Review of "Vanished City": The collapse of the city and the fight for survival

A comprehensive review and recommendation of Shoumetsu Toshi

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

game

■ Broadcast period

April 7, 2019 - June 23, 2019
From 23:30

■Broadcasting station

TOKYO MX, BS11

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

"Vanished City" (WFS)

■ Director

Shigeyuki Miya

■ Production

・Animation Production: Madhouse

■Works

©Wright Flyer Studios/Disappearing City Production Committee

■ Story

One day, a city disappeared...

Takuya, a lone wolf courier, and Yuki, a girl who is said to be the only survivor of the disappearance. The two head to the disappearance city, relying on a message from Yuki's father, who was thought to be missing. However, an unexpected obstacle stands in their way. For Yuki, it is a shocking reality...

The feelings of those left behind, a mysterious organization operating in the shadows, and a hidden conspiracy. Takuya and Yuki, two complete strangers, deepen their bond during their journey and get closer to the mystery of the vanished city.

■Cast

Yuki/Hanazawa Kana Takuya/Sugita Tomokazu Age (researcher)/Araki Tarusuke

■ Main staff

Director: Shigeyuki Miya, Series Composition: Shingo Irie, Character Design: Tomoyuki Shimotani, Assistant Director: Yasushi Muroya, Main Animators: Yasuhiro Saiki, Masayuki Mizutani, Art Director: Masaki Mayuzumi, Color Design: Ryoji Nagasawa, 3DCG Director: Katsutoshi Nanba, Directors of Photography: Takahiro Miyata, Bokuron Tsai, Editor: Yoshiko Kimura, Sound Director: Satoshi Motoyama, Music: Kenji Kawai, Music Production: Pony Canyon, Animation Production: Madhouse

■ Main Characters

Yuki
A girl who was the only survivor of the disappearance that occurred three years ago. Based on a message from her father, she heads to the "Lost City" with Takuya. She has a mysterious power.
Takuya is a man who works as a courier. He believes in "always keeping the contract" and delivers anything he needs on his scooter. He currently works alone, but...
・He asked Eiji Takuya to transport Yuki to the Lost City. He also supports Yuki's abilities as a researcher. He used to research parallel worlds with Yuki's father.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: Annihilation Episode 2: Sacrifice Episode 3: Memory Episode 4: Doubt Episode 5: Love Episode 6: Parting Episode 7: Regret Episode 8: Choice Episode 9: Destiny Episode 10: Decision Episode 11: Trust Episode 12: The Future

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Period: 1~12
・Answer・Song/Mao Abe・ED
・Period: 1~12
・With Your Breath
・Song: SPR5
・IN
・Cover Song Singing ・Singer: Yuki (Hanazawa Kana)

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

Story and Themes

"Shoumetsu Toshi" is a science fiction mystery film centered around the phenomenon of cities suddenly disappearing. The story begins when Yuki, the only survivor of the disappearance, and Takuya, a courier, head to the disappearance city, relying on a message from Yuki's father. This setting arouses the viewer's interest in the phenomenon of "disappearance," and the process of unraveling the mystery as the story progresses is extremely fascinating.

The themes depicted in the film include feelings of loss, human bonds, and conspiracies and betrayals. In particular, the change in the relationship between Takuya and Yuki deeply moves viewers. The process in which the two, who were strangers at first, come to understand and trust each other as they continue their journey is extremely realistic and moving. Yuki's mysterious powers and the hidden conspiracy behind the vanishing city also add depth to the story.

character

The main character, Yuki, is the only girl to survive the annihilation, which makes her very interesting, and her mysterious powers and past trauma add depth to the story. Kana Hanazawa's voice acting is also excellent, and she portrays Yuki's emotional turmoil in a very realistic way.

Takuya is portrayed as a man who believes in "always keeping a contract" through his job as a courier. Tomokazu Sugita's voice acting also perfectly expresses Takuya's coolness and inner kindness. The change in the relationship between Takuya and Yuki deeply moves the viewer.

Eiji, the character who supports Yuki from a researcher's perspective on her abilities, is very convincing as the voice actor for Tasuku Araki. Eiji's past and his relationship with Yuki's father also add depth to the story.

Animation and visuals

The animation of "Shoumetsu Toshi" is a highlight of the high quality production by Madhouse. Character design by Tomoyuki Shimotani really brings out the individuality of each character, and the background art by art director Masaki Mayuzumi is also beautiful, realistically portraying the atmosphere of Shoumetsu Toshi.

3DCG scenes by 3DCG director Katsutoshi Nanba are used effectively in important parts of the story, making a strong visual impact. Colors by color designer Ryoji Nagasawa are also exquisitely adjusted to match the atmosphere of the story, creating a visually beautiful experience.

