Welcome to this week’s review of notable instances of transit, place and culture as rendered in anime currently broadcast in Japan and simulcast internationally via the web. For a detailed outline of the approach, please refer to the explanation in the inaugural issue. Links to streaming sources are included when available, though not all may have current episode available at the time this column is published.
Special Note: This post compresses three weeks into one review. There was a large amount of new content while I was away, and while I’ve tried to be selective, it’s still a bit of a browser buster. You may want to procure a tasty beverage before settling in with this one. My daughter and I had a lot of fun in Japan. Posts of our pilgrimages to Kamakura/Fujisawa with friends for Musaigen no Phantom World, and just the two of us in Kyoto and Toyosato for Tamako Market and K-On! will be up in the publish queue soon.
Myriad Colors Phantom World
(無彩限のファントム・ワールド Musaigen no Fantomu Wārudo)
Watch: Crunchyroll
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@gromit1446 made pilgrimages to Kyoto City and Uji, Kyoto Prefecture; and Fujisawa, Kamakura and Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture for Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6. In Kamakura, he found an alternate candidate for the location model of Izumi Reina’s residence (a previously noted location is in Yokohama).
@touyoko_com made pilgrimages to Kamakura and Fujisawa for Episode 5, and again to Fujisawa for Episode 6.
@kbt_tigers1985 made a pilgrimage to Kamakura, Fujisawa and Uji for the OP, Episode 1 and Episode 4.
Episode 5
The phantom Minase is sent to dispatch is inspired by the original 0 Series Shinkansen (0系).
Fujisawa (藤沢) and Kamakura (鎌倉), Kanagawa Prefecture
Namerigawa Bridge (滑川橋) in Kamakura
Kamakura Jogakuin (鎌倉女学院)
Yamashita Park (山下公園) in Yokohama
Kawana (川名), Fujisawa
Near Kugenuma Station (鵠沼駅) on the Enoshima Electric Railway in Fujisawa
Yokohama Kanazawa Zoo (横浜市立金沢動物園)
Kurumi walks home from school on her afternoon commute.
Episode 6
Kurumi walks to school on her morning commute.
The attention given to reflections in rain puddles after storms always makes me think of Munto (2003). Kyoto Animation artwork style evolved rapidly, but some nuances date to inception.
The structure behind the convenience store is Shōnan-Enoshima Station (湘南江の島駅).
Bus shelter
My memory might be hazy, but I don’t think the puddles in Munto ate anyone.
The playground in Kurumi’s flashback is part of Zengyō Park (善行公園) in Fujisawa.
Episode 7
Erased
(僕だけがいない街 Boku Dake ga Inai Machi)
Watch: Crunchyroll • Funimation • Hulu • Daisuki
Fan Pilgrimage Update
Tomakomai Minpōsha published an article about emerging pop culture tourism to Tomakomai, Hokkaidō Prefecture for the series.
@touyoko_com made pilgrimages to (post 1) Iidabashi Station in central Tokyo and Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture for Episode 1 and Episode 5; and (post 2) Koiwa, Edogawa Ward, Tokyo Metropolis; and Funabashi for Episode 6.
@SSEBTBM883 made a pilgrimage Tomakomai for the OP and Episode 1 through Episode 4.
@paffue made a pilgrimage to Tomakomai for Episode 4.
Episode 5
Tomakomai (苫小牧), Iburi Subprefecture, Hokkaidō Prefecture
Satoru and Kenya walk home from school on their evening commute.
Satoru’s “revival” returns him to present-day Funabashi (船橋), Chiba Prefecture.
Episode 6
Koiwa Station (小岩駅) in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo Metropolis
Koiwa Flower Road (こいわフラワーロード), a covered shōtengai adjacent to Koiwa Station
Cafe Ramupu (珈琲らむぷ) in Koiwa
Funabashi Central Hospital (船橋中央病院)
Sanya Floodgate (山谷水門), near Funabashi Station
Episode 7
After another “revival”, Satoru is back in Tomakomai, walking home with his friends after they leave the science center.
Walking to school on the morning commute
Walking home on the evening commute
Having relatively autonomous elementary school age children is convenient for plot development, allowing Satoru the leeway to go about his interventions, but also reflects the reality that children in Japan are taught to navigate for themselves from a very early age.
