The appeal and evaluation of the TV cartoon "Showa Monogatari": The depth of the anime depicting a nostalgic era

TV Manga Showa Monogatari - An adult animation that depicts deep emotions and the scenery of the Showa era

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

April 3, 2011 - June 23, 2011

■Broadcasting station

Sun Television, Chiba Television, tvk, Teletama, Mie Television, KBS Kyoto, BS11

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 13

■ Director

Mitsuhiro Togo (episodes 1-4), Hiroshi Kugimiya (episodes 5-13)

■ Production

Produced by: Showa Animation Production Committee (Think, WOW World, tvk, Teletama, Chiba TV, Mie TV, KBS Kyoto, Sun TV)
Production company: WOW WORLD

■Explanation

First of all, why “animation for adults” now?
Amidst the low birthrate and aging population, and the shrinking domestic market, Japan has grown into an anime and manga powerhouse unparalleled in the world. A person who is now 70 years old (born in 1940) was 12 years old when "Astro Boy" began serialization, and 11 years later (1963), Japan's first full-scale TV anime series "Astro Boy" began broadcasting. Although the generation that grew up watching anime and manga already makes up the majority of seniors, there was very little animation made for adults. Assuming there was a high potential demand for animation for adults, after more than a year of research and three years of work, a completely new "TV manga (animation) for adults" was completed.

This is the industry's first original animation that targets seniors and the baby boomer generation, but can also be enjoyed by families. It took four and a half years to produce, aiming to develop a new market as a challenge to the domestic animation industry, which has been stagnating due to the Galapagos effect and the declining birthrate and aging population. The cuts and dialogue of the footage are completely different from recent animation works aimed at enthusiasts, and a slow, easy-to-understand directing method is used to make it easy to watch for seniors over 60 years old, faithfully recreating the scenery of 1964, which could be said to be Japan's original landscape, in high-quality animation using high vision.

By simultaneously producing a 13-episode 30-minute TV series and a 100-minute feature film, the series will be released and broadcast over a long period of time, linking cinemas with TV broadcasts. The themes are "family ties" and "Japanese craftsmanship." In a world where the number of suicides has exceeded 30,000, and families and educational institutions are collapsing, the need to reexamine the family, which is the foundation of life and communication, is growing. The series is centered on a theme that provides an opportunity to reconsider the relationship between family and other people, and is designed to be safe for viewing by the whole family, while also encouraging family members to look at each other in a new light.

The craftsmanship of the artisans who supported Japan's period of high economic growth! We have depicted the passionate figures of artisans who took pride in their work, believed in their skills, and took on new challenges. Our fathers and grandfathers were our seniors in life, who silently carried out their work...

■Cast

・Yuko Yamazaki/Misato Fukuen/Kohei Yamazaki/Shoya Chiba/Taichi Yamazaki/Makoto Aoki/Yuzo Yamazaki/Yasuno Matsumoto/Kanoko Yamazaki/Sakiko Tamagawa/Yoshi Yamazaki/Naoko Kyoda/Goro Tashiro/Masaaki Tsukada/Ryo Takayanagi/Wataru Takagi/Yusuke Sawatari/Hiroyuki Yoshino

■ Main staff

Scenario: Yasushi Hirano (Ultraman, City Hunter), Sukehiro Tomita (Sazae-san, Sailor Moon), Toshihisa Arakawa (Kamen Rider Kuuga, Sentai Series), Miho Maruo (Chibi Maruko-chan, Dragon Ball)
Series Director: Masahiro Murakami (General Producer of "NITABOH", General Producer and Animation Director of "August Symphony")
・TV version directors: Hiroshi Kugimiya (Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan), Mitsuhiro Togo (Love Get CHU: Miracle Voice Actor White Paper)
Producers: Hiroaki Takeuchi (The Animatrix, Voices of a Distant Star), Miseon Song (Love Rollercoaster)
・Character design, animation director: Tatsuo Yanagi (Lupin III: The Golden Legend of Babylon)
Supervisor: Tetsuo Kanno (original producer of "Doraemon" and "Ninja Hattori-kun")
・Sound Director: Yasunori Honda ("Mach GoGoGo", "The Genie Family")
・Music: Hayashi Gido ("Piyotama", "Virtual Trip Liquid Crystal")
Animation production: WOW Corporation, Think Inc., Net6