Music and Sound

The music was composed by Kenji Kawai, and the beautiful music matches the atmosphere of the story and brings out the emotions of the viewers. In particular, the opening theme "Answer" (Mao Abe) and the ending theme "With Your Breath" (SPR5) are wonderful songs that reflect the theme of the story. Yuki's "Cover Song Sing" is also used effectively in important scenes of the story, and is a song that touches the hearts of viewers.

The sound effects by sound director Satoshi Motoyama are also used effectively to heighten the tension and emotion of the story, enhancing the viewer's sense of immersion.

Recommendation

"Shoumetsu Toshi" is a work that exquisitely combines science fiction mystery and human drama, and is able to deeply move and excite the viewer. It is especially recommended for those who are interested in the phenomenon of cities disappearing, Yuki's mysterious powers, and the changes in the relationship between Takuya and Yuki. In addition, the quality of the animation and music is very high, so it is also recommended for those who want to enjoy visual and auditory beauty.

Furthermore, those who can empathize with the story's themes of loss, human ties, and conspiracies and betrayals will be especially moved. "Shoumetsu Toshi" is a work that will make viewers think and move them deeply, so we highly recommend that you watch it at least once.

■ Additional Information

Original game

"Shoumetsu Toshi" is a smartphone game developed by Wright Flyer Studios (WFS). The game features a story centered around the phenomenon of cities disappearing, and gameplay in which the player aims to restore the city. The anime version is based on the story of this game, but also has its own developments and additional characters.

Director and staff

Director Shigeyuki Miya is an experienced director who has worked on a number of popular anime works, and his directing skills enhance the appeal of "Shoumetsu Toshi." Series composer Shingo Irie also skillfully depicts the development of the story and the growth of the characters, and his storytelling shines in drawing the viewer in.

Broadcast information

"Shoumetsu Toshi" was broadcast on TOKYO MX and BS11 from April 7 to June 23, 2019. Each episode was 30 minutes long and consisted of 12 episodes, which were broadcast every Sunday from 11:30 pm. This broadcast time is a very popular time slot for late-night anime, and was well received by many viewers.

Subtitles and episodes

The subtitles of each episode deeply move the viewers as the story progresses. In particular, the structure starting from episode 1 "Disappearance" to the end of episode 12 "Future" reflects the theme of the story and deeply moves the viewers. The content of each episode also makes the viewers think deeply and is deeply moving.

Theme songs and music

The opening theme "Answers" is a wonderful piece with Abe Mao's powerful singing voice reflecting the theme of the story. The ending theme "With Your Breath" is a song that will soothe the hearts of viewers with the beautiful harmony of SPR5. Yuki's "Cover Song Sing" is also used effectively in important scenes in the story, making it a song that will touch the hearts of viewers. These songs play a very important role in enhancing the atmosphere of the story.

Character Details

Yuki is the only girl who survived the annihilation, and her mysterious powers and past trauma add depth to the story. Takuya is a man who believes in "always keeping contracts" through his job as a courier, and his coolness and inner kindness deeply move viewers. Eiji is a character who supports Yuki's abilities from the perspective of a researcher, and his past and relationship with Yuki's father also add depth to the story. The detailed settings and backgrounds of these characters enhance the appeal of the story.

Animation details

The animation of "Shoumetsu Toshi" shines with the high quality production by Madhouse. The character designs are by Shimotani Tomoyuki, and each character's personality is well expressed. Additionally, the background art by art director Mayuzumi Masaki is also beautiful, and realistically depicts the atmosphere of Shoumetsu Toshi. 3DCG scenes by 3DCG director Nanba Katsutoshi are also used effectively at key parts of the story, making for a strong visual impact. The colors by color designer Nagasawa Ryoji are also exquisitely adjusted to match the atmosphere of the story, creating a sense of visual beauty. These animation details enhance the appeal of the story.

Music and Sound Details

The music was composed by Kawai Kenji, and the beautiful music, which matches the atmosphere of the story, enhances the emotions of the viewer. In particular, the opening theme "Answer" and the ending theme "With Your Breath" are wonderful pieces that reflect the theme of the story. Yuki's "Cover Song Sing" is also used effectively in important scenes in the story, making it a song that touches the hearts of viewers. The sound effects by sound director Motoyama Satoshi are also used effectively to heighten the tension and emotion of the story, enhancing the viewer's sense of immersion. These musical and sound details enhance the appeal of the story.

Recommendation details

"Shoumetsu Toshi" is a work that exquisitely combines science fiction mystery and human drama, and is able to deeply move and excite the viewer. It is especially recommended for those who are interested in the phenomenon of cities disappearing, Yuki's mysterious powers, and the changes in the relationship between Takuya and Yuki. The animation and music are also of very high quality, so it is also recommended for those who want to enjoy visual and auditory beauty. Furthermore, those who can empathize with the story's themes of feelings about what is lost, the bonds of human relationships, and conspiracies and betrayals will be especially deeply moved. "Shoumetsu Toshi" is a work that will make the viewer think a lot and move the heart, so we recommend that you give it a watch at least once.