Review of "Mai Mai Shinko and the Thousand Year Magic": A fusion of moving story and beautiful images

"Mai Mai Shinko and the Thousand Year Magic": A timeless story of a girl's imagination and growth

■Overview of the work

Mai Mai Shinko and the Thousand Year Magic is a Japanese animated film released on November 21, 2009. It was directed by Katabuchi Sunao, produced by Madhouse, and distributed by Shochiku. It is based on the autobiographical novel Mai Mai Shinko, written by Akutagawa Prize-winning author Takagi Nobuko, and is based on her own childhood. The film faithfully reproduces the worldview of the novel while depicting it from a unique perspective. Its Eirin number is 118372, and it is a 93-minute long, one-episode story. Copyright ©2009 Takagi Nobuko, Magazine House/Mai Mai Shinko Production Committee.

■ Story

Shinko is a third-grader who lives in Kokuga, a place rich in nature in Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and spends her days cheerfully and happily. She is nicknamed "Maimai Shinko" because she has a Maimai (a whorl) on her forehead. Shinko's rich imagination allows her to reminisce about what this town looked like a thousand years ago and the lives of the people who lived there, as told to her by her grandfather. Then, she meets Kiiko, who has transferred to her school from Tokyo, and this brings a breath of fresh air into Shinko's daily life. Together with Kiiko, Shinko learns about the story of Noriko, a girl from a thousand years ago, as she grows as a person and learns the value of friendship.

■Explanation

"Mai Mai Shinko and the Thousand Year Magic" depicts the nostalgic scenery of the 1950s and the pure heart of a young girl. Director Katabuchi Sunao is an animator renowned for depicting the daily lives of boys and girls, such as in "Black Lagoon," "Lassie," and "Princess Arete," and his delicate touch shines through in this film. The original story was created by Takagi Nobuko, who based the story on her own childhood, and its literary value has been highly praised, to the point that she was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2009. The film expresses the warmth and nostalgia of the original work in the form of animation, deeply moving the audience.

■Cast

Mayuko Fukuda and Nako Mizusawa were cast as Arako and Kiiko, respectively, and their voice acting enriches the story. Ei Morisako was cast as Noriko, a girl from a thousand years ago, and her voice realistically expresses the past world depicted through Arako's imagination. Other voice actors playing the Aoki family and Arako's friends vividly recreate the Showa era scenery.

■ Main staff

Katabuchi Sunao, who directed and wrote the script, entrusted Tsuji Shigeto with character design and general animation direction, and employed Kazuki Kunio and Muroi Fumie as directors. The screen composition was by Uratani Chie, and the animation directors were Uratani Chie, Ozaki Kazutaka, and Fujita Shigeru. The art direction was Uehara Shinichi, the color design was Hashimoto Ken, the cinematography was Masumoto Yukihiro, the CG director was Yayama Kentaro, and the editing was Kimura Yoshiko. Murai Hidekiyo and Minako "mooki" Obata were in charge of the music, and Okada Kozue was the music producer. Morikawa Nobuo and Kuno Michiko were involved in supervising and teaching the Yamaguchi dialect, and Kanemitsu Daniel Makoto assisted with translation. Kawazu Tetsuya performed the grass flute, and the film was sponsored by Yamaguchi Prefecture, Hofu City, and the Yamaguchi Prefecture Board of Education, with the cooperation of the Yamaguchi Prefecture Film Commission, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs. The executive producer was Jungo Maruta, the chief producer was Yoshito Takaya, the producers were Tomohiko Iwase, Miho Ichii, and Ryoichiro Matsuo, and the co-producers were Yukiko Futagata and Youji Akase. The animation was produced by Madhouse, the promotion was handled by The Right Stuff & Booster Project, the production was handled by the "Mai Mai Shinko" Production Committee (Avex Entertainment, Shochiku, Madhouse, Yamaguchi Broadcasting), and the distribution was handled by Shochiku.

■ Main Characters

The main character, Arako, is a girl with a rich imagination who is fascinated by the story of Noriko, a girl from a thousand years ago. Kiiko is Arako's friend who transferred to the school from Tokyo, and grows up alongside Arako. Noriko, the girl from a thousand years ago, is the central character in the world of the past depicted by Arako's imagination. Arako's family members, Aoki Nagako, Aoki Mitsuko, Aoki Kotaro, Aoki Tosuke, and Aoki Hatsue, are also important characters who support the story.

■ Related works

"Mai Mai Shinko and the Thousand Year Magic" was officially selected for the Locarno International Film Festival and was selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a film suitable for families. These evaluations reflect the film's high quality and educational value.

■ Theme songs and music

The theme song "Kodomo no Sekai" was written and composed by kotoringo and sung by Kotoringo. The inserted song "Sing" was written and composed by Joe Raposo, arranged by Murai Hidekiyo, and sung by the Suginami Children's Choir. These songs deeply enhance the emotion of the story.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"Mai Mai Shinko and the Thousand Year Magic" is highly acclaimed for its depiction of the nostalgic scenery of the 1950s and the pure heart of a young girl. The delicate touch of director Katabuchi Sunao and the literary value of the original author Takagi Nobuko combine to create a film that deeply moves the audience. In particular, the story, which depicts the growth of a young girl and the value of friendship, is recommended for a wide range of audiences, from children to adults. In addition, the beautiful animation that recreates the scenery of the Showa era and the heartwarming music are also not to be missed. The film's high quality is also attested by its inclusion in the Locarno International Film Festival and its selection by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Please enjoy this film and experience the story of a young girl's imagination and growth that transcends time.