by This project is where regular writers from Real Sound’s Film Department will announce their best picks for 2024 daily until the end of the year.
The list is divided into four categories: movies, domestic dramas, foreign dramas, and anime. For anime, the writers will select 10 works from their unique perspective from animations released in theaters, broadcast, or streamed in Japan in 2024. The second judge is book critic and writer Taniguchi Ryuichi. (Editorial Department)
- “Trapezium” 2. “Theatrical Compilation Bocchi the Rock! Re:” 3. “BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!! Part 2 Sing, We Can Become Songs & FILM LIVE” 4. “Girls Band Cry” 5. “Too Many Losing Heroines! 6. A Few Minutes of Cheers 7. Look Back 8—your Color 9. Bakeneko Anzu-chan 10. Mononoke Karakasa The most significant gain of 2024 anime movies is Masahiro Shinohara’s Trapezium, no matter what anyone says. A high school girl who wants to be an idol, Azuma Yuu, gathers friends and makes her debut, but the members’ awareness differs, and the group falls apart. In this story, the dazzling light that emanates from Yuu’s solo scream is burned in my eyes.
This is the peak, and the flow of the group’s collapse, wailing, and recovery gives me the strength to overcome the pain and move forward. The film’s direction was brilliant, as it tried to show such a drama through pictures and acting without using explanatory lines as much as possible.
Keiichiro Saito’s Theatrical Compilation Bocchi the Rock! Re: was a work that perfectly showcased the skill of re-editing from the TV series. The scene from episode 5 where Ijichi Nika talks to Goto Hitori is placed at the beginning, and the relationship between Hitori and Nika is the film’s central theme. The sequel, “Bocchi the Rock! Re:Re:” is also edited to focus on the relationship between Hitori and Kita Ikuyo, but the wise decision to use up to episode 8 of the 12 episodes in one go to create a cohesive film was outstanding.
In the same TV series compilation, the movie version “BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!,” directed by Kakimoto Kodai, peaks at “BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!! Part 2: Sing, We Can Become Songs & Film Live,” giving the feeling that the band has solidified and is moving on to the next step. The scene where Takamatsu Akari stands alone on stage and recites a poem is shot in a long shot, unlike the TV series, to create a sense of loneliness, and it is also extended until guitarist Kaname Rakuna notices and joins in, giving the feeling of excitement.
The appearance of Ave Mujica, which suggests that things will be turbulent, was moved to the end of the first part, and the second part ended with the full-scale launch of MyGO!!!!, which led to a live film. Many such films have used editing techniques to turn TV series into movies, including “Attack on Titan: The Final Chapter: The Last Attack.” I’m curious about the “Girls Band Cry” film compilation, which will be made in two parts. Director Kazuo Sakai’s “Girls Band Cry” is an original work created in the trend of band anime, where virtual and real overlap. The story also stands out in that it has a strong sense of the life of a bandman.
The main character, Nina Isekiri, has a straightforward desire to sing and scream, and it resonates beyond annoying. I also liked how the story was made to fit smoothly with the anime-like direction, even though it was in 3D CG. The TV series “Too Many Losing Heroines!” was a heartfelt anime adaptation of a light novel by Takibi Amemori. In the first episode, when Anna Yanami bites the straw stuck in a childhood friend’s leftover drink, she realizes that her classmate Kazuhiko Nukumizu is watching her. She opens her eyes wide and spits out her iced coffee.
This scene was full of humor and was fun to watch. Director Popurica’s “A Few Minutes of Cheers” is written by Hanada Jukki, who also wrote “Girls Band Cry.” The intersection of a woman who has given up on music and a high school student who is doing his best to make a music video depicts any creator’s doubts, such as what is needed to continue creating. The music video, driven to the end by such doubts, also strikes the spirit of a creator.
