The appeal and reviews of Kizuna: A Must-See Anime Experience

"Kizuna Ippiki" - The appeal and evaluation of the fighting family comedy anime

■Overview of the work

"Kizuna: One Strike" is an animated work that was screened at an event held from March 5th to March 11th, 2011. This work was produced as part of the Japan Animators and Directors Association's young animator training project, and the original story is by Sueyoshi Yuichiro. It was directed by Hongo Mitsuru (Mainichi Kaasan) and produced by Ascension (Colorful). It is a one-episode short anime about a family fighting comedy, with a 13-year-old middle school girl named Todoroki Kizuna as the main character.

■ Story

Todoroki Kizuna is a 13-year-old middle school girl who grew up in a martial arts family. She challenges the world martial arts champion who has held the title for 10 years in a row, and easily defeats him with her Wadachi Juken style, winning the prize money. However, due to a mistake, the championship is cancelled and the 100 million yen prize money is awarded to whoever defeats Kizuna. As a result, skilled fighters from all over the world gather to challenge Kizuna, and the peaceful Todoroki family garden turns into a fighting arena. Will Kizuna be able to keep winning?

■Explanation

"Kizuna: One Strike" is an unprecedented full-scale fighting family comedy anime. Director Mitsuru Hongo is known for "Everyday Mother" and the production was handled by Ascension, the studio behind "Colorful". The work features free-flowing and bouncing action and family acting that will make you smile, and is a content that allows you to enjoy a wide range of animation. Director Mitsuru Hongo said, "I gave the animators the freedom to draw lively animation, and I feel that it's good to see animation with good movement for the first time in a long time. Everything can't be too difficult or too easy. We had a hard time setting the difficulty level." Producer Hitoshi Mogi also said, "We developed the story and characters drawn by animation director Yuichiro Sueyoshi, and packed in a lot of elements, so I think it's become a work that is fun for the animators as well."

■Cast

• Todoroki Kizuna - Kiyono Yasuno
• Kintaro Todoroki - Keiji Fujiwara
• Todoroki Goal - Terasomasaki
• Akane Todoroki - Sayuri
• Hana Masaka - Ikumi Hayama
• Super Mountain Everest - Rikiya Koyama
• Gold Crew - Tadashi Miyazawa

■ Main staff

• Director and scriptwriter: Mitsuru Hongo
• Character design, animation director: Yuichiro Sueyoshi
• Assistant animation director: Jun Uemura
• Original illustrations - Masahiro Sato, Hideo Hariganeya, Yoshihiro Osugi, Kiyoyoung Park, Keiko Tamaki, Hidekazu Ebina, Akihiko Sano, Ryota Sakaguchi, Norifumi Kugai
• Art Director: Takashi Nakamura
• Music - Shiro Hamaguchi
• Animation Production - Ascension

■ Appeal and evaluation of the work

"Kizuna: One Strike" has captivated many viewers with its unique setting and humorous story. In particular, the setting of a 13-year-old junior high school girl challenging fighters from around the world gave viewers a fresh surprise. In addition, the scenes depicting family love and the dynamic movements of the fighting scenes fully highlight the technique and artistry of the animation.

The animation of this work is very lively, thanks to the free expression of young animators under the direction of Yuichiro Sueyoshi's character design and Mitsuru Hongo's direction. The movements in the fighting scenes in particular showed the skill and passion of the animators, leaving a strong impression on viewers. Additionally, the scenes depicting the daily life of the family are filled with humor and warmth, bringing smiles to the faces of viewers.

The cast is also impressive, with Kiyono Yasuno's voice acting as Kizuna Todoroki expressing her strength and cuteness well, and veteran voice actors such as Keiji Fujiwara and Masaki Terasoma playing her family members and opponents, raising the quality of the work as a whole.

■ Recommendation points

"Kizuna: One Strike" is a work that pioneered a new genre of fighting family comedy anime, providing viewers with fresh surprises and fun. In particular, the dynamic movements of the fighting scenes and the scenes depicting family love leave a strong impression on viewers. Another highlight is the drawings, which show the free expression of young animators.

This work is recommended not only for those who are interested in martial arts and animation, but also for those who enjoy family love and humor. Although it is a short anime, it is rich in content and can deliver a lot of emotion and laughter to the viewer. Please watch it once and feel its charm.

■Detailed information

Release media: Event Original media: Anime Original release date: March 5, 2011 - March 11, 2011 First appearance method: Japan Animators and Directors Association Young Animator Development Project Number of episodes: 1 Original story: Yuichiro Sueyoshi (original idea)
Director: Mitsuru Hongo Production: Animation Production / Ascension

Related information

"Kizuna: One Strike" was produced as part of the Japan Animators and Directors Association's young animator training project. The project aims to train young animators and create new animation works. "Kizuna: One Strike" was produced as part of this project, and showed many viewers new possibilities for animation.

The director of this film, Mitsuru Hongo, is known for his work on "Everyday Mother" and is renowned for his depictions of family love. He also demonstrated his talent in "Kizuna Ippatsu," bringing emotion and laughter to viewers. Ascension, the production company, is known for works such as "Colorful," and pursues animation technique and artistry. In "Kizuna Ippatsu," their technique and artistry were fully demonstrated, leaving a strong impression on viewers.

Conclusion

"Kizuna: One Strike" is a work that pioneered a new genre of fighting family comedy anime, providing viewers with fresh surprises and fun. The dynamic movements of the fighting scenes and the scenes depicting family love leave a strong impression on viewers. Another highlight is the drawings, which show the free expression of young animators. This work is recommended not only for those who are interested in fighting sports and animation, but also for those who want to enjoy family love and humor. Please give it a watch and experience its charm.