Cencoroll
Encyclopedia
is a 2009 Japanese animated
science fiction film
nearly singlehandedly written, designed, directed, and animated by manga author
Atsuya Uki. Produced by Anime Innovation Tokyo and Aniplex
, the film had its world premiere at Canada's Fantasia International Film Festival
on July 28, 2009. The film made its Japanese debut on August 22, 2009 in Tokyo
and Osaka
. Cencoroll made its debut in the United States at the New York Anime Festival
on September 25, 2009. A sequel
tentatively titled Cencoroll 2 is in production.
, Japan. (Hiro Shimono
) is a male high school student who keeps one such shapeshifting
creature named , which he can control via telepathy, though wants to keep it a secret. An inquisitive girl named (Kana Hanazawa
) chances upon Cenco at school when it is transformed into a bicycle. After Tetsu arrives to retrieve the bicycle, Yuki inadvertently causes Cenco to transform back into its normally large form by poking it in the eye. Yuki is much more interested in Cenco than Tetsu and accompanies them into town. There, a boy named (Ryōhei Kimura
), who controls two of the creatures, confronts Tetsu in order to obtain Cenco. Tetsu manages to fend off Shū's attacks while also protecting Yuki, and they leave while Shū's creature is incapacitated. Shū confronts Yuki later that day and gets her to tell Tetsu to meet and fight Shū again.
The following day, Shū takes Yuki hostage to force Tetsu to come, and places her on a ledge of a tall building. After Tetsu arrives, Shū attacks from afar and manages to cut off one of Cenco's arms. To repair the arm, Cenco removes one of Tetsu's arms, which incapacitates him momentarily. Shū arrives with a much larger creature and Cenco takes Yuki within its body where Tetsu already is. Yuki gets Cenco to change control of it from Tetsu to herself, and after Shū's larger creature eats Cenco along with Yuki, she manages to take control of the larger creature as well. They are subsequently attacked by the military with tanks and missiles, but are protected for the time being when Tetsu changes the creature's shape to that of a massive walnut. Tetsu and Yuki are separated and Shū attempts to take control back from Yuki, but he cannot control the creature anymore and severs the link, effectively killing it. Tetsu makes it back with Cenco to where Yuki and Shū are, and Yuki knocks Shū out with Cenco transformed into a baseball bat. Afterwards, Yuki transforms Cenco into Tetsu's lost arm, which gives him back control of his limb. Shū is later shown having been rescued by his other creature.
entitled Amon Game written and illustrated by Atsuya Uki. The manga won the Grand Prix Award in Kodansha
's Afternoon Shiki manga competition in 2005. In 2006, Anime Innovation Tokyo began an initiative to sponsor anime
produced by independent animators and small studios and chose Cencoroll as their first sponsored project. In 2007, Uki created a Cencoroll short film and distributed it over the Internet; due to the praise it received, Uki decided to nearly singlehandedly write, design, direct, and animate a 30-minute Cencoroll film. Cencoroll marked the first time the production company Aniplex
had agreed to back a project that was animated almost entirely by one person. Originally, the film was given the tentative title Untitle.
Ryo of Supercell
produced the film's music. The film's theme song is "Love & Roll" by Supercell, and was released on August 12, 2009 on Supercell's debut single
along with an instrumental track featured in the trailer for Cencoroll called "Theme of 'Cencoroll'".
on July 28, 2009 and was subtitled in English. The film was released to a small number of theaters in Tokyo
and Osaka
, Japan on August 22, 2009. Cencoroll made its debut in the United States at the New York Anime Festival
on September 25, 2009 and was subtitled in English. A 90-second trailer was available at Tokyo International Anime Fair in March 2009, and three television commercials were released between July and August 2009. A DVD of the film in limited and regular editions was released by Aniplex on October 28, 2009.
(ANN) praised Cencorolls "visual inventiveness", stating that it had "a raw and immediate feel." Sevakis' review was strongly positive, describing Cencoroll as defying "any and all expectations of both medium and genre." Cencoroll was awarded the Best Hokkaidō Production Award at the 2009 Sapporo International Short Film Festival and Market. The film was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the thirteenth Japan Media Arts Festival
in 2009.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
nearly singlehandedly written, designed, directed, and animated by manga author
Mangaka
is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
Atsuya Uki. Produced by Anime Innovation Tokyo and Aniplex
Aniplex
, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...
, the film had its world premiere at Canada's Fantasia International Film Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
on July 28, 2009. The film made its Japanese debut on August 22, 2009 in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. Cencoroll made its debut in the United States at the New York Anime Festival
New York Anime Festival
The New York Anime Festival is an anime and manga convention held annually since 2007 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City...
on September 25, 2009. A sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
tentatively titled Cencoroll 2 is in production.
Plot
In Cencoroll, large, mostly white amorphous creatures have been appearing in a town modeled after Sapporo, HokkaidōHokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Japan. (Hiro Shimono
Hiro Shimono
is a Japanese voice actor employed by I'm Enterprise.-TV anime:*30-sai no Hoken Taiiku *Asura Cryin *Baka to Test to Shōkanjū *Baka to Test to Shōkanjū: Ni!...
