“CTIY THE ANIMATION” How to Present Manga’s Unique Directorial Techniques in Anime? [Fujitsu Ryouta no Anime no Mon V 121st Installment]

A Tale of Two Cities: The Divergence of CTIY

Reading the original manga, CTIY, after watching CTIY THE ANIMATION elicits a strong sense of (in a good way) bewilderment. Conversely, it’s likely that those who read the manga first and then watched the anime experienced a similar feeling. That’s how distinct the original work and its animated adaptation truly are.

On a surface level, the order of episodes has been rearranged, and in some instances, parts of events are omitted. However, the anime also significantly expands upon the narrative using movement and sound, resulting in a more dynamic and impactful storytelling approach. Yet, the core difference between the manga and anime versions feels much more fundamental.

Structural Shifts: A Mosaic, Not a Chain

Both versions undoubtedly depict “various aspects of CTIY City,” which serves as their setting. The original manga, in each serialized chapter, presents these aspects as self-contained “blocks,” connecting them together like beads on a string, narrating a continuous flow. In contrast, the anime seems to break these “blocks” into much smaller pieces, using them to craft a mosaic that reveals the multifaceted nature of CTIY City. The fact that each anime episode is composed of about seven short, accumulating segments further reinforces this impression.

Episode 1: A New Starting Point

Right from the start, CTIY THE ANIMATION’s first episode does not begin with the manga’s first chapter, “People of CTIY.” This marks a clear “difference” from the outset. While the introductory scene featuring a large bird is consistent with the manga, the very first episode instead jumps to manga chapter 3, “The Makabe Family,” followed by chapter 22, “Friends.” After briefly inserting an introduction to chapter 7, “Room 203,” it then proceeds to chapter 8, “Hardened Yakisoba,” and chapter 9, “Doctor Adatara.” Furthermore, it incorporates chapter 6, “Izumi Wako,” before returning to chapter 7, “Room 203,” and finally concludes with chapter 10, “Dream.”

The Absence of a Central Axis

This reordering of the narrative structure severs the connecting lines that existed between the blocks in the original manga. Elements that strung the episodes together in the manga – such as the background of Midori coming to work part-time at Youshoku Makabe (manga chapter 1 → chapter 3), Niikura borrowing money from Midori (chapter 2 → chapter 10), or Izumi Wako losing her point card (chapter 1 → chapter 6) – were intentionally omitted, partly to avoid contradictions. As a result, even though each individual segment is largely faithful to the original manga, they transform into disparate pieces with little interrelation. This approach allowed the anime version to proceed through its episodes even more “lacking a central axis” than its manga counterpart.

Episode 5: A Visual Masterpiece of Disconnection

This concept of CTIY as a “mosaic lacking a center” was brilliantly visualized in Episode 5. This particular episode is composed of manga chapters 41 (“The Tower”), 43 (“The Tower Two”), 44 (“Bad Time”), 46 (“Abacus and Braids”), 49.5 (“Dashing Youth”), and 50 (“Absolutely Safe Niikura”).

The story kicks off with Midori being captured by Tanabe Sumire Sakurakomi of the wealthy Tanabe family and imprisoned in the “Hospitality Tower.” There, Midori reunites with an old man in a traditional kimono, known by the role name “Ii Hito” (Good Person), and Izumi Wako, and together, they eventually escape the tower. This escape storyline serves as the primary thread, or through-line, of Episode 5.

Parallel to this, another central element is Niikura’s relentless pursuit of Mimi Neko, who has snatched away a locket containing secret photos. This forms a secondary through-line within the episode. While this might suggest a clear narrative backbone, it only holds true for the first half of the episode. The latter half of Episode 5 employs a split-screen technique, with simultaneous events occurring in various parts of the city unfolding within their respective “windows.” At this point, Midori’s escape, Niikura’s pursuit, and indeed all other events in CTIY City, are presented merely as “one of many” occurrences happening across the cityscape.

