The May 9 broadcast of the variety program “Sakusaku Himu Himu ☆ Oshi no Furu Yoru ☆” will feature a special segment on anime production studios. With former Denpagumi.inc member Misaki Furukawa and anime/tokusatsu researcher Ryuusuke Hikawa as guides, the show unravels the appeal of Japan’s leading animation studios.
The variety program “Sakusaku Himu Himu ☆ Oshi no Furu Yoru ☆” is a talk variety hosted by Daisuke Sakuma (Snow Man) and Yuki Himura (Banana Man). The show explores why certain things that are currently being pushed in Japan are popular.
In the May 9 broadcast, the focus is on anime production companies. The program delves into the companies that support the anime industry, which has expanded to a market size of 3.8 trillion yen, and examines how they create works that captivate the world, along with each company’s strengths.
As the “oshitsuji-san” guides who convey the theme’s appeal, Misaki Furukawa, who met her husband through anime production, and Ryuusuke Hikawa, who has researched anime for over 50 years and currently lectures on the anime industry at ZEN University, appear.
It is said that there are nearly 300 anime production companies known to exist in Japan. The program takes up storyboards among the anime production processes. Unlike manga, which leaves the space between panels to the reader’s imagination, anime requires meticulous assembly of time flow and camera work. Therefore, the directorial ingenuity packed into the storyboard greatly affects the work’s watchability.
Using Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken as an example, Sakuma, having learned the difference, showed surprise, saying, “So it’s about conveying the same atmosphere as when reading the manga, while also expanding the scope even further.”
In the corner featuring production companies, the characteristics of studios that handle hit works such as Madhouse, ufotable, MAPPA, and Doga Kobo are explained. For Sousou no Frieren, they tackled head-on a “certain expression” that is often avoided in regular TV anime. It will be interesting to see whether Sakuma and Himura can spot that commitment.
In the Infinity Castle scene from the theatrical version of Kimetsu no Yaiba, the blend of CG and characters left Himura thoroughly impressed, saying, “And this is a drawing, isn’t it…” and “Wow, that’s amazing.” Additionally, behind-the-scenes looks at the theatrical version of Chainsaw Man Reze-hen and Oshi no Ko are also introduced. At the end, Sakuma and Himura challenge themselves with anime direction. What kind of work will be created?
Sakusaku Himu Himu ☆ Oshi no Furu Yoru ☆ airs on Nippon Television Network at 11:30 p.m. After the broadcast, a special edition including scenes not shown on terrestrial TV will be available for free on TVer.
Sakusaku Himu Himu ☆ Oshi no Furu Yoru ☆
Broadcast date and time: Every Saturday at 11:30 p.m.
Cast: Daisuke Sakuma (Snow Man), Yuki Himura (Banana Man)
Chief Producer: Naoko Yano
Producer: Moe Kashiwara
Director: Yukihiro Tamura
Production Cooperation: Dajika Company, The Works
Produced and copyrighted by: Nippon Television
Author: Takahashi Katsunori
