"What Did I Do?" Review: A masterpiece anime with touching moments and character growth

"At That Time, My Girlfriend" - The charm of a short love anime set in the streets of Fukuoka

Broadcast from October to December 2018, "At That Time, My Girlfriend" is a short animation set in the actual streets of Fukuoka. It has 12 episodes, each just five minutes long, and depicts the love lives of four women. The anime is based on the theme of a "picture book of love," and was produced with visual direction that shows each illustration one by one. The original story and character design were done by manga artist Eisaku Kubonouchi, known for the "Aoharu" series, and the script was written by Saeri Natsuo, who has garnered a lot of support for her imaginary tweets on social media. It is produced by MASTER LIGHTS, an up-and-coming production company.

story

"At That Time, My Girlfriend Was" is a short anime that depicts the love lives of four women against the backdrop of the streets of Fukuoka. Each episode is only five minutes long, and captures moments from their daily lives and romance, providing viewers with a fresh and moving experience. Another highlight is the beauty of the visuals, which combine the realistic reproduction of Fukuoka's streets with beautiful illustrations.

Commentary

The theme of this anime is "A Picture Book of Love," and it is produced with a visual presentation that shows each illustration one by one. The original story and character design was done by Kubonouchi Eisaku, a manga artist known for the "Aoharu" series, and the script was written by Natsuo Saeri, who has gained a lot of support for her imaginative tweets on social media. It is produced by MASTER LIGHTS, an up-and-coming production company. The anime centers around four women and depicts the love lives of each generation: high school, college, and working adults.

cast

The main cast includes Ai Fukuda as Aiko, Nao as Moe, Riho Takada as Yukari, Maaya Uchida as Miwako, Wataru Urata as Yuuta, Akira Takano as Tomonori, Yoshihiko Aramaki as Kousuke, and Tonari no Sakata as Tetchan. Also appearing are Hikari Sonoyama, Tomoyuki Matsui, Yuki Yamichi, Nobuhiko Adachi, and Tokage Watanabe.

Main Staff

The main staff includes original concept and character designer Eisaku Kubonouchi, scriptwriter Saeri Natsuo, director Susumu Banba, producers Hirofumi Ito, Yoshihiko Matsuzaki, Yoshiki Murabayashi, and Motoki Hirose, animation directors Masayuki Endo, Masako Shimamura, and Hiroko Yamazaki, director of photography Shinya Murakami, director of photography Kento Iida, live-action director of photography Takayuki Oome, live-action cinematographers Masato Morinaga, Sakura Iwanaga, and Honoka Moribe, live-action models Natsuko, Nanatsumi Kanahama, Yumi Kuwahara, Sumika Kono, Emma Tanaka, Towa Suzuki, Yoshinari Takahashi, and Saho Hirashima, live-action makeup artist Rika Kawamoto, sound effects by So-on and M. The list includes Sony PCL for A, Takeshita Yu for program promotion, Horii Minato for promotional cooperation, Akase Minako for PV production, Omata Hajime, Naito Yuriko, and Sakakibara Daisuke for the website, production manager Hiratsuka Nozomi, production producer Konno Minoru, associate producers Ito Mitsue, Sugiyama Nobue, Suezaki Hironori, Nakamura Rina, Yoshino Juri, Aoki Masahisa, Taguchi Yukako, Moriyama Yoji, Hayashi Fuyuka, Shiina Ryutaro, Kazuki Kazuhiro for planning coordination, Fukuoka City Film Commission for live-action filming cooperation, GORILLAFILM, marco, STUDIO HARD, 24Frame, G-angle, and TriF studio for production cooperation, and Meteor Streams and hikari for planning cooperation.

