"Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth": A thorough analysis of a heartwarming story with a French flavor

Croisée in a foreign labyrinth - Croisée in a foreign labyrinth -

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

July 4, 2011 - September 19, 2011

■Broadcasting station

TOKYO MX and others

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■ Director

Kenji Yasuda

■ Production

Animation Production: Satelight

■Works

©2011 Takeda Hinata / Fujimi Shobo / Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth Production Committee

■ Story

I...want to become part of this gallery's family.

France, Paris in the late 19th century.
One day, a little Japanese girl stepped into Galerie de Roi, a small shopping street (passage) that had been left behind by the tide of modernization.

The girl's name is Yune.

He came alone from Nagasaki to Paris to work as a servant.
Every day I am confused by the completely different culture and customs of a foreign country.

Nevertheless, the hardworking Yune works at the ironwork shop "Roa's Signboard Shop" and overcomes the cultural and language differences one by one through her warm encounters with the young store owner, Claude, and the people of Paris.

A Japanese doll (Japonaise) wanders into this outdated shopping street, bathed in gentle sunlight.
Yuune continues to work hard today, hoping that one day she will become part of the Galerie family...

■Cast

・Yune/Nao Toyama ・Alice/Aoi Yuki ・Claude/Takashi Kondo ・Camille/Sayuri Yahagi ・Oscar/Hideyuki Tanaka

■ Main staff

Director: Kenji Yasuda; Series Composition and Sound Director: Junichi Sato; Screenplay: Mamiko Ikeda; Character Design and Chief Animation Director: Hideki Inoue; Art Director: Masaaki Kawaguchi; Art Setting: Romain Thomas, Rugal Yang, Brunet Stanislas; Color Design: Nanae Shinji; Chief CGI Designer: Hiroyuki Goto; Director of Photography: Atsushi Iwasaki (T2studio)
・ Chie Kato (T2studio)
Edited by Masahiro Goto (REAL-T)
・Music: Kokoya ・Music Production: Flying Dog ・Sound Production: Aoni Production ・Animation Production: Satelight

■ Main Characters

-Yune: A Japanese girl who came from faraway Nagasaki to work as a servant in the glamorous city of Paris.
According to Oscar, she was the most popular girl in Nagasaki in Japan. She is honest and always works hard, but she also has a strong core, as if she came to a strange country alone to work as a servant. Her French is still poor, and because she is small in stature, she is often seen as younger than she actually is.
The daughter of the wealthy Blanche family, who own the Alice Gallery and department stores, and have a large mansion right in front of the Gallery. She loves Japanese culture, and collects kimonos and ukiyo-e prints. She is always in high spirits, and once she makes up her mind, she doesn't care about the people around her. After hearing about Yune, she often tries to invite her to her mansion.
A young French man who took over from his father Claude and runs the ironwork exhibition "Roa's Sign Shop" in the Gallery. Although he is still young, he has a serious, artisan-like personality and is proud of the work of his family, who have been making ironworks for generations in the Gallery. Although he is confused by Yune's behavior, who is still attached to Japanese habits, he tries to understand her somehow. He is not very fond of Japanese food.
Camille is Alice's thoughtful older sister. She cherishes Alice's innocent, childlike nature and always keeps a warm eye over her. She has accepted her fate as the daughter of a wealthy citizen's family and is preparing for her debut into society. She also met Claude secretly in the mansion garden when they were children.
Oscar is Claude's grandfather who brought Yune from Japan and founded "Roa's Sign Shop". However, he has already retired from ironwork. He has a wandering habit of always traveling aimlessly, and has gone to Japan to buy goods. He understands Japanese culture and the changes of the new era, and is a good acquaintance of Yune and Claude.

