Morganatic Love: Ballad - Namonaki Koi no Uta

Ballad

Its story is here: Shinichi is a elemntary school boy and somhow cowardly or shy. One day he found an old box with a very ancient writing at an undergroud near a big tree. Strangely enough, its signature was Shinichi himself. Then he felt dizzy and time-traveled in 1574 as the Sengoku era. Shinichi met a samurai named Matabei Ijiri and helped his life. Mtabei is knon as a strong samurai of the Kasuga State and has called "Damon Ijiri" as his nickname. Matabei has another face as fancing the Kasuga Princess named Ren secretly. Ren also fancies him but, in that era, is not allowed to marry the subjects. It is a moganatic love.

On the other hand, Shinichi's parents also found the old letter when Shinic was missing. They prayed his safe at the big tree and timeslipped, too. Shinichi and his parents celebrated their reunionaget, but became involved in a battle between the Kasuga State and its neigbor and regional power, Oukurai State. It was happened because Ren's father rejected the Oukurai load Takatora's request to approve the wedding between Takatora and Ren. Can Shinichi and his parents help and survive Matabei and Ren's life and unforgivable love at the battle?

I found its trailor on YouTube. Though it is without English subtitle, you can feel its cercumstance. 

Shinichi and his Parents

The one of its charming points is a reaction of disbelief that Sengoku era's people MEETS modern gadgets such as automobile, cell-phone, video, or camera which Shinichi and his parents carry on. Some of scenes are really funny but some of them are moved to tears. For instance, at the night before the climactic fight, Shinici's father Akira took photographs of Matabei and other samurais. They might be died at the battle, but thier photos provide enduring memories for their families. It tells us that taking good care of family or partner or children is same at all among once, now and forever.

Yui Aragaki as Ren

Ren is acted by Yui Aragaki. She is a Japanese idol, model, actress, and singer, whom I also pick up as singer of my favorite song "Chiisana Koi no Uta (Small Love Song)" on the past blog. 

The director is Takashi Yamazaki.He is one of the most-watched director in Japan . In 2006 he won the Best Director and Best Screenplay prizes at the Japanese Academy Awards for "Always - Sanchome no Yuhi". Yamazaki is now in the process of production of the third movie in the "Always" series.

Yamazaki filmmade "Ballad" as remaking a great anime movie. I guess many people know the original anime better than "Ballad". The original is one of the "Crayon Shin-Chan" movie series: "Crayon Shin-Chan -  The Storm Called The Battle of the Warring States".

Crayon Shin-Chan

I know that "Crayon Shin-Chan" is typical kiddie anime and agree with a general thought. However there are two exceptions in the movie series. One is "The Strom Called The Battle of the Warring States" and the other is the previous anime, "The Storm Called The Adult Empire Strikes Back". As everyone know well, "Crayon Shin-Chan" is gag and somehow dirty and makes us laugh, but strangely, I couldn't stop crying when I watched both animes. Yamazaki says that he moved watching "The Storm Called The Battle of the Warring States" and decided to remake it when he got oppotunity to make samurai movie.

Both of them, by the way, were directed by Keiichi Hara, who directed a smash-hit anime movie "Colorful" last year, which I also pick up earlier on this blog. If you have a chance to watch them - two "Crayon Shin-Chan" series and "Colorful", I storongly recommend you do it.