The appeal and evaluation of "Yakinara Mug Cup Mo Niban Kiln": A new development in the anime depicting the world of pottery

"Yakinara Mugs Made at Second Kiln" - Toyokawa's Pottery Culture and the Brilliance of Youth

"Yakinara Mug Cup Mo Niban Kiln" is a TV anime series that aired from October 2 to December 18, 2021. It depicts the growth and friendship of young people against the backdrop of Toyokawa City's pottery culture. The original work is by Planet and Nippon Animation, and there is also a manga version. It is directed by Jun Kamiya and produced by Nippon Animation, and consists of 12 episodes.

story

After the contest, the main character, Toyokawa Himeno, is unable to find her next goal. Her father suggests opening a "Toyokawa Himeno Specialties Corner," and this becomes her trigger to start walking around town to find her own path. As Himeno grows, her three friends also face their own worries and dreams, supporting each other as they move forward.

Commentary

This work, the second season of "Yakinara Mug Cup Mo", delves deeper into the feelings and stories of not only Himeno, who was the main focus of the first season, but also the three people around her, Kukuri Mika, Naruse Naoko, and Aoki Touko. It is a work that depicts the brilliance of youth and friendship against the backdrop of Toyokawa City's pottery culture. The animation production is handled by Nippon Animation, and the director is Jun Kamiya.

Main Staff

The original story is by Planet and Nippon Animation, the manga is by Osamu Kajiwara, Eisuke Takeuchi, and Naoka Taguchi, and the project is led by Kazuko Ishikawa, Kazuto Koike, Atsushi Murata, Makoto Hojo, Fumio Mizutani, Katsushi Ota, Hirotaka Kaneko, Michiyoshi Minamisawa, Kanichi Hiro, and Mayu Hosoi. The series is composed and scripted by Arakawa Toshihisa, character design and general animation director is Yoshioka Ayano, chief director is Maeda Kunpei, art director is Tanabe Hiroko, art settings are Tsunagashira Eiko and Iwasa Tadashi, color design is Hanamura Tomoko, director of photography is Takizawa Ryu, editor is Natori Shinichi, sound director is Ito Takumi, music is Hasegawa Tomoki, music producer is Shibuya Tomoko, music production is by Nippon Columbia, executive producers are Inoue Takashi, Uchiyama Naohiko, Sato Harumi, Taniguchi Hiroyasu, Nakahashi Kaori, Owada Tomoyuki, Kitazawa Fumitaka, Hyakuta Hideo, Igari Junichi, Matsumoto Toru, production management is Tanaka Nobuaki, and animation producer is Yamamoto Yoshihiro.

Storyboards were done by the hand-building group's Jun Kamiya, Kunpei Maeda, and Jinya Ichimura, direction was by Kunpei Maeda and Masayuki Iimura, animation supervision was by Ayano Yoshioka, Riko Kaneda, Hanako Kikuchi, Toshiya Washida, Hanako Enomoto, Lee Ha Neul, Kim Kwang woo, and BAKE YEON JU. Prop design was by Takireiki, assistant prop designers were Yu Shimizu and REC, and key animation was by Riko Kaneda, Ayano Yoshioka, Yuki Nakano, Yosuke Yamamoto, Yoshiharu Sato, Kokoro Takemoto, Haruka Watanabe, Mako Inamine, Akihiro Otake, Shuji Maruyama, Tomoyuki Makabe, Atsuko Asakura, Masumi Hattori, and Tetsuya Matsumoto. Animation inspection was by Takahashi Aya, animation was by Takahashi Aya, Yachi Hisako, Oba Shin, Fujisawa Kodai, Takahashi Ayumu, Ishihara Mitsuna, Horiuchi Anne, Domoto Yuzuki, Furuya Mei, Ishihara Mitsuna, Hibino Eri, color specification inspection was by Hanamura Tomoko, finishing touches were by Ohira Takashi and Komoriya Hajime, art board production cooperation was by Lu Jiafang, art background was by Kusanagi [KUSANAGI] Tanabe Hiroko and Lu Jiafang, special effects and 2D works were by Tanaka Risa, cinematography was by Takizawa Ryu, Urabayashi Tomohiro, Yamaguchi Takashi, post production was by Kanazawa Yoshiaki and Matsutake Takaaki of Tokyo Development Laboratory, sound mixer was Nashimoto Ryoko, sound editor was Yamago Akane, sound effects were by Kitakata Masami, sound production was by Ono Masahiro, sound production and recording studio was HALF H.P. The STUDIO was in charge of music promotion by Ryuzaki Gen, the production desk was Shiro Yuki, setting production was by Ichimura Hitoshi, production assistants were Shintani Yurie and Baba Jun, and production assistants were Ishida Yuki and Ikegami Haruto.

