I make a reserved animation!

I'm sure many of you are familiar with Fuji TV's late-night anime program "noitaminA", right? In the show, which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary in April, we saw a number of works that not only had a high level of painting and music, but also had challenging subject matter. As a result, many viewers felt the charm of "late-night animation". So what exactly is the significance of noitaminA? Recently, Japanese media interviewed Fuji TV's animation development director Yoko Matsuzaki, who said, "This show not only attracts anime fans, but also fun for ordinary viewers. ”

The "brand" of creating an animated show

noitaminA is a term coined by turning animation upside down. Naturally, this includes the meaning of "subverting the common sense of animation", which was originally launched in April 2005.

According to the minister, there was a sense of crisis among the makers at the time, that is, "if we don't make some new animations, then there will only be two types of animation, one for otaku and one for Ghibli." To this end, they wanted to create a column that would "not only challenge the new expression of animation, but also become a permanent program."

The show's original work was "Honey and Clover", which was based on the popular shoujo manga. Since then, manga that are very popular with ordinary audiences, including "Heavenly Kiss" and "Symphonic ** Dream", have also been adapted into TV anime. Animation researcher Ryusuke Hikawa once commented, "Young women didn't watch late-night animation much before, but now they have the opportunity to enjoy animation, and the show regularly broadcasts works that can generate conversations." In addition to adding new viewers, because it is a fixed column, it has also cultivated a group of loyal viewers. This aspect is still of great significance. ”

The original work "Unheard of Flower Names" became a social phenomenon

noitaminA's "turnaround" work is "East no Eden", which aired in 2009. This work does not have an original work, but is the first original work created specifically for the show, and it has since been broadcast in the form of a pre-sequel in the theater, which has won a lot of popularity. In retrospect, the minister sighed: "Through this work, we have gained self-confidence - it turns out that it is also possible to make original animations here. ”

Among the original works, there are also some anime that have become well-known beyond the subject matter itself. For example, "Unheard of Flower Names," which depicts the love and friendship of high school students and their growth, has gained popularity because of its attractive plot and clever performance. Saitama Chichibu became an indispensable place for the "Holy Land Tour" as a stage, and various events can be seen everywhere in the town, which has led to a social phenomenon.

Graphics, music, ...... Leave a "scratch" in the hearts of the audience

Previously, 50 anime were broadcast on the noitaminA program. Many of these works have sparked the conversation because of the challenging way of making images. For example, "Monster ~ayakashi~" uses a unique interpretation method to show the horror elements of legends such as "monster cats", and the unusual atmosphere and beauty of the picture have become the focus of discussion. In addition, "Swing in the Sky" organically combines animation and reality, while "Wandering Son" restores the light tones and lines of the original comic in the animation.

And the dedication to music has also become a characteristic. "Honey and Clover" does not use animated songs, but chooses music by well-known singers. As for "Apollo of Sakamichi", which is based on jazz, many pieces played in reality are used. As for works with classical music themes such as "Symphonic ** Dream" and "April is Your Lies", the high-quality performance plots add a lot to the works.

Toshito Mori, who is the editor-in-chief of noitaminA, said, "Some viewers were attracted by the pictures and music of the work when they changed the channel, and they started to follow the show. I am delighted by it. In the future, we will continue to produce works that can leave 'scratches' in the hearts of the audience. ”

For the theatrical version, the duration will be reduced from April

noitaminA will change from 2 anime to 1 per episode from April. When asked about the reason, Mori explained, "We want to focus on the theatrical version. And through guò to reduce the number of works, so as to further improve the quality of the animation itself. ”

"Psychometrics", which has been broadcast twice on noitaminA, is currently being released under the name "Psychometrics in the Theater", and now more than 560,000 people have attended the movie. And in the future, "The Cry of My Heart" will also be released in the form of cinema screenings by director Nagai Tatsuyuki and other "Unheard of Flower Names" production groups.

As for noitaminA's future works, it has been confirmed that there are "PunchLine" with music by Tetsuya Komuro, "Strange Tales of Ranbu" based on the Edogawa Ranbu novel, and "All Become F", which was made into a TV series last year.