Imagine and OK GO video, but with a Japanese spin. Okay now stop imagining and click play!
Source: See No Evil
UPDATE: English VO version found on youtube! Thanks for the info, tvp.
Kenichi Tanaka made this thesis piece to show his countrymen that things that take place in Japan, ‘isn’t that normal’. So the tale was told from a foreigner’s viewpoint rather than a Japanese’s, but he begs ‘please don’t call me racist, because I am one of short, small eyes Japanese ;P’. This is a smart and insightful piece because of the cultural self-awareness of its maker. Definitely a significant contribution to the world of visual essays.
We are not sure why it’s not available in English, (see English VO version link at the top) but to those of you who don’t speak Japanese, watching this humorous infographics animation while not understanding the VO, somehow adds another layer of complexity and heightens the uniqueness of the viewing experience. To find out more about the piece, be sure to visit Kenichi’s blog, here.
Hailing from the land of the rising sun, this quirky independent short film is about the confession of Fumiko. It’s a simple plot but, extremely well executed and will be sure to raise a smile. I’m not entirely sure on what the girl says at the end, but if you are able to understand Japanese then we’d be super grateful for the translation.
The dialog at the beggining and at the end is the same. The girl asks “Would you like to go out with me ?” The boy answers “Sorry, I have to focus on baseball training …”
For more information and staff translation check out Catsuka.
Be sure to check out their amazing Making of to see all the storyboards, character development and research.
Credits:
Animation / Artwork / CG / Audio: Hiroyasu Ishida
Artwork / CG textures: Yuko Iwase, Kazuhiro Murakami
Anim: Tatsuro Kawano
CG Modeling: Yusaku Nagata
The Japanese did it again!
Been a while since I watched a music video that ticks all the right boxes. Is well-paced, not draggy. Has delightful, visual transitions. Accompanies a great song. Puts a smile on my face, making a drab workday afternoon much more bearable.
This video for the new single ‘Mind Wall’ by DJ Towa Tei (feat. Miho Hatori) did all these and more. Refreshingly kooky, with a marker-pen like texture that reminds me of those brilliant 80s/90s Japanese stationery graphics and adolescent scribbles, it’s such a visual treat. Exuberant and clever, almost effortlessly.
From what I could decipher, thanks to Google Translate, it was directed by Takeshi Nakamura for the Japanese production company ‘Caviar,’ illustrated by Hiroshi Hisashi and Yuko Yasunaga from Nicographics.
This article at White-Screen.jp outlines the production process, and some background info on Nicographics. I find it interesting that the illustrations are done using Cintiq 21 UX,, and it seems that the project’s workflow is quite different to that of a western studio.
The automatic translation is rather confusing, however. So if any of you is fluent in Japanese, do help us out with deciphering the info!
Thanks to Graham Cross for the tip! Oh, and don’t forget to click ‘watch in high quality’ option.
Posted on Motionographer
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