The Art of Screen Splitting

Screen splitting is a labor-intensive directorial technique. For instance, if a single cut is divided into four sections, it technically counts as one cut but practically requires the effort equivalent to animating four separate cuts. Despite the extended duration of these complex split-screen scenes in Episode 5, the episode was handled by only seven key animators. While CTIY THE ANIMATION consistently uses a remarkably small number of key animators—typically only a few per episode, significantly less than other TV anime—the fact that Episode 5, with its demanding content, managed with just seven animators is truly astonishing.

The anime’s official SNS promoted the “high number of animation frames” to convey the immense effort put into Episode 5. However, the sheer volume of frames is merely a result. The true marvel here lies in the willingness to undertake “labor-intensive screen composition” and the skill of the key animators who supported this feat with such a small team.

What makes these split-screen scenes particularly engaging is the intricate relationships that emerge between the different “windows.” Although each “window” displays a separate space, they are interconnected through elements like mobile phones, a dashing Mimi Neko, or moving cars. The relationships between cuts, which are usually expressed linearly along a timeline, are here transformed and represented in a planar and spatial form on the screen. This is precisely the moment when, as I mentioned earlier, the “various aspects of CTIY City” are truly visualized as a “mosaic.” Furthermore, “CTIY City as a mosaic” is later depicted with even greater visual clarity.

From Frames to a Unified Mosaic

After their harrowing escape from the tower, what Midori and her companions behold is the Tanabe family’s garden party, where various characters are gathered together, enjoying themselves in unison.

The original manga depicted this scene as a grand “mob scene spanning an entire two-page spread,” reminiscent of the legendary Tezuka Osamu. To allow readers to follow each character’s actions, this panoramic view of the party continues across eight pages (four two-page spreads).

Unlike manga, which allows for flexible panel sizes, effectively utilizing such a dynamic scene is challenging in anime. However, this production tackled the challenge with several clever techniques. First, they built up to this moment by using split screens, presenting the visuals within small, panel-like “windows.” This deliberate setup ensured that the moment the entire screen was utilized, it created a powerful effect of “expansion.”

Another ingenious approach was not to immediately expand the screen to its full size. As Midori stands with her back to the viewer, about to open the exit door, the “window” frame gradually widens to fill the entire screen. However, the very next shot, capturing Midori the instant she steps outside, is almost entirely black, with only Midori’s surprised face depicted small within an irregular, cloud-like or bubble-like frame.

This after, the party-goers are shown enjoying themselves, grouped separately within these same irregular frames, which appear numerous times against the black screen. These frames move around the screen, overlapping each other. Simultaneously, the frames gradually shrink, while the number of characters appearing within them steadily increases.

After the screen is completely filled with these irregular frames, a distinctive transition leads to the full panoramic view of the party, identical to that in the original manga. It was truly a moment where the individual pieces, each depicted within its “irregular frame,” came together like mosaic tiles, visually presenting the entirety of CTIY City’s inhabitants.

While Episode 5 beautifully encapsulated the essence of this work, the series still has much more to offer. Reading the original manga reveals episodes that seem perfectly suited for the anime’s climax—content that also combines various pieces to bring out different facets of CTIY. Thus, I eagerly await the progression of the series and will closely watch where the story leads.

【Fujitsu Ryouta (born 1968, Shizuoka Prefecture)】
An anime critic. His major works include “Anime Hihyouka” Sengen (Declaration of an Anime Critic), Channel wa Itsumo Anime Zero-nendai Anime Jihyou (The Channel is Always Anime: Anime Reviews of the 2000s), Seiyuu-go ~Anime ni Inochi o Fukikomu Professional~ (Voice Actor Language: Professionals Who Breathe Life into Anime), and Professional 13-nin ga Kataru Watashi no Seiyuu-dou (My Path as a Voice Actor: 13 Professionals Speak). His latest book is Bokura ga Anime o Miru Riyuu 2010-nendai Anime Jihyou (Why We Watch Anime: Anime Reviews of the 2010s). In addition to teaching anime courses at various culture centers, he conducts a live broadcast every first Friday of the month on the Anime no Mon Channel on Niconico.

《Fujitsu Ryouta》