Ranked #614

Ojii-san no Lamp

Due to the lack of free time which is supposed to be allotted for my daily serving of anime, I resorted to watching short anime films and such. Of course, I was hoping to find something as magnificent yet light as Tsumiki no Ie. Then I stumbled upon the 4 short anime shows that comprised the 2010 Young Animators' Training Project. As the name of the said endeavor implies, its an on-the-job-training project funded by the Japanese Animation Creators Association to train fresh aspiring animators. Although I found it not as touching, unique and outstanding as Tsumiki no Ie, this anime collection was still worth the watch as each story brought me back to those shows and stories I used to love when I was still a child.

Second of the four anime shorts from this great collection i've watched is Ojisan no Lamp, produced by Telecom Animation Film, the same guys who brought us Mujin Wakusei SURVIVE and the unique bacteria-comedy, Moyashimon. An old-timer, after seeing again his long-lost old floor lamp, tells his grandson a story about a certain lamp peddler who beginning from his childhood, through hard work and perseverance slowly built his business of assembling and selling oil lamps from the city to folks living in the countryside. Simply put, he was greatly inspired at the advancement of technology after seeing wonderful lights of oil lamps in the city when he was still a child and wanted the same for his village by the countryside. Also, he is bothered by having to bear with old technology (e.g. flint), despite the availability of new technology (e.g. matches) that undeniably makes things a lot easier. Although westernization and the advancement of technology in lamps became a reliable friend to him throughout the years, from his childhood until he became a family man, life seemed to have taken a sudden turn and he was thrown off as technology taught him a lesson he learned the hard way.

STORY: 9

This story in particular really makes me wish I still had my grandparents around to tell me such amazing stories taken from their real life experiences. The show totally has great storytelling, the plot and storyline was consistent, despite the timeskips, albeit brief, and the emotions were well portrayed through the characters giving it perfect points for being a touching show in the drama genre. The story's message was also clear and delivered very well and being set in historical Japan, the evident elements of history were pretty accurate also giving the viewers a good show of Japan's cultural history.

ART/ANIMATION: 9

Among the four anime, this show, to me, has the best artwork. Although the backgrounds were quite simple and drawn with just enough detail, the portrayal of the countryside, the city, nature and other sceneries were good and the animation and amount of lighting used on scenes perfectly fits, improves and sets the right mood on each, particularly on the most climactic parts. Character movement was also pretty smooth and particularly, I love how the characters were drawn in this one.

MUSIC: 9

Like what I've mentioned earlier, the music for this anime is certainly spot on, suiting, even improving every scene it plays along to, especially the dramatic ones. Whether it be planting on rice fields, a cultural festival, plodding along a natural road on a summer day, losing heart on disappointments or feelings of desperation, the music certainly gives a perfect feel of the moment. Also, the OP and ED theme that plays along with the story itself are something you can't just ignore.

ENJOYMENT: 9

This one, in my opinion, is definitely the best among the four anime shows in the 2010 YATP. Perfectly lighthearted, yet the ensuing drama is totally spot on. Consistent storyline, Great art and animation, Soothing and absolutely dramatic music, heck, I daresay, it's like watching a Ghibli movie! read more

I read about the "Young Animator Training Project" in which The Agency of Cultural Affairs of Japan invested 214 million yen ($2.26 million) into a while back. I thought i would give Ojii-san no Lamp a tryas it was produced by fresh animators in training along with various other titles. I was eager to see what these amateur animators got to offer to us.
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It was a beautifully well played out story. The story begins with a boy who discovers an odd looking lamp while playing hide-and-seek. The boy asks his Grandfather, Minosuke, what it was which lead to his Grandfather retelling the story of the past; His youth and the introduction of lamps. It follows the life of Minosuke when he was a child back in the days when Lamps were a technological trend in the rural areas of Japan. He sets up a Lamp store, selling Lamps on his travels and as he becomes a young man he marries a beautiful girl. Ojii-san's life have always been with lamps since the day he was a child but what suddenly shatters him is the advancing technology coming into Japan. With a stubborn attitude, he begins to make his move...
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I am jumping for joy when I see the animation. These animators in training did not let the investment of 214 million yen go to waste as they offered great animations, keeping it's consistency throughout the episode. Neat thin lines were used for characters making them appealing and elegant and it goes well with the anime. The art looked simple yet it looks like its has been given depth. The background were beauitfully drawn, drawing the viewers into that particular era of Japan's past.
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The characters were great. They looked great and their personalities are something you'd want to see. It felt that the characters were complete and weren't lacking anything. Their chosen personalities made the characters feel 'human' and realistic. Minosuke is an ordinary farm boy who grew up with Lamps and made a career out of selling them and the audience are able to see the changes happening to him as Japan becomes more westernised with advancing technologies and the effects of his actions on his own family.
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I enjoyed Ojii-san no Lamp a lot. The story was sweet and I seemed to come under the sway of its story. It was a powerful story yet it was a light one. Maybe its because it is a reflection of Japan's past depicted as an anime that's kept close to reality instead of fantasy. Something the viewer can watch light heartedly and something that doesn't need to be given much thought. It almost feels like a real thing and something you may want to experience. Maybe its almost like Clannad (not the intensity of drama though coz clannad would be the dominating one) where it's like a family or the characters are like family. One person is negatively affected and it affects another. Minosuke's feelings towards the old world and the new world is something people
should see. read more