■Subtitle

・#01/"Entrance"
・#02/"Cheese"
・#03/"Japanese Labyrinth"
・Episode #04.5 not aired on TV/"Concert"
・#04/"Water Light"
・#05/"Lost"
・#06/"Birdcage" (Crinoline)
・＃07／"Skylight"
・No. 08/"Children's Room"
・＃09／“Secret”
・#10/"Magic Lantern" (Phantasmagoria)
・No. 11/"Prayer"
・No. 12/"Cat on the Roof"

Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth - Review and Recommendation

"Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth" is an animated work set in Paris in the late 19th century, and its unique atmosphere and detailed depictions draw viewers in. This series, produced as an original anime work, was broadcast in 2011 and unfolded a short but dense story of 12 episodes. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and recommended points of this work.

Story and Themes

The story of "Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth" is told from the perspective of Yune, a young girl who comes to Paris from Nagasaki to work as a servant. Through her interactions with the people she meets at the Galerie des Rois, a small shopping street in Paris, the film explores themes of intercultural understanding, family ties, and personal growth. Yune's purity and hard work will resonate with viewers, and they will be moved by the way she overcomes the cultural differences and language barriers she faces.

This work also makes good use of its historical setting of late 19th century Paris. The depiction of a small shopping street left behind by the wave of modernization is visually beautiful and realistically recreates the atmosphere of Paris at that time. The process of Yune growing up as she interacts with the people of Paris and becoming a part of the Galerie family is depicted as a heartwarming story.

character

The main character, Yune, is an attractive character with an honest and hardworking personality. Her poor French and small stature make her look young, making her struggles and efforts more real to viewers. As Yune grows, viewers can understand the culture and people of Paris from her perspective.

Claude is the young owner of "Roa's Signature Store" where Yune works, and is a serious young man with a craftsman's temperament. His understanding of Yune and the efforts he makes for her resonate with viewers, and the development of their relationship is an important element of the story. Alice is a young lady with an interest in Japanese culture, and her high-spirited personality and friendship with Yune add brightness and warmth to the work. Camille and Oscar also support Yune from their own perspectives, enriching the story.

Visuals and Music

The visuals of "Labyrinth of Croisée" beautifully recreate late 19th century Paris. Director Kenji Yasuda and art director Masaaki Kawaguchi worked closely together to create a detailed depiction of the Galerie de Roy. The beautiful colors by color designer Nanae Shinji also enhance the atmosphere of the film.

The music is by Kokoya, and the classical melodies that evoke the atmosphere of 19th century Paris envelop the entire work. In particular, the opening theme "Maison de Croise" and the ending theme "Dream of Croise" are beautiful songs that symbolize the theme of the work and will remain deeply in the hearts of viewers.

Recommended points

"Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth" is a work that depicts universal themes such as intercultural understanding, family ties, and self-growth, and can be recommended to a wide range of viewers. In particular, we would highly recommend it to the following types of viewers:

• People interested in intercultural exchange and history: The story is set in Paris in the late 19th century and realistically depicts the culture and life of the time, making it a fascinating work for people with an interest in intercultural understanding and history.
• People who like heartwarming stories: Yuune's growth and her interactions with the people of Galerie are depicted as heartwarming stories, perfect for viewers looking for a touching story.
• Those who want to enjoy beautiful visuals and music: The beautifully recreated 19th century Paris and classical music make this a work that is a treat to both the eyes and the ears.

Supplementary Information

"Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth" has an episode called "Concert" that has not aired on TV. This is the episode where Yuune attends a concert in Paris, and we can see a new side of her. In addition, the subtitles of each episode symbolize the development and theme of the story, helping viewers to understand the depth of the work.

Furthermore, this work also highlights the high technical capabilities of the animation production company Satelight. The beautiful character designs by character designer and chief animation director Hideki Inoue and the use of CGI by chief CGI designer Hiroyuki Goto raise the quality of the work.

"Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth" is a short but dense story, beautiful visuals, and a heartwarming theme that draws viewers in. This work, which depicts universal themes such as intercultural understanding, family ties, and self-growth, can be recommended to a wide range of viewers. Please enjoy the story of Yune's adventure and growth.