Guest
Two years after the tragedy at Kyoto Animation Studio 1, we wanted to commemorate one of our favorite directors and screenplay writers, the late Yasuhiro Takemoto. Among many great works such as Lucky Star, Hyouka, and Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Takemoto directed, alongside Tatsuya Ishihara, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. He also wrote the script for six of the eight infamous Endless 8 episodes, particularly the ones that repeat with only minor variations. We could think of no better way to commemorate Takemoto than to juxtapose his most successful work as a director, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, with his most controversial work as a screenplay writer and lead director, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya's Endless 8 arc. In doing so, we aim not to diminish the latter beside the former, but to show the importance in Endless 8. It is through Endless 8 that we are made to understand what drives Nagato's feelings into making her take the actions she takes later on in Disappearance. Without this context, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, arguably one of the greatest masterpieces in anime film history, would lose some of its emotional value. It is in watching Nagato's descent into loneliness and sorrow that we come to empathize with her behavior in Disappearance. This arc is what solidifies Nagato's human transformation -- her metamorphosis from emotionless alien android to someone with all the worries and pangs of a human girl. Furthermore, we aim to highlight the artistic beauty of Endless 8. Although to a passive viewing audience, seeing the same story told eight times can be reasonably frustrating, Endless 8 is itself a case study in the importance of details in film. It shows that every painstakingly chosen aspect of a film is important. Mise en scene, color palette, shooting angle, framing, voice line delivery, diegetic and nondiegetic music, and a myriad of other factors all contribute to setting the tone of a film. And in doing so, the same story can be told in countless different ways despite having a single script. This highlights the beauty and limitless potential of film as an artform. Were it not for our educational-system's western-centric bias, our film schools might regularly study Endless 8 as part of their curriculum. And while it did not fare well in popular reception, Endless 8 is perfectly in line with what we would expect from Kyoto Animation -- a studio known for putting their passion for the artform above superficial things like sales and rushed mass-production (something which plagues many other larger top-tier studios). Every detail in Endless 8 was chosen to create a unique experience in each episode and today we recognize the effort and love and craftsmanship that went into making this exceptional work of art. Today we remember Yasuhiro Takemoto and all the great people who put forth their effort to make this masterpiece. Today, we say, “Endless 8 matters, and this is why it matters; the work you did matters and is worth remembering.“ To quote the great words of Nagaru Tanigawa: “I won’t forget you. I won’t forget what you did. “If you agree with these statements, read the subject as plural. Feel free to rewrite them as you please. “My memories are tiny things. Other people have far more memories than I do. Those memories belong to them. “I intend to treasure the modest memories that remain with me. “Thank you so much.“ Please enjoy our film, Remnants of an Endless Summer: Part VIII.
