Nina Ai
Self
Anime Supernova (2017)
Season 4
Meet the real stars of Japanese animation. From crayons to CGI, discover the techniques and inspirations of some of Japan's most amazing animators.
Released April 8, 2017
Episode 16 min
None+
Genres: Documentary
Keywords: tmdb.behind-the-scenes, tmdb.anime
Production Companies: NHK, NHK Enterprises
Network: NHK WORLD-JAPAN
S4E1 - Drawing Emotions That Words Cannot Explain
Yoshiki Imazu is an upcoming artist who creates music videos for popular musicians, and advertising. We look into the artistry of Imazu who expresses both the emptiness and comfort in everyday life through his animation, while explaining such uncertainties without the need for words.
Jan. 6, 2020, midnight
S4E2 - Watch Seiji O'Hara's "THE ANCESTOR" & "AYESHA" in Full!
Acclaimed animator Seiji O'Hara is known for telling cynical stories that have a glimmer of hope. O'Hara's works deal with the dark, complicated and universal themes of life people all around the world deal with. In this special episode, we will be broadcasting the full versions of O'Hara's "THE ANCESTOR" and "AYESHA."
Feb. 18, 2020, midnight
S4E3 - A Married Couple's Household Animations
Based in Kyoto Prefecture, moogabooga is a creative unit made up of married couple Makoto and Ayako Takano. Behind their theme "find creativity in everyday life," the duo has become masters at creating stop-motion animations with household items. Join us as we learn about moogabooga's creativity and how they add handmade warmth to their animations.
March 17, 2020, midnight
S4E4 - Drawing the Light of Life by Hand
Based in Osaka Prefecture, Sukikara Makiko creates humanistic stories with animals as the main characters. Join us and find out the secret behind the critically acclaimed creator's creativity.
April 17, 2020, midnight
S4E5 - Creating a Story from a Lyric
With over 50 music videos on his resume, Sugimoto Kosuke has been able to combine audio and visuals in ways not many others can. Join us and find out the secret behind his creativity and ability to create a story with just lyrics and music.
May 22, 2020, midnight
S4E6 - Expanding One's World Through the Internet
Inaba Hideki is a filmmaker, art director and animator with a unique style filled with swirling, colorful shapes. Although he can't speak any English, he collaborates with foreign artists using AI translation services. In this episode, we find out what drives Inaba's creativity as he uses the internet to expand his visual horizons.
July 17, 2020, midnight
S4E7 - Watch Tsukahara Shigeyoshi's "Joseito (Schoolgirl)" & "The Man Traveling with a Picture in Relief" in Full!
Tsukahara Shigeyoshi is a critically-acclaimed creator who has won multiple awards, both in Japan and abroad. His stories take place in the downtown Tokyo suburbs and feature a unique, retro-futuristic animation style. Animation fans around the globe have lauded the detailed cityscapes and steampunk-scenery he puts together. In this special episode, we're broadcasting "Joseito (Schoolgirl)" and "The Man Traveling with a Picture in Relief," 2 of Tsukahara's popular works, complete with English voices.
Aug. 29, 2020, midnight
S4E8 - Portraying Ethnic Lore Through Animation
A creator from Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan who specializes in rhythmical animation with illustrations and figures that move to music. He was commissioned by the Foundation for Ainu Culture to create an animation about the Ainu. The purpose of the foundation is to preserve the stories and myths passed down orally by the non-literate Ainu through music, language and animation. This episode explores the appeal of Ishiguro's portrayal of the Ainu culture, which has slowly been disappearing year by year.
Sept. 19, 2020, midnight
S4E9 - A Stop-Motion Fantasy Full of Nature
Yashiro Takeshi mainly works as a director on live-action commercials. At 43, he began working on original stop-motion animated works. In addition to writing and directing, he also works with art, animation, puppet-modeling and more. He's a nature-loving Akita Prefecture-born creator who currently lives in Karuizawa. He aims to create textured visuals unique only to stop-motion animation.
Oct. 24, 2020, midnight
S4E10 - A Student Creator With a Bright Future
The up-and-coming creator has made the cover art for various novels, created music videos, and put together image boards for animated shows, all while attending university. Okada has gained the attention of international animation fans because of the detailed, beautiful worlds he creates and his ability to tell a story in every single cut. Watch and find out why the animation world has high expectations for this young 20-something creator.
Nov. 21, 2020, midnight
S4E11 - Aiming for an Academy Award! A Creator Taking on Unprecedented Challenges
Coming from a live-action film background, Iwaisawa is almost entirely self-taught in animation production. He continues to move up in the animation world and separate himself from other animators through self-developed techniques. Iwaisawa specializes in rotoscope, an animation technique that is based on tracing over live-action footage. The painstaking work leads to highly detailed images that come to life in ways not seen in traditional animation. We will introduce you to the one-of-a-kind, internationally-acclaimed world of Iwaisawa Kenji.
Dec. 19, 2020, midnight
NHK WORLD-JAPAN
16 min/ep
1158 min
April 8, 2017
March 18, 2023, midnight
Returning Series
NR
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