Furusato Japan

Synopsis:

Trailer:

Characters:

• Abe, Gonji (Main) - Voice Actors: Kimura, Subaru, Valmont, Philippe, Marchingiglio, Gabriele
• Mr. Akiyama (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Montalto, Jean-Marco, Sabre, Diego
• Yanagisawa, Genji (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Montalto, Jean-Marco, Balzarotti, Marco

Staff:

• Nishizawa, Akio (Director, Script)
• Shioya, Yoku (Sound Director)
• KOKIA (Theme Song Performance, Theme Song Composition, Theme Song Lyrics)
• Akimoto, Katsumi (Background Art)
• Amemiya, Hideo (Key Animation)
• Diot, Marie (ADR Director)
• Higashide, Futoshi (Animation Director)
• Kawano, Kouichirou (Key Animation)
• Kugimiya, Hiroshi (Chief Animation Director, Character Design)
• Matsuzaki, Hajime (Key Animation)
• Miyazaki, Asami (Key Animation)
• Noguchi, Hiroaki (Animation Director)
• Satou, Michio (Key Animation)
• Sugie, Toshiharu (Key Animation)
• Suginami Jidou Gasshoudan (Inserted Song Performance)
• Suzuki, Kinichirou (Key Animation)
• Takada, Youichi (Animation Check)
• Watanabe, Emi (Key Animation)
• Yasutome, Masaya (Animation Director, Key Animation)

Reviews:

• User AnnoKano (Score: 6/10):
  The most destructive war the world has ever faced has come to a close. A once powerful nation lies in ruins. Millions are dead, and most cities have been razed to the ground. Those responsible have much to answer for and will face punishment for their crimes. But in the aftermath of such violence and destruction who will be left to pick up the pieces afterwards, and rebuild an entire nation? Those who are least responsible: the children. Those generations which were either too young to influence what was happening, and those who had yet to be born. They may have escaped the fighting andbloodshed, but they have still been left with nothing. Furusato Japan is a film about a group of children living ten years after the Second World War in an impoverished district of Tokyo. Still toddlers by the time of the Pacific Victory, one cannot place any of the blame with them for Japan’s crimes during the war yet it becomes clear that the struggle to rebuild the country will be their cross to bear. nnThough the main cast are all children, for them childhood is only part-time; all of them must assist their parents with their work. Whether it is lead character Akira helping his father by transporting wood around town in a trolley, to Gonzo serving drinks and clearing away bottles in his father’s bar, no-one seems to be getting away easy. That is until a new girl arrives in town. Shizu is originally from Kobe and the daughter of a wealthy family. While many of the boys find her pretty to look at they are shy to admit it in front of each other and poke fun at her strange accent and wealthy background. However, all are moved by her wonderful singing voice. Her singing is so good that the new class music teacher considers her a shoe-in for the school choir, which she plans to run in a national event for the first time.nnAll that seems like such a co-incidence, one might expect there would be something in it. Particularly when the music teacher is introduced as a “singer who could have been a professional vocalist” and Shizu says her dream is to become a singer. However there is nothing in it and it is a mere co-incidence. It’s the first of a few incidences of sloppy writing in Furusato Japan. Particularly because it could easily have been worked around without creating any problems with the rest of the story; but because they don’t even mention that fact it is a co-incidence it feels more than a tad awkward.nnOther examples of sloppy writing come in various plot twists which occur without any foreshadowing and feel derailing. In one instance the lack of any hints about it is justifiable, but in the other it is completely unreasonable. Attempts are made to get away with it by characters offering some explanations but these seem like token gestures put in place as an excuse for something…

Forum Topics:

• Furusato Japan Episode 1 Discussion

External Links:

• Official Site
• AniDB
• ANN