Community children’s center, a third place
Pedestrian footbridge (歩道橋 hodōkyō)
Girls Beyond the Wasteland
(少女たちは荒野を目指す Shōjotachi wa Kōya wo Mezasu)
Watch: Hulu
Episode 5
Bunta and Yūka walk past the Keikyū Main Line (京急本線) trainyard near Kanazaka-Bunko Station (金沢文庫駅) on the morning commute to school.
Fishing docks in Hirakata Bay (平潟湾), Kanazawa-Hakkei
Episode 6
My hunch is this beach is in Zushi, given travel on one of the Keikyū lines. Feel free to dig deeper and let me know if you have another theory.
As before, the rail journey from the retreat location extends the time the circle can spend together and discuss their creative project.
Episode 7
Kanazawa-Hakkei
Kanazawa-Hakkei Station (金沢八景駅)
Sidewalk cafe seating
Pedestrian footbridge (歩道橋 hodōkyō)
Haruchika – Haruta & Chika
( ハルチカ 〜ハルタとチカは青春する〜 Haruchika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun Suru)
Watch: Funimation • Hulu • Daisuki
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@habusan updated the Field Guide to Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture through Episode 7, and released a one-page quick reference pilgrimage map (direct link).
Episode 5
Shizuoka Municipal Shimizu Central Library (静岡市立清水中央図書館)
Bus stop
Donut Workshop Reporo (ドーナツ工房 レポロ) in Sengawa, Chōfu, Tokyo Metropolis is the location model for a cafe used as third place.
Shizuoka Municipal Nihondaira Zoo (静岡市立日本平動物園)
Episode 6
Nice view of Mount Fuji from Shimizu South High School (清水南高等学校)
Episode 7
Ryūgeji (龍華寺)
Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū
(昭和元禄落語心中)
Watch: Crunchyroll
Episode 5
Asakusa (浅草), Taitō Ward, Tokyo
Episode 6
Asakusa
Izakaya used as third place
Tea house in Ginza (銀座), Chūō Ward, third place for the well-heeled
Streetcar
Episode 7
Asakusa Nakamise Shōtengai (浅草仲見世商店街)
Asakusa Nakamise Shōtengai
Prince of Stride: Alternative
(プリンス・オブ・ストライド オルタナティブ Purinsu Obu Sutoraido Orutanatibu)
Watch: Funimation • Hulu • Daisuki
Episode 5
Shinjuku Station (新宿駅), east entrance
Episode 6
Shinjuku Station (新宿駅), inside the fare zone for the Odakyū Odawara Line (小田急小田原線)
Odakyū ticket gate
Stairs leading up to Shinjuku Station south entrance
The runners pass through Lumina 2, one of the JR East retail complexes integrated into the station, then in front of the JR ticket gates for the south entrance, before eventually arriving at the Odakyū area.
Shinjuku Station, southwest exit
Loop around the west side of Shinjuku Station, back in through Odakyū integrated retail development
The long corridor up a slope leads into Mosaic Street, a pedestrian interstitial space that links all of the Odakyū retail and is a passage into Shinjuku Station. Both areas are the setting for Odakyū’s annual winter illuminations, a large, holiday themed light installation.
Shinjuku Station, south entrance
NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building (NTTドコモ代々木ビル)
Active Raid
(アクティヴレイド 機動強襲室第八係 Akutive Reido Kidō Kyōshūshitsu Dai-Hakkei)
Watch: Crunchroll
Episode 5
Nihon-ōdōri Station (日本大通り駅) in Naka Ward, Yohokama
Yamashita Park (山下公園)
Yokohama Chinatown (横浜中華街)
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (東京都庁舎)
Shōnan–Shinjuku Line (湘南新宿ライン)
Episode 6
Akihabara (秋葉原)
Chūō-Sōbu Line (中央・総武緩行線)
Episode 7
Ryōgoku Station (両国駅)
I had a suspicion that, giant robots notwithstanding, Active Raid is really a railfan work at heart. How else would one explain the completely unnecessary and impractical use to trains to tow the response team vehicle? All pretense is gone as of episode 7, with Haruka letting her geek flag fly. She is versed in multiple facets of railfanning, here acting as an onkyō-tetsu (音響鉄), also shortened as oto-tetsu (音鉄), someone who likes to record the sounds made by trains.
