A visual work in which virtual (3D) and real-world (live-action) elements coexist, accompanied by delicate CG imagery.

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This work was created for an exhibition at “La Samaritaine,” a long-established Parisian department store founded in 1869. Taking the Zen phrase “Fūkō Hibi Arata” as its keyword, and with the theme of the ever-shifting everyday in reality and the virtual, it was presented as a symbolic work for an exhibition that reinterprets Art Nouveau in the present day. The peacock depicted here is based on an Art Nouveau fresco painted across the entire uppermost level of the atrium at La Samaritaine. Through “raster scroll,” a technique used in side-scrolling video games, it was transformed into an animation of pixelated nature in which no frame is ever the same. It presents the beauty of a new nature in the contemporary world where reality and the virtual overlap, as well as a new abundance for humankind that lives in harmony with it. The pixelated plants may wither, yet they bloom with new flowers.

“Gacha Life” Available on the short drama app [FANY:D]. [Synopsis] Sachiko Yamanoura (27), who works in the HR department of an IT company, has spent her days with a string of the world’s worst luck—stepping on gum, catching her boyfriend cheating, and more—until she finally died in a ninth freak accident, without a second thought. But in the afterlife, “Gacha Life,” a salvation awaits: she can spin a gacha and choose her next-life partner. As one after another of the men appear—dependable superiors, dangerous entrepreneurs, vanished fiancés, and other anything-but-straightforward types—Sachiko faces her own “luck” and searches for what true happiness really is. A fresh kind of fantastical romantic comedy, woven together from a fantastical setting and comedic developments. Before long, Sachiko finds herself forced to “interview” a colorful cast of men, including an ex she wants to break up with, an influencer, and a missing fiancé. Are the choices really nothing but duds, or is there a winner in the mix? Who, in the end, will she choose as her “partner in the next life”—? [Project Concept] “Gacha Life” is a work that explores the fundamental question, “Is life determined by luck?” by intertwining black comedy with serious human drama. At the heart of the story is the journey of the protagonist, Sachiko Yamanoura, as she reexamines the choices in her life through a system of chance called “gacha.” At the foundation of the story lies the theme, “Can fate really be changed?” Sachiko has long believed that she is “unlucky,” but is her misfortune truly due to luck? Or have her own choices and actions been drawing those outcomes to her? This work poses such questions to the audience. [Direction Policy] For this work, I wanted to depict fantasy and real emotions in exquisite balance. By contrasting the realism of the world we know with the abstract afterlife world of “Gacha Life,” the story gains greater depth. Gacha Life (the afterlife) is designed as a simple, symbolic space, with visuals that allow the audience to intuitively understand, “What’s going to happen here?” By incorporating lighting and game-like UI (user interface) elements, we emphasize the feeling of “being made to choose one’s fate.” Depictions of the real world use handheld camerawork and natural lighting to create a realistic, intimate atmosphere. This emphasizes the tangible feel of Sachiko’s life and makes it easier for the audience to empathize with her choices. Balance of humor Not too serious, but not too light either. Since the very premise of “gacha” is humorous, the characters’ reactions are portrayed realistically. Rather than making the audience feel, “This is something that happens only in fiction,” we want them to think, “Maybe something like this could actually happen?”