The appeal and reviews of "Twilight": A moving story and deep characters

"Twilight - Hakubo -": A story of spiritual recovery after the earthquake and beautiful scenery

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

June 21, 2019 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Presidio

■Frequencies

52 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Hiroshi Yamamoto

■ Director

Hiroshi Yamamoto

■ Production

・Animation Production: Twilight Studio

■Works

©Yutaka Yamamoto/Project Twilight

■ Story

Sachi, a high school girl from Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, was traumatized by the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 1, 2011. Since then, she has distanced herself from her friends and family, and has lived indifferent to people and love. She has been playing the violin since she was a child, and while belonging to the music club at high school, she is busy practicing every day to perform a quartet at the school festival. At the same time, Yusuke, a high school boy who evacuated to Iwaki after his parents' home became an area where it was difficult to return home due to the earthquake, witnessed the reality that the scenery he took for granted was lost, and began to paint in order to leave a legacy of the "beautiful present" as a painting. Yusuke visits a rural landscape to paint a sunset painting for an exhibition, and meets Sachi in the sunset, and the two continue to share their hearts. Eventually, their faint feelings develop into love...

■Explanation

A mid-length animated film set in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. Director, scriptwriter and producer Yamamoto Hiroshi aimed to convey the value of post-disaster spiritual recovery and beautiful scenery by depicting the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The film depicts the inner conflict and growth of young people against the backdrop of the post-disaster reality of Fukushima. Beautiful animation and a moving story combine to create a film that deeply moves the audience.

■Cast

・Sachi Koyama/Hiyori Sakurada/Yusuke Kijinami/Seishirō Kato/Hi-chan/Ayane Sakura/Rina/Tora Amamiya/Senior Matsumoto/Kana Hanazawa/Club President/Daisuke Takahashi/Noboru Koyama/Hiro Shimono/Satoko Koyama/Sumi Shimamoto/Emi Koyama/Kaori Fukuhara

■ Main staff

・Original story, script, producer, director, and sound director: Hiroshi Yamamoto ・Executive production director: Koji Wada ・Character design and chief animation director: Nao Chikaoka ・Sound direction: Yo Yamada ・Music: Sohei Shikano ・Color design: Fuyuji Muraguchi ・Art director: Merrill Macnaut
Producer: Mitsuhiko Ito Distribution: Presidio Animation Production: Twilight Studio

■ Main Characters

・Sachi Koyama A high school girl living in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture. She is a member of the school's music club and plays the violin. She wasn't very interested in romance, but one day she met a high school boy...
Yusuke Kijinami is a high school boy who likes to draw. In order to capture Fukushima's "now", he meets Sachi by chance and asks her where he can draw beautiful scenery.

■ Theme songs and music

・Theme song: Tooku ・Lyrics: Shinya Bon ・Composition: ・Arrangement: AZUMA HITOMI
・Singer: AZUMA HITOMI

The appeal and evaluation of "Twilight - Hakubo -"

"Twilight - Hakubo -" is a mid-length animated film set in Fukushima after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and has been highly praised for its beautiful visuals and moving story. Director, screenwriter, and producer Yamamoto Hiroshi created this film with the aim of conveying the value of spiritual recovery and beautiful scenery after the earthquake disaster. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and evaluation of the film.

Beautiful visuals and animations

The greatest appeal of "Twilight - Hakubo -" is its beautiful visuals and animation. Nao Chikaoka, who was in charge of character design and chief animation director, carefully depicts the characters' expressions and movements in detail, succeeding in conveying deep emotions to the audience. Fuyuhito Muraguchi, who was in charge of color design, vividly depicts the beautiful scenery of Fukushima, enhancing the atmosphere of the entire work. The sunset scenes in particular are beautiful enough to move the audience.