■ Main Characters

・Yuko Yamazaki (17)
The eldest daughter. Second year at a metropolitan high school. Cheerful personality. She worries about being tall. She has a crush on a senior at her high school (Sawatari).
・Yamazaki Kohei (12)
The second son. A sixth-grader in elementary school. He is always cheerful and full of energy, but sometimes he overdoes it and gets scolded. He loves baseball.
Taichi Yamazaki (20)
The eldest son. A third-year student at a science and engineering university. He is trying to get a job at a manufacturer and is clashing with Arizo. He is good at looking after his younger sisters and brothers.
Yuzo Yamazaki (45)
Father. President of Yamazaki Manufacturing. He is a stubborn craftsman who is always in a bad mood, but he worries about his family.
・Yamazaki Yoshiko (40)
Mother. She helps with accounting at the factory. She is usually kind, but once she makes up her mind, she won't change her mind.
・Yamazaki Yoshi (68)
Grandmother. Arisuzu's mother. She worships her late husband every day. A moody old woman whose Buddhist altar is like her lover.
Goro Tashiro (55)
A craftsman. An employee of the previous generation. A craftsman-like and always gentle. Nicknamed Goro-san. He is like family to the Yamazaki family, and even eats meals together.
Ryo Takayanagi (24)
Neighbor. An animator who lives in the apartment next door. Nicknamed Ryo-san.
・Yusuke Sawatari (19)
Senior. Yuko's senior in high school. After graduating from high school, she got a job at a clothing store in Ginza. She is a member of the Miyuki tribe.
Setsuko Otani (17)
Friend. Yuko's classmate. Childhood friend of Sawatari's friend Tajima.
Hiroko Takeuchi (17)
Friend. Yuko's classmate. Well-informed and talkative.
・Toshiya Kasai (12)
Friend. Kouhei's best friend. He has a delinquent older brother and is precocious.
・Shinichi Miyamoto (12)
Friend. Kouhei's best friend. Timid.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: "New Year's Day, 1964"
Episode 2: "20 Years Old Taichi's Heartbreak"
Episode 3: "A Crazy Adventure"
・Episode 4: "Come Spring"
Episode 5: "Pocket Money and Catch"
Episode 6: "The Worst Children's Day!"
・Episode 7: "Swaying Love and the Poolside"
・Episode 8/“Divorce Defense Force”
Episode 9: "Grandpa's Ghost!"
Episode 10: "The End of Summer Vacation"
Episode 11: "Big Sister's Starry Sky"
Episode 12: "The Autumn Wind Cried, the Day of Farewell"
Episode 13: "Our Olympics"

TV Manga Showa Monogatari - An adult animation that depicts deep emotions and the scenery of the Showa era

TV Manga Showa Monogatari is an adult animation series that was broadcast in 2011, and is the first work produced with the senior generation as the main target. The story is set in Japan in 1964, and depicts the themes of family ties and Japanese craftsmanship. Below, we will introduce a detailed evaluation and recommendation of this work.

■ Background and significance of the work

For many years, the Japanese animation industry has targeted young people and children as its main audience. However, as the birthrate declines and the population ages, the demand from seniors can no longer be ignored. TV Manga Showa Monogatari was born from this background, and is a work that can be enjoyed not only by seniors but also by families.

This work took a long four and a half years to complete. The production team used slow cuts and easy-to-understand dialogue to make it easy for seniors to watch, faithfully recreating the original scenery of Japan in 1964 in high definition. This allows viewers to reminisce about the Showa era and makes them think deeply about family ties and Japanese manufacturing.

■ Story and Characters

TV cartoon Showa Monogatari is centered around the Yamazaki family. A rich cast of unique characters appears, including the eldest daughter Yuko, the second son Kohei, the eldest son Taichi, the father Arizo, the mother Kanoko, the grandmother Yoshi, as well as the craftsman Tashiro Goro and the neighbor Takayanagi Ryo. Each episode depicts the daily life and relationships of the family, and the story unfolds in a way that will sometimes make you laugh and sometimes bring you to tears.

Particularly memorable are the episodes that depict family ties. Episode 8, "Divorce Defense Force," shows the family coming together to prevent the parents' divorce, and shows the strength of family ties. Also, episode 9, "Grandpa's Ghost!" features a moving scene in which the grandmother, Yoshi, remembers her deceased husband, and it touches the hearts of viewers.

The character settings are also appealing. Yuko is a bright, innocent girl who falls in love with a senior at high school. Kohei is a lively baseball player, and the story depicts his interactions with his friends. Taichi is a student at a science and engineering university, and is portrayed cherishing his family despite his conflicts with his father. Arizo is a stubborn craftsman, but also has the kindness to worry about his family. Kanoko is usually kind, but has the strength to stick to her decisions. Yoshi is a grumpy grandmother, but it is moving to see her constantly thinking about her late husband.

■ Production and direction

Many experienced staff members participated in the production of TV Manga Showa Monogatari. The screenplay was written by Hirano Yasushi, who worked on Ultraman and City Hunter, Tomita Sukehiro, who worked on Sazae-san and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Arakawa Toshihisa, who worked on Kamen Rider Kuuga and the Sentai series, and Maruo Miho, who worked on Chibi Maruko-chan and Dragon Ball. The series director was Murakami Masahiro, who worked on NITABOH and August Symphony, and the TV version was directed by Kugimiya Hiroshi, who worked on Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan, and Togo Mitsuhiro, who worked on Love Get CHU.

Character design and animation direction was handled by Yanagi Tatsuo of Lupin III, and supervision was handled by Kanno Tetsuo of Doraemon and Ninja Hattori-kun. Sound direction was handled by Honda Yasunori of Mach GoGoGo and The Genie Family, and music was handled by Hayashi Gaido of Piyotama and Virtual Trip Liquid Crystal. This team of staff worked together to faithfully recreate the original scenery of Japan in 1964 in high definition, using slow cuts and easy-to-understand dialogue to make it easy for seniors to watch.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

TV Manga Showa Monogatari is significant because it is the first work produced with the senior generation as the main target audience. It is full of many charms, such as the beautiful images that faithfully reproduce the original scenery of Japan in 1964, the moving story about family ties and Japanese manufacturing, and the unique characters.

This work is enjoyable not only for seniors but also for families. Watching it with your family can help you reaffirm family ties and reminisce about the Showa era. It will also be a good opportunity for the younger generation to learn about Showa era Japan.

The recommended points are as follows:

• A beautiful image that faithfully recreates the original scenery of Japan in 1964
• A moving story about family ties and Japanese craftsmanship
• Unique characters and their growth
• Content that can be enjoyed not only by seniors but also by families
• A great opportunity for the younger generation to learn about Showa era Japan

TV Manga Showa Monogatari is a deeply moving anime for adults that depicts the Showa era, and is a work that can be recommended to many viewers. Please watch it with your family and experience Showa era Japan.