subtitle

Episode 1: Let's go on a walk! To the pottery town (October 2, 2021)
Episode 2: My Paradise (October 9, 2021)
Episode 3: Mom is amazing! (October 16, 2021)
Episode 4: Soil's Monologue (October 23, 2021)
Episode 5: What's wrong? Touko-senpai (October 30, 2021)
Episode 6: Mystery leads to more mysteries in the Pottery Club (November 6, 2021)
Episode 7: A School Festival Full of Fun (November 13, 2021)
Episode 8: Rokurobiyori (November 20, 2021)
Episode 9: Beyond the Clear Autumn Sky (November 27, 2021)
Episode 10: I Found It! (December 4, 2021)
Episode 11: Freedom, Future, Sparkle (December 11, 2021)
Episode 12: It's a Mug! (December 18, 2021)

Related Titles

"Yakunaru mugs too."

Theme songs and music

Opening theme "Beyond the Dream"
Lyrics: Mayumi Kaneko Composition: Kazuya Izumi Arrangement: Maon Kushita Sung by: MUG-MO, Himeno Toyokawa (CV: Minami Tanaka), Mika Kukuri (CV: Yu Serizawa), Naoko Naruse (CV: Yuki Wakai), Touko Aoki (CV: Rina Motoizumi) (Nippon Columbia)

Ending theme "Canary Yellow"
Lyricist: hisakuni
Composer: hisakuni
Arrangement: hisakuni
Vocals: Aya Uchida (Nippon Columbia)

Detailed evaluation and recommendation

"Yakinara Mug Cup Mo Niban Kiln" is a story about the growth and friendship of young people set against the backdrop of Toyokawa City's pottery culture. In the first season, the story progressed from the perspective of the main character, Toyokawa Himeno, but in the second season, the feelings and stories of the three people around her, Kukuri Mika, Naruse Naoko, and Aoki Touko, are also explored, making it a deeper work.

The animation was produced by Nippon Animation and directed by Jun Kamiya. Director Jun Kamiya carefully depicts the pottery culture of Toyokawa City and realistically portrays the growth of the characters. In particular, the scenes depicting the pottery production process and the beauty of pottery are visually very beautiful and worth watching.

The story begins with Himeno unable to find her next goal after the contest. Her father suggests that she open a "Toyokawa Himeno Specialties Corner," which prompts her to start walking around town to find her own path. As Himeno grows, her three friends also face their own worries and dreams, supporting each other as they move forward.

The characters' growth is realistic and relatable. We particularly appreciate the in-depth exploration of the feelings and stories of Himeno's friends. Mika Kukuri grows alongside her friends, even as she worries about her own talent. Naoko Naruse cherishes her bonds with her friends, even as she pursues her dreams. Touko Aoki moves forward positively, even as she confronts her past. The growth of these characters moves the viewer.

The anime also deserves praise for being set against the backdrop of Toyokawa City's pottery culture, which is one of the leading in Japan, and the viewers can learn about its beauty and history through the anime. In particular, the scenes that depict the pottery production process and the beauty of the pottery are visually stunning and well worth watching.

The music also adds to the appeal of the series. The opening theme, "Yumechu no Saki e," is a song that symbolizes the characters' growth and friendship, and touches the hearts of viewers. The ending theme, "Canary Yellow," also expresses the characters' feelings, deepening the worldview of the series.

Overall, Yakunara Mugs Niban Kiln is a work that depicts the growth and friendship of young people against the backdrop of Toyokawa City's pottery culture. The characters' growth and emotions are portrayed realistically, moving the viewer. It is also commendable for giving viewers an insight into Toyokawa City's pottery culture. The music also adds to the appeal of the work, making it a very worthwhile production overall.

Recommended viewers include those who like youth anime and coming-of-age stories, those who are interested in pottery and ceramics, and those who are interested in the culture of Toyokawa City. Also, even if you haven't seen the first season, you can still enjoy the second season, so please give it a watch.