Based on one of three project proposals that were announced and then selected by fan vote, this work was produced. The filming location was Chichibugahama in Kagawa Prefecture. Filming was carried out to capture the “standing water surface” that appears only for a brief moment after low tide.

This is a concept movie for a kimono brand founded in Kyoto in 1555. Using traditional Japanese kimono as its subject, we created “grown-up cuteness” together with creators from Japan and abroad. The overall illustrations were done by Swedish illustrator Peter Gehrman, and the animation was handled by Hideki Inaba, a Blue Carpet member, along with a stellar team. The first challenge was how to translate Peter’s uniquely distinctive illustrated world into direction and animation without compromising it. If a 2D illustration is simply animated as is, it ends up looking little more than a picture-book sequence. We wanted to dive into the world of kimono and create a sense of depth in 2D that would draw viewers inward, so it was necessary to ask Peter to illustrate on the premise that the images could be arranged in 3D. We then detailed how each shot would move, turned it into a storyboard, and asked Peter to create the illustrations. Communicating with an overseas creator naturally made us a little nervous at first, but he delivered the best illustrations possible! Next, in order to infuse Inaba’s one-of-a-kind animation essence, we needed to firmly establish the division between 2D and 3D, as well as the overall progression of the animation, so we created the video storyboard very carefully. Normally, in my workflow, the storyboard and animation are directly connected in a one-stop process, but when working with Inaba, I needed to create a more precise video storyboard so that there would be no ambiguity in the animation. As a result, it became a wonderful animation. Above all, I’ve always thought Inaba’s sense of animation was incredible, the kind you’d admire deeply. I’m grateful to Inaba for collaborating with us and giving us such a major source of inspiration. My favorite scene in this piece is the one where the kimono floats up into the air. I think it beautifully and fantastically expresses the joy of encountering such a lovely kimono. This is an outstanding work brought to life through a wide range of collaborations centered on traditional Japanese kimono, including creators from abroad!