Hikawa Maru Monogatari (Japanese: 氷川丸ものがたり, lit.'Hikawa Maru Story') is a 2015 Japanese animated film based on the book of the same name by Genjiro Ito. Produced by Mushi Production and distributed by Kansai Produce Center, the film is directed by Shunji Ōga from a script written by Ryōichi Matsushita and Kōji Miura. It follows the history of the Japanese ocean linerHikawa Maru in the eyes of Jirō Hirayama.
The film began its production in April 2014 and the staff working on it were announced in May 2015. The dubbing was completed in June 2015, with Chihiro Kusaka and Keisuke Kōmoto confirming their voice role as Jirō. The film was completed the following month.
Hikawa Maru Monogatari premiered in Shinjuku on July 24, 2015, and was released in Japan on August 22.
Synopsis
The film depicts four different time periods of Hikawa Maru's history in the eyes of Jirō Hirayama.[2] Jirō, who have lost is mother in the Great Kanto earthquake, is helping his father Genzō run soba stall and desires to board the ocean liner. In May 1930, he witnesses the departure of the ship from the Port of Yokohama on its maiden voyage to Seattle, United States. With the help of captain Hachirō Akinaga and officer Akinobu Matsuda, who both become his customers in the stall, Jirō joins the crew as an apprentice cook. In 1941, Hikawa Maru is converted into a hospital ship by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Meanwhile, Jirō gets drafted. He later reunites with the ship along with other injured soldiers. After the war ended, the ship helps in the repatriation of Japanese soldiers and citizens. After that, Jirō and the crew begin accepting passengers and serve them on board as Hikawa Maru becomes cargo-passenger ship and returns to its North American route.[3]
Development on Hikawa Maru Monogatari began in April 2014.[5] In December 2014, the scenario for the film was drafted.[5]Storyboarding began in March 2015.[5] The basis for the 3DCG of the Japanese ocean linerHikawa Maru was the ship's model located at NYK Maritime Museum in Yokohama,[6] which began in May 2015.[5] The museum and the All-Japan Seamen's Union helped in historical research.[7] That month, the staff working on the film at Mushi Production were revealed, including Shunji Ōga as the director, Ryōichi Matsushita and Kōji Miura as scriptwriters, Kenji Takehara as the director of photography, and Yumiko Nakaba as the editor.[6] The book that the film was based on, written by Genjiro Ito, was published by Kamakura Shunjusha on June 5, 2015.[8] The dubbing was completed by late June 2015, with Keiko Toda doing the narration, and Chihiro Kusaka and Keisuke Kōmoto voicing the main character Jirō Hirayama.[9] Captain Norio Kanaya, the 28th captain of the ship, would be voicing Captain Shiromoto.[2] The film was completed in July 2015.[5] It would be distributed by Kansai Produce Center.[6]
Music
Reijiro Koroku was first attached to Hikawa Maru Monogatari as its composer in May 2015.[6] However, in June 2015, he was replaced by Kōsuke Yamashita. That month, the theme song for the film was titled "Kanata" (彼方, lit.'Beyond') by Kazumasa Oda.[10] The song was included in Oda's album Oda Biyori (小田日和), which was released on July 2, 2014, and was first used in a commercial for the Japan Racing Association.[11]
Marketing
In August 2015, Japan Post Holdings released a limited edition frame postage stamp set based on Hikawa Maru Monogatari.[12] That month, a trailer for the film was released.[13]
Release
Hikawa Maru Monogatari had a VIP screening at Meiji Yasuda Life Hall in Shinjuku, Tokyo on July 24, 2015, and was released in Japan on August 22.[14] That year marked the 85th anniversary of the ship's maiden voyage.[6] Mushi Production planned to screen the film in community centers, schools, and overseas beyond October 2015 for the next three years,[2] with the goal to reach one million viewers.[6] The film had its international premiere at the Asian Film Festival of Dallas in July 2016.[15]
Reception
Nick Askam gave Hikawa Maru Monogatari a score of 7 out of 10 for Selig Film News, feeling that the film was "better than average and I'll try my hardest to see it again". Askam praised the relationship between the characters, particularly of Jirō with his father, a kid from his hometown, and the actual Hikawa Maru itself. As for the animation, he described it as "fantastic" and felt that it looked "hyper-realistic". However, Askam felt the film should feature non-fictional characters whom he could get behind, stating that it was "just something that takes me out of it and makes me focus on the time period"; this was also the same issue he had with the film Beasts of No Nation.[16]
^ abcdef虫プロが戦後70年に贈るアニメで、横浜のシンボル船に刻まれた歴史描く [Mushi Production's Animation for the 70th Anniversary of the End of World War II Depicts the History of Yokohama's Symbolic Ship]. Natalie (in Japanese). May 22, 2015. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
^氷川丸がアニメ映画に 波乱の軌跡８月全国公開 [Hikawa Maru is an animated film: Its turbulent trajectory to be released nationwide in August]. Kanaloco (in Japanese). May 14, 2015. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
^氷川丸ものがたり製作委員会 [@hikawamaru2015] (May 12, 2015). 虫プロダクション制作の長編アニメ映画「氷川丸ものがたり」原作本（かまくら春秋社）が6月5日に発売予定。 http://amzn.to/1J7VUwV [The original book of the feature-length animated film Hikawa Maru Monogatari (produced by Mushi Production) is scheduled to be released by Kamakura Shunjusha on June 5. http://amzn.to/1J7VUwV] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024 – via Twitter.
^氷川丸ものがたり製作委員会 [@hikawamaru2015] (July 1, 2015). 昨日、全てのアフレコ作業が終了しました。ナレーションは戸田恵子さん、主役の次郎役は、日下ちひろさんと河本啓佑さんが担当されます。 [All dubbing work was completed yesterday. Keiko Toda will narrate and Chihiro Kusaka and Keisuke Kōmoto will voice the main character Jiro.] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024 – via Twitter.
^氷川丸ものがたり製作委員会 [@hikawamaru2015] (June 30, 2015). 虫プロ制作の映画「氷川丸ものがたり」主題歌は、小田和正さんの「彼方」となりました〜。 音楽は、山下康介さん。チラシなどで「小六禮次郎さん」となっていましたが変更となりました。 [The theme song for the film Hikawa Maru Monogatari, produced by Mushi Production, was "Kanata" by Kazumasa Oda. Music is by Kōsuke Yamashita. The name "Reijiro Koroku" was used on the flyer, but this has been changed.] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024 – via Twitter.
^小田和正「彼方」（アルバム「小田日和」収録）、アニメ映画「氷川丸ものがたり」（8/22公開）エンディングテーマに起用 [Kazumasa Oda "Kanata" (included in the album Oda Biyori) used as the ending theme for the anime film Hikawa Maru Monogatari (8/22)]. Green Days (in Japanese). July 24, 2015. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
^日本郵便がオリジナル フレーム切手セット『氷川丸ものがたり』限定発売 [Japan Post releases limited edition Hikawa Maru Monogatari original frame stamp set]. Yokohama Keizai Shimbun (in Japanese). August 9, 2015. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
^氷川丸ものがたり製作委員会 [@hikawamaru2015] (August 18, 2015). 映画「氷川丸ものがたり」予告編の動画です。8月22日より全国順次ロードショー公開。 [This is the trailer for the film Hikawa Maru Monogatari. The film will be released on a nationwide roadshow starting August 22.] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024 – via Twitter.
.jpg)
