"A Girl Who Loves Your Sky": Appreciating the fusion of a moving story and beautiful images

"The Color of the Sky" - Tears of emotion and the brilliance of youth

■Overview of the work

"Her Blue Sky" is an animated film released on October 11, 2019, directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai, written by Mari Okada, and character designed and supervised by Masayoshi Tanaka. It was produced by CloverWorks and distributed by Toho. The film is 108 minutes long and has a complete story in one episode. It is based on the original work "Super Peace Busters" and the copyright belongs to "©2019 SORAAO PROJECT".

■ Story

Aoi Aioi, a 17-year-old high school sophomore living in a town surrounded by mountains, spends her days immersed in music, playing her beloved bass guitar, instead of studying for entrance exams, despite the fact that she is in an important period in which she must decide her future career path. Her older sister Akane, who worries about Aoi, lost both parents in an accident 13 years ago. When she was a third-year high school student, she gave up on moving to Tokyo with her boyfriend and got a job in her hometown. Since then, the two of them have lived together as Aoi's surrogate parents. Aoi feels guilty about her sister, who has given up on many things and has not had a romantic relationship in order to raise her. Meanwhile, a big-name singer, Nitobe Dankichi, is selected as the guest for a music festival to be held in town, and Kanamuro Shinnosuke's name is announced as the backing musician. Shinnosuke was Akane's former lover and the person Aoi admired who taught her the joy of music. After graduating from high school, she has not heard from him since he left for Tokyo. When Aoi finds out that Shinnosuke has returned, "he" suddenly appears in front of her. "He" is Shinno. Kanamuro Shinnosuke is an 18-year-old who has traveled through time from the past, still in his high school days. After an unexpected reunion, Aoi's admiration for Shinno turns into love. Meanwhile, Akane and Shinnosuke are reunited for the first time in 13 years. A sad and mysterious love square unfolds, and a "second first love" that connects the past and the present begins.

■Explanation

When it started airing in 2011, Anohana became a hot topic as a "tearjerker anime," and in 2013, a movie version was released, becoming a social phenomenon. Along with the movie The Anthem of the Heart released in 2015, these two works established the reputation of anime director Tatsuyuki Nagai, and have been supported by many fans as "touching anime that even adults can cry at." And now, in the fall of 2019, the latest original animated film "Her Blue Sky," which was created by a new team of screenwriter Mari Okada, who worked on "Anohana" and "Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda," and character designer and chief animation director Masayoshi Tanaka, has finally been released. The voice cast includes skilled actors such as Ryo Yoshizawa, Riho Yoshioka, and Ken Matsudaira, as well as newcomers Shion Wakayama, Fukushi Ochiai, Yo Daichi, Atsumi Tanezaki, and other popular voice actors. The unique and talented cast beautifully expresses the worldview of the work. In addition, the sad yet dramatic theme song that colors the story was written by the popular artist Aimyon specifically for this film. This fall, on Friday, October 11th, the sad and slightly mysterious love story "Sora no Aosa wo Shiru Hito yo" will bring warm tears to all of Japan!

■Cast

• Shinnosuke Kanamuro/Shinno: Ryo Yoshizawa
• Akane Aioi: Riho Yoshioka
• Aoi Aioi: Shion Wakayama

■ Main staff

• Director: Tatsuyuki Nagai
• Screenplay: Mari Okada
• Character design/chief animation director: Masayoshi Tanaka
• Music: Masaru Yokoyama
• Producers: Atsuhiro Iwakami, Takashi Utsui, Minami Ichikawa, Yoshihiro Furusawa, Shinichiro Inoue
• Planning and production: Hiroyuki Shimizu, Genki Kawamura, Shunsuke Saito
• Producers: Narumi Odagiri, Noriko Ozaki
• Co-producer: Takashi Hidaka
• Directed by: Miyuki Kuroki
• Art director: Takashi Nakamura
• Color design: Kazuko Nakajima
• Set design: Tomomi Kawatsuma
• Cinematography/CG Director: Hiroyuki Moriyama
• Edited by: Shigeru Nishiyama
• Sound Director: Aketagawa Jin
• Animation producer: Takumi Kabe
• Production Supervisor: Mikihiro Iwata
• Publicity Producer: Ryosuke Kamata

■ Main Characters

• Shinnosuke Kanamuro: 31 years old, an unsuccessful guitarist. Akane's ex-boyfriend. After graduating from high school, he moved to Tokyo with dreams of becoming a successful musician. Since then, he has lost contact with Akane and his friends from his hometown. This time, he returns for the first time in 13 years as a backing musician for a big-name singer.
• Shinno: 18-year-old Kanamuro Shinnosuke, who came from 13 years ago. It is a mystery as to why he came back through time, and even he does not know.
• Akane Aioi: Aoi's older sister. 31 years old and works at the city hall. She lost her parents when she was in her third year of high school, and gave up on moving to Tokyo with her boyfriend at the time, Shinnosuke. After graduating, she got a job in her hometown. She has been raising Aoi as a parent. There are no rumors of her having an affair, and she seems to have stayed away from romance...
• Aoi Aioi: A 17-year-old high school sophomore with no career plans. She lost her parents in an accident 13 years ago and has been living alone with her older sister Akane. She loves music and dreams of moving to Tokyo after graduation to become a musician. She reunites with 18-year-old Shinnosuke, a boy she had a crush on since childhood, and falls in love with him.

■ Theme songs and music

• Theme song: "The one who knows the blueness of the sky"
• Lyrics/Composition: Aimyon
• Arrangement: Takashi Kondo, Yusuke Tachizaki, Yusuke Tanaka, Mio Okamura
• Sung by: Aimyon
• Ending Theme "Aoi"
• Lyrics/Composition: Aimyon
• Arrangement: Shingo Sekiguchi
• Sung by: Aimyon

■ Appeal and evaluation of the work

"Her Blue Sky" is a work that depicts the brilliance of youth and heartbreaking love, and the delicate direction of director Tatsuyuki Nagai and the moving script by Mari Okada are an exquisite match. In particular, the relationship between Shinno and Aoi, who reunite across time, deeply touches the hearts of the audience. It also depicts the bond between sisters and how they overcome past trauma, which is deeply moving. Don't miss the beautiful visuals by Masayoshi Tanaka, who was in charge of character design and general animation director. In addition, Aimyon's theme song "Her Blue Sky" perfectly expresses the theme of the story, making it a masterpiece that you can't listen to without crying.

■ Recommendation points

This work is especially recommended for those who like youth anime and moving anime. It will resonate with those who can relate to the story where the past and present intersect, and the universal themes of family love, friendship, and romance. It is also full of elements that will be enjoyed by Aimyon fans and music lovers. Another highlight is the voice acting of talented actors such as Yoshizawa Ryo and Yoshioka Riho. Be sure to experience this moving story at the theater.

Related information

"Her Blue Sky" is closely related to director Nagai Tatsuyuki's other works, "Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day" and "The Anthem of the Heart," and by watching these works together, you can gain a deeper understanding of the director's worldview. Also, if you are interested in the original work "Super Peace Busters," you should check out the related books and interviews. Furthermore, enjoying other works by CloverWorks and other songs by Aimyon will further enhance the appeal of this work.

Conclusion

"The Blue Sky" is a moving story about the brilliance of youth and heartbreaking love. This work combines director Tatsuyuki Nagai's delicate direction, Mari Okada's moving script, Masayoshi Tanaka's beautiful visuals, and Aimyon's famous songs to deeply move the audience's hearts. Please experience this moving story at the theater.