) is a male high school student who keeps one such shapeshifting
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
creature named , which he can control via telepathy, though wants to keep it a secret. An inquisitive girl named (Kana Hanazawa
Kana Hanazawa
a voice actress represented by Office Osawa talent agency. She is notable for voice acting leading roles for a number of anime television shows and other anime-related media in Japan.-Anime voice roles:Leading roles in bold2003...
) chances upon Cenco at school when it is transformed into a bicycle. After Tetsu arrives to retrieve the bicycle, Yuki inadvertently causes Cenco to transform back into its normally large form by poking it in the eye. Yuki is much more interested in Cenco than Tetsu and accompanies them into town. There, a boy named (Ryōhei Kimura
Ryōhei Kimura
is a Japanese voice actor. He is best known for being the voice of Roche in the Neo Angelique ~Abyss~ series and Akira Takizawa in Eden of the East.-TV Animation:Bold denotes leading roles.2002*Full Moon o Sagashite as Eichi Sakurai2003...
), who controls two of the creatures, confronts Tetsu in order to obtain Cenco. Tetsu manages to fend off Shū's attacks while also protecting Yuki, and they leave while Shū's creature is incapacitated. Shū confronts Yuki later that day and gets her to tell Tetsu to meet and fight Shū again.
The following day, Shū takes Yuki hostage to force Tetsu to come, and places her on a ledge of a tall building. After Tetsu arrives, Shū attacks from afar and manages to cut off one of Cenco's arms. To repair the arm, Cenco removes one of Tetsu's arms, which incapacitates him momentarily. Shū arrives with a much larger creature and Cenco takes Yuki within its body where Tetsu already is. Yuki gets Cenco to change control of it from Tetsu to herself, and after Shū's larger creature eats Cenco along with Yuki, she manages to take control of the larger creature as well. They are subsequently attacked by the military with tanks and missiles, but are protected for the time being when Tetsu changes the creature's shape to that of a massive walnut. Tetsu and Yuki are separated and Shū attempts to take control back from Yuki, but he cannot control the creature anymore and severs the link, effectively killing it. Tetsu makes it back with Cenco to where Yuki and Shū are, and Yuki knocks Shū out with Cenco transformed into a baseball bat. Afterwards, Yuki transforms Cenco into Tetsu's lost arm, which gives him back control of his limb. Shū is later shown having been rescued by his other creature.
Production
Cencoroll is based on a one-shot mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
entitled Amon Game written and illustrated by Atsuya Uki. The manga won the Grand Prix Award in Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
's Afternoon Shiki manga competition in 2005. In 2006, Anime Innovation Tokyo began an initiative to sponsor anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
produced by independent animators and small studios and chose Cencoroll as their first sponsored project. In 2007, Uki created a Cencoroll short film and distributed it over the Internet; due to the praise it received, Uki decided to nearly singlehandedly write, design, direct, and animate a 30-minute Cencoroll film. Cencoroll marked the first time the production company Aniplex
Aniplex
, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...
had agreed to back a project that was animated almost entirely by one person. Originally, the film was given the tentative title Untitle.
Ryo of Supercell
Supercell (band)
Supercell is a Japanese 11-member music group led by composer and lyricist Ryo which formed in 2007 as a dōjin music group. Supercell started out by making use of the Hatsune Miku singing synthesizer to produce vocals for songs submitted to the Nico Nico Douga video sharing website...
produced the film's music. The film's theme song is "Love & Roll" by Supercell, and was released on August 12, 2009 on Supercell's debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
along with an instrumental track featured in the trailer for Cencoroll called "Theme of 'Cencoroll'".
Release
Cencoroll had its world premiere at Canada's Fantasia International Film FestivalFantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
on July 28, 2009 and was subtitled in English. The film was released to a small number of theaters in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan on August 22, 2009. Cencoroll made its debut in the United States at the New York Anime Festival
New York Anime Festival
The New York Anime Festival is an anime and manga convention held annually since 2007 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City...
on September 25, 2009 and was subtitled in English. A 90-second trailer was available at Tokyo International Anime Fair in March 2009, and three television commercials were released between July and August 2009. A DVD of the film in limited and regular editions was released by Aniplex on October 28, 2009.
Reception
Justin Sevakis of Anime News NetworkAnime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
(ANN) praised Cencorolls "visual inventiveness", stating that it had "a raw and immediate feel." Sevakis' review was strongly positive, describing Cencoroll as defying "any and all expectations of both medium and genre." Cencoroll was awarded the Best Hokkaidō Production Award at the 2009 Sapporo International Short Film Festival and Market. The film was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the thirteenth Japan Media Arts Festival
Japan Media Arts Festival
The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. The festival for a nominal year was usually held during February or March next year, rather than at the end of the nominal year. For instance, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival, where...
in 2009.
External links
- Official website
- Cencoroll at Anime Innovation Tokyo