legend Story Hikiko" Review: A mysterious world view and storytelling that draws you in

Urban Legend Story Hikiko - Urban Legend Story Hikiko

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

August 8, 2008

■Release and sales

・Distributor: Geneon Entertainment

■Frequencies

40 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Saint Kishikai

■ Director

Saint Kishikai

■ Production

・Production: Kishikaisei

■ Story

Satoshi recalls the trauma of his past... When he was in the third grade of elementary school, Satoko moved in next door. She became a classmate and was bullied by her classmates. Satoshi was afraid that he would be bullied as well, so he was unable to help Satoko. However, one day, the bullying boys and the homeroom teacher who was watching from the sidelines went missing or died for unknown reasons...

■Explanation

A 3DCG animation horror movie created by one creator! It's finally on sale! It's so realistic you'll wonder, "Can they really go this far?", and the terror is looming... Creator Kishi Kaisei is the original creator, scriptwriter, director, and CG producer, and he's pushed the boundaries in this 3DCG horror movie! It's even scarier than a live-action movie!

■Cast

・Sawamura Satoshi (adult) / Fujita Hidekazu・Sawamura Satoko (adult) / Tojo Mirai・Naito Sachiko (adult) / Iijima Emi・Homeroom teacher (adult) / Nishida Koji・Colleague teacher (adult) / Asukai Yutaka・Hikari Sayuri (adult) / Satou Erina・Sawamura Satoshi (childhood) / Ueda Daiki・Hikari Satoko (childhood) / Saito Mizuki・Tanaka Mamoru (childhood) / Suzuki Daisuke・Suzuki Shingo (childhood) / Kezuka Atsuya・Naito Sachiko (childhood) / Akasaka Yuki

■ Main staff

・Director／Kishikaisei ・Producer／Senda Kazuhiro ・Original Story／Kishikaisei ・Screenplay／Kishikaisei ・CG Production／Kishikaisei ・Sound Director／Senda Kazuhiro ・Music／Senda Kazuhiro

■ Related works

・Hikiko's return

■ Theme songs and music

・TM1
・With You・Song by Mirei

Urban Legend Story Hikiko - Detailed Review and Recommendation

■ Background and production of the work

"Urban Legend Story Hikiko" is an OVA released in 2008, written, directed, and produced by a single creator, Kishi Kaisei. This work explores the possibilities of 3DCG animation in the horror genre, and is the result of Kishi Kaisei's unique vision and technical ability. Kishi Kaisei is a creator known for his work in horror films and animation, and his works always skillfully combine visual impact and psychological horror.

Behind the production of this work, we can see Kishikaisei's deep understanding and passion for horror. He used 3DCG technology to challenge himself to depict horror that could not be expressed in traditional 2D animation or live-action films. As a result, "Urban Legend Story Hikiko" has been praised as a work that combines visual realism with psychological horror.

■Digging deeper into the story

The story of "Urban Legend Story Hikiko" begins with the protagonist Satoshi recalling a past trauma. When he was in the third grade of elementary school, Satoshi met a girl named Satoko who moved in next door. Satoko was being bullied by her classmates, and Satoshi was afraid of being bullied himself, so he was unable to help her. Then, one day, strange phenomena suddenly began to occur, with the bullying boys and his homeroom teacher going missing or dying for unknown reasons. The story depicts Satoshi's search for the truth as he is confronted with a mixture of guilt and fear from the past.

The story of this work delves deeply into human relationships and psychological conflicts while using urban legends and supernatural phenomena as its subject matter. The story is told from Satoshi's perspective, evoking empathy in the viewer and conveying the difficulty of facing past trauma in a realistic way. Satoko's character also sheds light on the social issue of bullying. Her loneliness and suffering leave a strong impression on the viewer and enhance the overall theme of the work.

