A human-powered battleship!? The appeal and evaluation of "Shiokaze Sawakaze"

Human-powered battleship!? Shiokaze Sawakaze - An animation where passion and love for the community intersect

■ Public Media

WEB

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ First appearance date

May 2, 2017 - March 20, 2019

■ How it first appeared

YouTube

■Frequencies

16 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 3

■ Director

Yoshinori Asao

■ Production

Animation Production: Fukushima Gaina

■Works

©Gaina 2018/Onahama City Planning Citizens Council

■ Story

A mysterious space-time monster suddenly attacks the peaceful Onahama. To meet the attack are two destroyers sleeping as breakwaters in Onahama Port - "Shiokaze" (a handsome guy) and "Sawakaze" (a beautiful girl). If there are no turbines, we'll use human power! If you tell us to "combine," we'll have no choice but to row! Here we go! Turbing form!!

■Explanation

This passionate robot animation is based on the Imperial Japanese Navy destroyers Shiokaze and Sawakaze, which were sunk after World War II to serve as breakwaters for Onahama Port in Iwaki City. The story depicts the adventures of anthropomorphized battleships, set against the backdrop of the region's history and culture. Fukushima Gaina, the animation production company, aims to produce anime that is closely tied to the local community, and this work was produced as part of that effort. Directed by Yoshinobu Asao, the film is filled with the cooperation and love of the local people.

■Cast

・Hoshi Shinpei/Yamashita Seiichiro・Sawakaze/Uesaka Sumire・Shiokaze/Endou Hiroyuki・Shiraishi/Senbongi Ayaka・Okimi/Sawashiro Chiharu

■ Main staff

・Planning, General Director: Yoshinobu Asao ・Director: Toru Yoshida ・Character Design: Haruka Hirosawa ・Mecha Design: Shogo Sugitani ・Animation Producer: Yuichi Takahashi ・Animation Production: Fukushima Gaina ・Production: Onahama City Planning Citizens Council, Gaina, Fukushima Gaina

■ Theme songs and music

・TM1
・help!!
Lyrics: Aina the End, Linlin Composition: Matsukuma Kenta Arrangement: SCRAMBLES
・Song: BiSH

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

Story and setting

"Human-Powered Battleship!? Shiokaze Sawakaze" is a story about the personified characters of the destroyers "Shiokaze" and "Sawakaze," which were sunk after World War II to serve as breakwaters for Onahama Port. The story depicts them as human-powered battleships fighting against mysterious space-time monsters that attack the peaceful Onahama. This setting is unique, combining the idea of ​​personifying battleships with a story set against the backdrop of the region's history.

The story begins with the Shiokaze and Sawakaze, which had been sleeping as a breakwater to fight against the suddenly appearing space-time monster, once again waking up. Since there are no turbines, the idea of ​​rowing by human power is a fresh surprise to viewers. In addition, passionate lines such as "Let's combine" and calls such as "Turning Form!!" are elements that draw viewers in.

character

"Shiokaze" is a handsome man, while "Sawakaze" is a beautiful girl, making them both visually appealing. In particular, the voice acting of Sawakaze's Sumire Uesaka brings out the charm of the characters. In addition, the voice of "Shiokaze" by Endo Hiroyuki also expresses the coolness and passion of the character well. Yamashita Seiichiro, who plays Hoshi Shinpei, Senbongi Ayaka, who plays Shiraishi, and Sawashiro Chiharu, who plays Okimi, also bring their characters to life.

Animation and design

Fukushima Gaina, the animation production company, aims to produce anime that is closely tied to the local community, and this work was produced as part of that effort. Haruka Hirosawa, the character designer, has created an appealing portrayal of the anthropomorphized battleship characters. Shogo Sugitani, the mecha designer, has created a realistic yet fantastical design for the human-powered battleships. The animation quality is high, and the battle scenes are particularly impressive.

Music and theme song

The theme song "help!!" is a powerful song sung by BiSH, and brings out the passion of the work. It is a song that highlights the teamwork of the lyrics by Aina the End and Linlin, the composition by Matsukuma Kenta, and the arrangement by SCRAMBLES. The background music also matches the atmosphere of the work, and plays a role in stirring up the emotions of the viewer.

Connection with the local community

This work was created against the backdrop of Onahama's history and culture, and is filled with the cooperation and love of the local people. Director Yoshinobu Asao placed importance on creating the work together with the local people, and this attitude is reflected throughout the work. By anthropomorphizing the destroyer that was sunk as a breakwater for the area and incorporating the history of the area into the story, he is able to convey the charm of Onahama to the audience.

Recommended points

"Human-Powered Battleship!? Shiokaze Sawakaze" is a work that features a unique setting, a passionate story, attractive characters, high-quality animation, and a deep connection with the local area. In particular, the idea of ​​anthropomorphizing the battleship and the setting of it being powered by human power give viewers a fresh surprise. In addition, the story, which is based on the history and culture of the region, is able to convey the charm of Onahama to viewers.

This work is recommended for those who like passionate robot animation, those who like anime with a community-based focus, and those who like anime with unique settings. It is also a work that fans of BiSH and Sumire Uesaka will enjoy. Please give it a watch.

Supplementary Information

"Human-Powered Battleship!? Shiokaze Sawakaze" is available to watch for free on YouTube. The latest information is also posted on Fukushima Gaina's official website and official Twitter account, so if you're interested, check them out.

Furthermore, since this work was produced as part of a regional promotion project, it also contains information about tourism and events in Onahama. We recommend visiting Onahama after watching the work. You can actually see the "Shiokaze" and "Sawakaze" that were submerged as breakwaters, and you will be able to get a deeper feel for the world of the work.

Above, we have provided a detailed review and recommendation of "Human-Powered Battleship!? Shiokaze Sawakaze". We hope you can feel the passion and love for the region in this work. We look forward to your viewing.