©2015 Typhoon Noruda Committee

19th Animation Division New Face Award

Typhoon Noruda

Animated feature film

ARAI Yojiro [Japan]

Outline

On a remote island, junior high school students prepare for their upcoming culture festival. Best friends SAIJO Kenta and AZUMA Shuichi have recently fallen out after AZUMA quit baseball, which the boys had played together ever since they were younger. Then, one day Shuichi meets Noruda, a mysterious girl with red eyes, whose arrival coincides with a typhoon. Due to the typhoon – the largest ever recorded – they have to spend a night in the school. Through encountering and then separating with Noruda, AZUMA is forced earnestly to confront anew who he is as well as his relationship to the best friend SAIJO. The characters are vividly depicted in this animation, with its vaguely nostalgic backgrounds and uplifting direction. While the production achieved enhanced efficiency by using digital tools, the film also attempts to retain a hand-drawn texture.

Reason for Award

A talent to keep eyes on in the future! This sentiment was unanimously shared by the jury. Anyone who sees this film will surely want to see these very likeable characters in stories which make you want to support them from the bottom of your heart; stories much heartrending, sometimes passionate, and heroic. Suffice to say, the artwork and movements is quite fine. What I hope the creative team will work hard on next is the script. Even a 15-second TV commercial needs a story, and the same goes for a 30-second one. I truly hope that viewers can appreciate the fresh story told with this artwork and animation. (TAKAHASHI Ryosuke)