■ Visuals and Technology

The greatest feature of "Urban Legend Story Hikiko" is the visual expression using 3DCG animation technology. Kishikaisei makes the most of the realism of 3DCG to enhance the visual horror. In particular, in scenes where strange phenomena occur, the combination of realistic depiction and skillful camerawork gives the viewer an intense sense of fear. In addition, the characters' expressions and movements are also very realistic, meticulously expressing emotional changes and psychological conflicts.

The visuals of this work show new possibilities for horror animation, and Kishikaisei's technical ability and artistry have been highly praised. The use of 3DCG technology has made it possible to express realistic horror that was difficult to achieve with traditional 2D animation, leaving a strong impact on the viewer. Additionally, the sound effects and music are also important elements that enhance the atmosphere of the work, and Kazuhiro Senda's skill as sound director shines through.

■Cast and Acting

The cast of "Urban Legend Story Hikiko" was selected to realistically portray the emotions and psychology of each character. In particular, the performances of Hidekazu Fujita, who plays the main character Satoshi, and Miki Tojo, who plays Satoko, have left a strong impression on viewers. Hidekazu Fujita skillfully portrays Satoshi's past trauma and current conflict, evoking empathy from viewers. Meanwhile, Miki Tojo realistically portrays Satoko's loneliness and suffering, touching the hearts of viewers.

The other cast members also portray the personalities and backgrounds of each character well. In particular, the performances of Emi Iijima, who plays Shoko Naito, and Koji Nishida, who plays the homeroom teacher, play an important role in heightening the tension of the work. The voice actors who play the childhood characters also express youth and innocence, leaving a strong impression on the viewers.

■Music and Sound

The music and sound in "Urban Legend Story Hikiko" are important elements that enhance the atmosphere of the work. Kazuhiro Senda's music heightens the horror tension and stimulates the viewer's emotions. In particular, the music in scenes where strange phenomena occur gives the viewer a strong sense of fear, increasing the impact of the work. The sound effects also contribute to a realistic expression of fear, stimulating the viewer's five senses.

The theme songs "TM1" and "Kimito" enhance the theme of the work with Mirei's singing voice. "TM1" resonates deeply with viewers with lyrics and melody that seem to symbolize Satoshi's past trauma and current conflict. Meanwhile, "Kimito" leaves a strong impression on viewers with lyrics and melody that express Satoko's loneliness and suffering. These songs play an important role in deepening the theme of the work and drawing out the emotions of viewers.

■ Related works and recommendations

A related work to "Urban Legend Story Hikiko" is "Hikiko Sairin". "Hikiko Sairin" is a sequel to "Urban Legend Story Hikiko", and Satoshi's story is further developed. This work is also produced by Kishi Kaisei, and depicts visual expression and psychological horror using 3DCG animation techniques. Viewers who enjoyed "Urban Legend Story Hikiko" should also watch "Hikiko Sairin".

The reasons why I recommend "Urban Legend Story Hikiko" are as follows.

• Realistic horror : The visual expression using 3DCG animation technology combines visual realism with psychological horror, making this a work that leaves a strong impact on the viewer.
• Deep story : The story depicts past trauma and present-day conflict, evoking deep empathy and touching emotions in viewers, while also highlighting the social issue of bullying.
• Excellent Cast : The cast's performances are truly moving, as they convey the emotions and psychology of each character. The voice actors who play the main characters Satoshi and Satoko are particularly impressive.
• Music and Sound : The music and sound effects add to the atmosphere of the film, heightening the viewer's emotions and increasing the sense of fear. The theme song also deepens the theme of the film.

"Urban Legend Story Hikiko" shows new possibilities for horror animation, and is a work that combines visual realism with psychological horror. This work, which brings together Kishikaisei's technical skills and artistry, leaves a strong impact on the viewer and evokes deep emotions. This is a work that should be watched by anyone interested in horror animation or 3DCG animation. It is also recommended for those interested in social issues such as past trauma and bullying. Through "Urban Legend Story Hikiko," viewers will be able to experience new horror and be deeply moved.