The appeal and reviews of "Goodbye, Don Gries!": A moving farewell and a new beginning

"Goodbye, Don Greese!" - A story of boys' adventures and growth

■Overview of the work

"Goodbye, Don Grease!" is a theatrical animation released on February 18, 2022. It was directed by Atsuko Ishizuka, known for "A Place Further Than the Universe," produced by MADHOUSE, and distributed by KADOKAWA. The 95-minute long work is a touching story about the friendship and adventures of boys.

■ Story

Roma, a boy living in a rural town a short distance from Tokyo, is unable to fit in with the people around him, and forms a team of just two with Toto, who is also an outsider. Even when Toto goes to high school in Tokyo, their relationship was not supposed to change. However, during the summer vacation of their first year of high school, a word from Drop, a new member of Don Gries, changes their fate. "Hey, don't you want to look down on the world?" The adventure that began with this casual word leads to the boys being framed for the forest fire, and they go looking for a drone that has disappeared into the sky in search of evidence of their innocence. A small summer adventure soon develops into a major adventure that changes the boys' "LIFE".

■Explanation

"Goodbye, Don Greese!" is the latest work by MADHOUSE, aka Ishizuka Atsushi, who created the moving film "Further than the Universe," which has spread around the world. This work depicts the miraculous encounter and adventure of boys. This work, which depicts the pain and joy that everyone felt at that time in history in a humorous and refreshing way, is unique in that it is set in a place that goes beyond Japan, just like "Further than the Universe," in which the girls set out for Antarctica. At the end of their adventure, which begins during a different summer vacation than usual, Roma and his friends arrive in Iceland, the land of fire and ice. They look at themselves, transcend the world, and find what they have gained beyond that...

Ishizuka Atsuko also made waves with her work on No Game No Life Zero, and this is her first time directing and writing the script for an original movie. Yoshimatsu Takahiro, who also worked with Ishizuka on A Place Further Than the Universe, is also involved in the character design. The voice cast includes a group of talented and popular voice actors, including Hanae Natsuki, Kaji Yuki, Murase Ayumu, and Hanazawa Kana, and the theme song is by [Alexandros]. Due to a fateful encounter, Don Greese will expand from a small place to a larger world, both in the story and in the filmmaking, and aim for a new stage. A world that everyone can empathize with and that no one has yet touched. The adventure depicted in this work will not only change the past and future of the boys, but also the viewer's view of stories and life. In 2022, a new animation that will change your "LIFE" has been born.

■Cast

・Roma/Akira Kamogawa/Natsuki Hanae ・Toto/Hokuto Mitarai/Yuki Kaji ・Drop/Shizuku Sakuma/Ayumu Murase ・Tivoli/Chihori Urayasu/Kana Hanazawa ・Roma's father/Taro Kamogawa/Atsushi Tamura (London Boots 1-2)
・Rouma's Mother/Mako Kamogawa/Rino Sashihara

■ Main staff

・Director, scriptwriter: Atsuko Ishizuka ・Character design: Takahiro Yoshimatsu ・Animation production: MADHOUSE
Art director / Okamoto Ayano・Art board production cooperation / Yamane Saho・Art setting / Tsunagu Eiko・Art setting / Hirasawa Akihiro・Color design / Ohno Harue・Director of photography / Kawashita Yuki・3D director / Hirosumi Shigenori・3D director / Imagaki Kana・Editing / Kimura Yoshiko・Music / Fujisawa Yoshimasa・Sound director / Aketagawa Jin・Sound effects / Ueno Tsuyoshi・Distribution / KADOKAWA
Produced by: Goodbye, Don Gries! Production Committee

