Welcome to this week’s review of notable instances of public transit use and urban design, as well as discussion of place identity and culture, through anime currently broadcast or screening in Japan and simulcast internationally via the web. This review also documents seichijunrei (聖地巡礼 sacred site pilgrimage) and butaitanbou (舞台探訪 scene hunting)—on this website referred to collectively as anime pilgrimage—which are forms of place-based engagement induced by the use of real locations in show settings.
The Devil is a Part-Timer!
(はたらく魔王さま! Hataraku Maō-sama!)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@butaiwalker (post) and ゆっきーの散歩Blog (post) both made pilgrimages to Shinjuku for Episode 12.
Episode 13
You have been seeing Hataraku Maō-sama! at the top of almost every one of these posts this spring season, so no surprise that this was my favorite of the bunch. With so many shows that have settings based on Tokyo, we often see the same places over and over. Though there were a handful of Shinjuku scenes in this show, for the most part we moved between quiet, low-rise residential neighborhoods in Sasazuka, Hatagaya and Eifukuchō, all places beyond the central districts most familiar to casual visitors of the city. The walkable streets, small neighborhood shōtengai, and use of commuter rail and subways are all part of the daily experience of almost everyone living in the wide swath of humanity that comprises the Tokyo metropolis. A show like this is a great tool for illustrating the alternative to disperse, car dependent suburbs common to North America. That the humor was clever and the story a creative take on the classic tale of the battle between the demon king and hero made the show doubly enjoyable to watch.
The orange stripe would suggest Maou is on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (東京地下鉄銀座線). From Sasazuka, he would have taken the Keiō New Line to Shinjuku Station, changed to the Toei Ōedo Line, then changed again to the Ginza Line at Aoyama-Itchome Station. He could also have taken the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line direct from Shinjuku to his destination.
Akasaka-mitsuke Station (赤坂見附駅)
The Keiō Line (京王線) threads through Sasazuka (笹塚).
Sworn adversaries finally come to an understanding, of sorts.
Devil Survivor 2 The Animation
(デビルサバイバー2 Debiru Sabaibā 2)
Episode 13
After having been mired in conflict for much of its run, Devil Survivor 2 comes back with a solid final installment via resurrection of the world. Obligatory tourist brochure shot of Tokyo Tower with Mount Fuji in the background.
The episode begins with a rehash of the locations from Episode 1, this time without the death and destruction. This is in Aoyama (青山).
Shibuya Station (渋谷駅) with departing JR Yamanote Line (山手線)
Meeting place at the Hachikō (ハチ公) statue
Hibiki and Daichi meet at the Starbucks in the QFRONT building, overlooking Shibuya’s scramble crossing.
Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line (東京地下鉄半蔵門線) platform in the underground part of Shibuya Station
Shibuya crossing
Roppongi Dōri
Roppongi Hills (六本木ヒルズ)
Shibuya Station Hachikō entrance
Hibiki traverses the crossing and runs north. Since his destination is the National Diet Building in Nagatacho, to the west, this doesn’t quite make sense, but they wouldn’t have been able to pan up and get a shot of one of the jumbotrons otherwise ^_^
To tie things up, a final fly-through of Osaka…
…and Nagoya.
Photo Kano
(フォトカノ Foto Kano)
Episode 12
This week was the Tomoe route. She’s moving from the Tokyo area to somewhere a significant distance west. Cue the Shinkansen.
The arc begins with Maeda encountering Tomoe on the embankment (土手 dote) as it begins to rain.
They take cover in a shōtengai, modeled on the Asagaya Pearl Center (阿佐谷パールセンター).
The station exterior isn’t an exact match for either Shinagawa Station or Shin-Yokohama Station (Tōkaidō Shinkansen stops in the Tokyo area), though it does resemble the latter to some degree.
The departure board is a near perfect recreation of the real thing. The approaching train is a Nozomi (のぞみ) service, bound for Hakata.
700 series Shinkansen
Obligatory tourist brochure shot of Tōkaidō Shinkansen with Mount Fuji in the background.
Yuyushiki
(ゆゆ式)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@rimatai made a pilgrimage to Kugenuma-Kaigan Station and nearby beach (not Enoshima, but close to it) in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture for Episode 12.
Episode 12
Yui and Yuzuko walk to the neighborhood konbini.
The three meet at the third place of choice for teens in manga and anime, the famiresu.
On summer vacation, they travel by train to a beach park in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture. It’s not Enoshima (for once), though just to the west of the island, on the mainland. This is Kugenuma-Kaigan Station (鵠沼海岸駅), served by the Odakyū Enoshima Line.
Between the train station and the shore, they walk through a small commercial district.
The beach is reached by pedestrian path through the sea wall.
The top of the sea wall also has a pedestrian promenade.
Back home, Fumi walks her dog along the river. The embankment (土手 dote) is flood protection infrastructure, but it has a pedestrian path built into the earthwork.
The Flowers of Evil
(惡の華 Aku no Hana)
Episode 12
Kasuga chases after Nakamura and later rushes to her home to deliver a letter. Coverage of residential neighborhoods and commercial streets in Kiryū (桐生) continues to expand.
Muromi-san
(波打際のむろみさん Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san)
Episode 12
Muromi-san is an unabashed admirer of humanity. In her defense of humans she remarks that, for all their problems, they have already achieved many things and she believes they have the potential for more. This is set to a montage of urban images.
Including a train station…
…and even a photo taking railfan (撮り鉄 tori-tetsu).
Aiura
(あいうら)
Episode 12
In the final episode we come full circle, returning to many spots from the first episode. Here is the Yamaguchi bus stop in Shima Onsen.
The rest of the scenes are from Kamakura.
In the entire series, this is the first and only instance where we’re actually down at the coast. All of the show’s Kamakura scenes are set in the town and up on the mountain.
A Certain Scientific Railgun S
(とある科学の超電磁砲（レールガン） Toaru Kagaku no Rērugan)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@ngwrb made a pilgrimage to Tachikawa for Episode 11.
Episode 11
More shots of the supports and tracks of the Tama Toshi Monorail Line (多摩都市モノレール線).
RDG Red Data Girl
(RDG レッドデータガール RDG Reddo Dēta Gāru)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@code_bk201 made a pilgrimage to Totsukawa for Episode 1 and 2 and Episode 3.
@kbt_tigers1985 made a pilgrimage to Shinjuku for Episode 2.
Oreimo
(俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない。 Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai.)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@ngwrb (post) and @shira_ry (post) both made pilgrimages to Chiba for Episode 11 and 12.
Other Pilgrimage
@Bf109K1 made a pilgrimage to Takehara, Hiroshima Prefecture for Tamayura new season PV 2. Here are past posts (1, 2, 3 and 4) from @lidges on pilgrimage for the OVA and television series first season.
@kbt_tigers made a pilgrimage to Sendagaya Station and Shinjuku Gyoen for Kotonoha no Niwa.
@ngwrb made a pilgrimage to multiple locations in Tokyo for Saki Achiga-hen episode of Side-A.
@seki_saima made a pilgrimage to Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture for Chūnibyō Demo Koi ga Shitai!