Main Characters

Aiko is a quiet and shy 17-year-old high school girl who is good at studying but not good at sports. She is the type who is in love with love and knows a lot about shojo manga. She is interested in Yuta, who is in the same class as her, but she can't bring herself to talk to him. Moe is a 20-year-old college student with a tsundere personality. She usually pretends to be cool, but she becomes a spoiled brat in front of her boyfriend and is very jealous. She likes simple fashion and has experience as a reader model. She is dating Tomonori, her senior at university. Yukari is a 23-year-old office worker who has just graduated and works at the information counter at KITTE Hakata. She is an indecisive and spoiled character who is an older woman killer. She is highly dependent on her boyfriend and pretends to be a natural, but in reality she is a strategist. She has just started dating Kousuke, who is older than her, and is trying to act a little older to suit his adult boyfriend. Miwako is a 27-year-old reliable office worker who is serious and meticulous. She is more maternal than most and is good at taking care of others, but sometimes she wants to be spoiled by her boyfriend. She is a good cook and has been dating her boyfriend, Tecchan, for a long time and is living together, and she is curious about what he thinks about the future. Yuta is a 17-year-old high school student, a member of the light music club, and loves music. He has a gentle and laid-back personality. He has his own worldview and always sees everyday life from that perspective. Tomonori is a 21-year-old university student, a science student with glasses who has excellent grades. He is a bit of a ditz who is indifferent to things other than his interests. In high school, he was a nerd, but he has made his debut at university. Kousuke is a 32-year-old company employee who is good at his job and serious, but a bit sloppy in his private life. He has been a popular man since his school days, excelling in both studies and sports. Because he has always been popular, he never forgets to be considerate of women. Tecchan is a 27-year-old actor who dreams of a future. He is innocent and pure, but his overly honest words and actions can sometimes cause trouble. He likes NO COFFEE, a coffee shop in Fukuoka.

Theme songs and music

The ending theme is "Maji de Koi suru 5-boku mae" (5 seconds before falling in love), written and composed by Mariya Takeuchi, arranged by Ken Ito, and sung by Ai Fukuda, who plays Aiko. This song is a bittersweet love song that symbolizes the theme of the anime, "A picture book of love."

Evaluation and Impressions

"What Was My Girlfriend?" depicts fascinating romantic moments over a short period of time, providing viewers with a fresh and moving experience. Another highlight is the beautiful visuals, which combine the realistically recreated backdrop of Fukuoka's cityscape with beautiful illustrations. In addition, the depiction of the love lives of four women will resonate with viewers of all ages. In particular, the individuality of each character stands out, such as Aiko's excitement at first love, Moe's tsundere love life, Yukari's love strategy as a killer of older men, and Miwako's reliable view of love.

The acting of the cast is also excellent, especially Ai Fukuda as the cute Aiko, Nao as the tsundere Moe, Riho Takada as the spoiled Yukari, and Maaya Uchida as the reliable Miwako, who bring out the charm of each character. Furthermore, the acting of the male cast, such as Wataru Urata as Yuuta, Akira Takano as Tomonori, Yoshihiko Aramaki as Kousuke, and Tonari no Sakata as Tetchan, is also superb, bringing out the individuality of each character.

The main staff is also impressive, with the beautiful illustrations of the original story and character designer Eisaku Kubouchi, the skillful storytelling of the scriptwriter Saeri Natsuo, and the beautiful visuals of the director Susumu Banba, making this a work that brings together the talents of each staff member. The production skills of the up-and-coming MASTER LIGHTS also shine.

The ending theme "Maji de Koi suru 5-boku mae" is a bittersweet love song that symbolizes the theme of the anime, "A Picture Book of Love," and captures the hearts of viewers. The lyrics and composition by Mariya Takeuchi, the arrangement by Ken Ito, and the singing ability of Ai Fukuda are all wonderful, further deepening the worldview of the anime.

Recommendation

"My Girlfriend" is especially recommended for those who like romance anime and those who are interested in the streets of Fukuoka. In addition, the romantic moments depicted in a short time frame are appealing and give viewers a fresh impression, making it a perfect work for busy people. Furthermore, by depicting the love stories of four women, it will resonate with viewers of all ages. Please give it a watch.

To enjoy this anime even more, it would be a good idea to check out the "Aoharu" series by Eisaku Kubouchi, the original creator and character designer, and the imaginative tweets on social media by Saeri Natsuo, the scriptwriter. Furthermore, visiting the streets of Fukuoka in person is also effective in gaining a deeper understanding of the world of the anime.

"At that time, my girlfriend" is a work that gives viewers a fresh impression with its very attractive romantic moments depicted in a short time. One of the highlights is the visual beauty that combines the realistic reproduction of the Fukuoka cityscape and beautiful illustrations. Please give it a watch.