■ Main Characters

・Roma (Roma Kamogawa)
He is the only son of a farmer living in a rural town in the Kanto region. He has no particular hobbies and has not found anything he can devote himself to, so he spends his days aimlessly. He is unable to fit in with his classmates, and Toto is the only friend he feels comfortable with. His usual range of movement is limited to the distance he can travel by bicycle, and he has never left his neighborhood except for school trips and extracurricular activities.
・TOTO (Hokuto Mitarai)
He is the successor to the Mitarai Clinic, which opened in his hometown and supports the community. He is a brilliant young man who has dreamed of becoming a doctor since he was a child, but like Roma, he is an outsider at school, so the two of them create a secret base just for themselves and form "Don Greese." To Roma, he has passed the entrance exams for a prestigious school in Tokyo, and appears to be enjoying life in Tokyo with his flashy hairstyle, but...
・DROP (Shizuku Sakuma)
A boy who came from Iceland to the rural town where Rouma lives. He meets Rouma, who has become alone as he goes on to high school, and they hit it off, joining the Don Gries. He is somewhat mysterious, but has a positive personality and is straightforward in everything he does. He tells Rouma and Toto that he came to Japan to look for treasure.
・Tivoli Urayasu
A girl who moved to the rural town where Rouma lives when she was in junior high school. Her bright smile was charming and everyone noticed her. She loves photography, and although she has never been in the same class as Rouma, one day during an extracurricular class she saw Rouma holding the SLR camera he had always wanted, and they exchanged words. However, due to her parents' work commitments, she had to move overseas before she could graduate.
・ROMA's father (Kamogawa Taro)
The eldest son of a farming family who inherited the Kamogawa family business from his late parents. His younger brother and his wife also help with the farming, so he has no intention of forcing Roma to take over. He hopes that Roma will find a new hobby after he becomes interested in photography, which was his hobby, but he still seems bored and lazy, so at Mako's suggestion, he has him help out with the farming.
・ROMA's mother (Kamogawa Mako)
A bright and generous woman. She met and married Taro while working at a local credit union. Seeing Roma spending his time boredly, without doing anything in particular, she suggested that Taro use his pocket money to help out on the farm. Her brother is working on improving spinach varieties at a research farm in Nagano, so she asked Roma for ideas for names to give to new varieties.

■ Theme songs and music

・TM1
・Rock The World
Lyrics: Yohei Kawakami Composition: Yohei Kawakami Arrangement: [Alexandros], Takashi Saze
・Song: [Alexandros]

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Goodbye, Don Greese!" is a touching story about the friendship and adventure of boys, and its impact has spread around the world. Director Atsuko Ishizuka has received high praise for her work on "A Place Further than the Universe," which depicts a group of girls' adventure to Antarctica, and she demonstrates her talent in this work as well. In particular, the way she depicts the boys' growth and deepening friendship strikes a strong chord with the audience.

The story is set in a rural town and spreads to Iceland. The story, which begins with the daily life of the rural town and develops into an adventure, is visually beautifully depicted. The Icelandic landscape in particular has a striking contrast between fire and ice, making a visual impact. In addition, the scene in which the boys reexamine their own way of life through their adventure deeply moves the audience.

The character design by Yoshimatsu Takahiro is excellent, and each character's personality is well expressed. The three characters Roma, Toto, and Drop in particular play an important role in supporting the story of growth and friendship. The voice actors' performances are also excellent, especially those of Hanae Natsuki, Kaji Yuki, and Murase Ayumu, who convey the characters' emotions realistically.

Music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of this work. The theme song "Rock The World" by [Alexandros] has a powerful melody that symbolizes the scale of the adventure and the growth of the boys, adding depth to the story. Yoshimasa Fujisawa's music also provides beautiful melodies that stir emotions as the story unfolds.

■ Recommendation points

"Goodbye, Don Greese!" is a touching story about the friendship and adventures of boys, and is a work that will deeply touch the audience. In particular, the following points are recommended points.

1. **A moving story**: The story of the boys' growth and deepening friendship strikes a strong chord with the audience. In particular, the scene in which the boys reexamine their way of life through their adventure is deeply moving.

2. **Beautiful visuals**: The setting, which spreads from rural towns to Iceland, is visually very beautiful. The Icelandic landscape in particular has a striking contrast between fire and ice, creating a visual impact.

3. **Great character design and voice acting**: Takahiro Yoshimatsu's character designs are great at expressing the individuality of each character, and the voice actors, including Natsuki Hanae, Yuki Kaji, and Ayumu Murase, deliver realistic performances that convey the emotions of the characters.

4. **Powerful music**: The theme song "Rock The World" by [Alexandros] is a powerful tune that symbolizes the scale of the adventure and the growth of the boys, adding depth to the story. Yoshimasa Fujisawa's music also provides beautiful melodies that stir emotions as the story unfolds.

Conclusion

"Goodbye, Don Greese!" is a touching story about the friendship and adventure of boys, and its impact has spread all over the world. All elements, including director Atsuko Ishizuka, character designer Takahiro Yoshimatsu, voice actors, and music, come together to create a work that deeply moves the audience. In particular, the story of the boys' growth and deepening friendship, the beautiful visuals, the wonderful character design and voice actors, and the powerful music are recommended points. In 2022, a new animation that will change your "LIFE" has been born. Please experience this touching story.