An inspiring story

The story of this film is set in Fukushima after the earthquake disaster and depicts the inner conflict and growth of young people. The protagonist, Sachi, was emotionally scarred by the disaster and lived her life indifferent to both people and love. However, through her encounter with Yusuke, she gradually opens up and finds the joy of living again. This story not only conveys the value of spiritual recovery and beautiful scenery after the disaster, but also depicts the growth and hope of young people. The audience will empathize with and be moved by the heart-to-heart exchange between Sachi and Yusuke.

Music and theme song

The music is also one of the attractions of this work. Sohei Shikano, who composed the music, combined beautiful violin melodies with moving melodies to enhance the atmosphere of the entire work. In addition, the theme song "Tooku" combines AZUMA HITOMI's beautiful singing voice with Shin Yafan's moving lyrics to deeply move the audience. This theme song symbolizes the heart-to-heart bond between Sachi and Yusuke, and enhances the theme of the entire work.

Cast performances

The performances of the cast are also one of the attractions of this film. Sakurada Hiyori, who plays Sachi, realistically portrays the feelings of a girl traumatized by the earthquake disaster, eliciting deep sympathy from the audience. Kato Seishirō, who plays Yusuke, carefully portrays the feelings of a boy who tries to capture Fukushima's "now" through painting, moving the audience. Other than that, the cast is full of great actors, including Sakura Ayane, Amamiya Sora, and Hanazawa Kana, who all deliver charming performances of their respective characters.

Recognition and Awards

"Hakubo" has been highly praised for its beautiful visuals and moving story. In particular, its themes of spiritual recovery after an earthquake and the value of beautiful scenery have touched and moved many audiences. The film has also won awards at numerous film festivals, receiving high praise for its artistry and moving story. Below are the main awards the film has received.

• 22nd Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Division Excellence Award
• 23rd Kobe Animation Award Best Work
• 14th Tokyo Anime Awards Excellence Award

Recommended points of "Twilight - Hakubo -"

"Twilight - Hakubo -" is a mid-length animated film with beautiful visuals and a moving story, and is recommended for the following reasons:

The theme depicts the rebirth of the soul after the earthquake disaster

Set in Fukushima after the Great East Japan Earthquake, this film depicts the spiritual regeneration of young people and the value of beautiful scenery. This theme will surely resonate and impress not only those who experienced the disaster, but many audience members as well. In particular, by depicting spiritual regeneration after the disaster, this film gives hope and courage.

Beautiful visuals and animations

The visuals and animation of this film have a beauty that deeply moves the audience. In particular, the sunset scenes vividly depict the beautiful scenery of Fukushima, moving the audience. Furthermore, Nao Chikaoka, who was in charge of character design and chief animation director, carefully depicts the characters' expressions and movements in great detail, successfully conveying deep emotions to the audience.

Inspiring story and music

The story of this film not only depicts the spiritual recovery after the earthquake disaster and the value of beautiful scenery, but also the growth and hope of young people. The audience will empathize with and be moved by the heart-to-heart exchange between Sachi and Yusuke. The music is also one of the film's attractions, with the beautiful violin melodies and moving melody enhancing the overall atmosphere of the work. In particular, the theme song "Tooku" symbolizes the heart-to-heart exchange between Sachi and Yusuke, and enhances the overall theme of the film.

A stellar cast

The cast of this film is a star-studded lineup, including Sakurada Hiyori, Kato Seishiro, Sakura Ayane, Amamiya Sora, and Hanazawa Kana. They portray each character with charm, eliciting deep empathy and emotion from the audience. In particular, Sakurada Hiyori as Sachi and Kato Seishiro as Yusuke realistically portrayed the emotional recovery after the earthquake disaster, deeply moving the audience.

Conclusion

"Hakubo" is a mid-length animated film with beautiful visuals and a moving story, depicting the recovery of hearts after an earthquake and the value of beautiful scenery. The audience will empathize with and be moved by the heartfelt exchange between Sachi and Yusuke. The stellar cast and moving music are also part of the film's appeal, making it a work that can be recommended to many audiences. Please watch this film and feel the recovery of hearts after an earthquake and the value of beautiful scenery.