She had planned a day of haisen-tetsu (廃線鉄) activity, exploring abandoned train lines, before being called back to work.
Shin-Meijiro-dōri (新目白通り), near Shimo-Ochiai Station
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (東京都庁舎)
I’m not sure of the term for someone into train bridges, though perhaps it’s a subset of senro-tetsu (線路鉄), rails and railway ties.
Shinjuku Station (新宿駅)
Ok, this is senro-tetsu!
It’s my opinion that sometimes (often?) pandering to the audience detracts from the quality of a work. But in the case of content like this, I think you just have to commit to the fanservice, rather than dress it up with context. It’s more fun and easier to watch when we know we aren’t supposed to take it seriously. (^^)
Dagashi Kashi
(だがしかし)
Watch: Funimation • Hulu
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@teo_imperial made a pilgrimage (post 1, post 2, post 3) to Takeoka and Kyonan, Chiba Prefecture for the OP and Episode 1 through Episode 4.
Episode 6
Durarara!! X2 Ketsu
(デュラララ!!×2 結 Durarara!!x2 Ketsu)
Watch: Crunchyroll • Hulu • Daisuki
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@tianlangxing made pilgrimages to Ikebukuro and Mejiro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo Metropolis for Episode 28 (Ketsu 4), and again to Ikebukuro for Episode 29 (Ketsu 5), Episode 30 (Ketsu 6) and Episode 31 (Ketsu 7).
Episode 5
Ikebukuro (池袋), Toshima Ward, Tokyo Metropolis
Special Items
Location Japan published an article about persistent pop culture tourism to Ōarai, Ibaraki Prefecture for Girls und Panzer.
@ye_bi_su made a pilgrimage to Tsukamoto, Yodogawa Ward, Osaka for the key visual to upcoming series Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko: Everything Flows, premiering 2016 March. The TV series is based on the Shinkai Makoto original short film Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko, but Shinkai will not be involved with its production.
@kazupi made a pilgrimage to the Kurobe Dam in Tateyama, Toyama Prefecture for the PV to P.A. Works series Kuromukuro, premiering 2016 April.
@ye_bi_su made a pilgrimage to Hirosaki, Aoyama Prefecture for the PV to Flying Witch, premiering 2016 April.
@kazupi (post) and @qqbb5at9k (post) made pilgrimages to naval facilities in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture and Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture for upcoming series Hai Furi, premiering 2016 April.
@gromit1446 made a pilgrimage to Kinugasayama Park in Yokosuka for the key visual to Hai Furi.
@york21c made a pilgrimage to Higashiōgishima Nishi Park in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture for Kizumonogatari I Tekketsu-hen.
@dotproducer made a pilgrimage to locations in Chūō Ward, Shibuya Ward, Nerima Ward, Higashikurume and Higashimurayama (all Tokyo Metropolis) for Owarimonogatari.
@ktsim1228s made a pilgrimage to Asahikawa, Hokkaidō Prefecture for Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru.
@626shin made a pilgrimage to Uji, Kyoto Prefecture for Hibike! Euphonium.
@mi_kawana made a pilgrimage to Kumano, Mie Prefecture for Nagi no Asukara.
@rimatai (post) and @touyoko_com (post 1, post 2) made pilgrimages to Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture for Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabu Kome wa Machigatteiru. Zoku.
@kbt_tigers1985 made a pilgrimage to Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture for Isshūkan Furenzu.
@hauyashi (post) and @teo_imperial (post) made pilgrimages to Minamibōsō, Chiba Prefecture for Non Non Biyori.
@mi_kawana made a pilgrimage to Kashihara, Nara Prefecture for Kyōkai no Kanata.
@hiroina_7916ltd made a pilgrimage to multiple Tokyo locations for the manga version of Chihayafuru.
@ngwrb made a pilgrimage to Warp Station Edo, a jidaigeki film set in Tsukubamirai, Ibaraki Prefecture, for C3 Shīkyūbu.
