Review of "Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue": A moving story that fuses youth and sports

"Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue": A story of youth and dreams of flying

"Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue" is a TV anime series that aired on TV Tokyo in 2016, and is based on an 18+ game created by sprite. It aired from January 11 to April 18, 2016, with a total of 12 episodes, each 30 minutes long. Animation was produced by GONZO, and the director was Fumitoshi Ozaki. Copyright belongs to sprite/Kunahama Academy FC Club.

story

The story is set in a world where people can easily fly thanks to the invention of "Glash", a shoe that generates anti-gravity. The protagonist, Asuka Kurashina, is a girl who has just transferred to Kunahama Academy, where she becomes fascinated with "Flying Circus" (commonly known as FC), an emerging sky sport that uses Glash, along with her classmates Misaki Tobisawa and Akiya Hinata, whom she meets there. Asuka joins the FC club, and the story depicts her and her friends encouraging each other as they face off against powerful rivals. Their goal is to win the summer tournament.

cast

The main cast includes a star-studded cast of voice actors, including Misato Fukuen as Asuka Kurashina, Ayumi Asakura as Misaki Tobisawa, Nozomi Yamamoto as Mashiro Arisaka, Madoka Yonezawa as Rika Ichinose, and Ryota Osaka as Masaya Hinata. Other voice actors who support the unique characters include Naomi Wakabayashi as Madoka Aoyagi, Takayuki Kondo as Shion Aoyagi, and Risa Taneda as Reiko Satoin.

Main Staff

The original work is by sprite, the director is Fumitoshi Ozaki, the character designer is Keisuke Nakano, and the series composition is by Reiko Yoshida. The original character designer is Suzumori, the prop designer is Sotaro Shimizu, the chief animation directors are Keisuke Nakano and Satoshi Koike, the chief action animation director is Shinpei Koikawa, the art director is Makoto Ujiie, the color setting is Eriko Murata, the CG director is Eiji Inomoto, the director of photography is Takeo Ogiwara, the editor is Akari Saito, the sound director is Hiroto Morishita, and the music is by Elements Garden. It was produced by GONZO.

Main Characters

Asuka Kurashina is a girl who transferred to Kunahama Academy in her second year. She is polite and uses respectful language. Misaki Tobisawa is a classmate of Asuka and a Glash instructor. She is a laid-back girl who likes udon noodles and doesn't like mornings. Mashiro Arisaka is a junior of Asuka and Misaki, admires her senior Misaki, and is also a gamer. Rika Ichinose is an honor student who moved next to Akiya's house and is a regular member of the FC club. Akira Hinata is a Glash instructor in the same class as Asuka and was once a promising FC player. Madoka Aoyagi is a classmate of Asuka and her classmates, and is the class representative and manager of the FC club. Shion Aoyagi is the captain of the FC club and is a passionate person who is passionate about reviving the FC club. Reiko Satoin is the vice captain of the Takato Academy FC club, and is well-liked and caring. Kazunari Shindo is the captain of the Takato Gakuen FC club and is known as the previous tournament champion. Aoi Kagami is a teacher at Kunahama Academy, the FC club advisor, and a former famous FC player. Minori Hosaka is Mashiro's classmate who belongs to the broadcasting club and covers the FC club's activities. Botan Arisaka is Mashiro's kind mother and works as a waiter at "Mashiro Udon".

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1: It's flying, it's flying!
• Episode 2: U...don...n...?
• Episode 3: It's just starting to get hot
• Episode 4: Meat...so good!
• Episode 5: Yeah, let's calm down
• Episode 6: Is that all you've got?
• Episode 7: Stab before you get stabbed!
• Episode 8: I can't fly anymore
• Episode 9: The answer is in the sky!
• Episode 10: Is that for FC too?
• Episode 11: I won't lose!
• Episode 12: Let's fly further!!

Appeal and evaluation of the work

"Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue" is a story about the dream of flying and youth, and its unique worldview and the growth of its characters are what make it so appealing. In particular, the setting of a new sport, the flying circus using Glash, gives viewers a fresh surprise. In addition, each character's personality stands out, and their growth, friendships, and rivalries add excitement to the story.

GONZO, the animation production company, pursued visual beauty by making full use of CG to express the beauty and power of the flying scenes. In particular, the Flying Circus competition scene is full of realism and has the power to draw the viewer in. In addition, the character designs and background art are carefully drawn, making it very visually appealing.

In terms of music, the background music and theme songs created by Elements Garden add to the atmosphere of the work. The theme songs in particular have impressive lyrics and melodies that reflect the theme of the story and resonate with viewers.

The story depicts the growth of the characters, with Asuka at the center, and is moving to see them reexamine themselves through the FC and work towards their goals with their friends. It also contains plenty of elements of a coming-of-age drama, such as confrontations with rivals and deepening friendships.

Recommended points

"Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue" is a story about the dream of flying and youth, and the following points are reasons why we recommend it.

• New sport setting : The new sport setting of a flying circus using gurashi will give viewers a fresh surprise. The power and beauty of the match scenes are also a highlight.
• Character Growth : The story depicts the growth of the characters, centered around Asuka, and it is moving to see them reexamine themselves through the FC and work towards their goals together with their friends.
• Visual beauty : The animation produced by GONZO makes extensive use of CGI to express the beauty and power of the flying scenes, making it very visually appealing.
• Music : The background music and theme songs created by Elements Garden enhance the atmosphere of the work and resonate with the viewers.
• Elements of a youth drama : It contains plenty of elements of a youth drama, such as confrontations with rivals and deepening friendships, and has the power to draw viewers in.

Related information

"Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue" is popular not only among fans of the original game, but also among anime fans. The original game was released as an 18+ game, but the content was adjusted for general audiences when it was made into an anime. Fans of the original game also highly praised the character settings and story development of the anime, and say it has faithfully retained the charm of the original.

Furthermore, after the anime ended, various related products and events were developed, such as the release of Blu-ray and DVDs and events. These products and events also provide opportunities for deeper interaction with fans.

In addition, official guidebooks and setting materials collections have been released to further enjoy the worldview and characters of the work, and are must-have items for fans. These books contain detailed information on character designs and background art, staff interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of the appeal of the work.

summary

"Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue" is a story about the dream of flying and the youth, and its unique worldview and the growth of its characters are what make it so appealing. It is full of various charms, such as a new sports setting, beautiful visuals, music, and elements of a youth drama, and has the power to draw viewers in. It is widely supported not only by fans of the original game, but also by anime fans, and is deepening its interactions with fans through related products and events. Please watch this work and enjoy the story of the dream of flying and the youth.