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Makoto Shinkai Expands 2014 Construction Anime Ad for Sukima Switch MV
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Acclaimed director Makoto Shinkai (your name., The Garden of Words) took a break from long-form film-making to collaborate with the band Sukima Switch on their newest music video. The song is titled "Mr. Kite" and focuses on the lives of two teens and their transition into the working world of adulthood.
Viewers might notice that there's an overarching theme highlighting Japanese construction workers. The music video isn't solely to promote Sukima Switch's new album. It's also a collaboration with Japan's Taisei Corporation, a business focused on civil engineering, real estate development, and construction. A 30-second version of the video cuts the music entirely for a voice over by one of the commercial's characters.
The longer version of the ad combines previously animated footage from a 30-second ad for Taisei that Shinkai produced in 2014. That ad focused solely on the male character seen in the above music video. He goes on to join Taisei Corporation and works as an engineer on the Noi Bai International Airport serving the capital of Vietnam.
The ad's new portion highlights construction on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) train line in Singapore. The ad includes a gorgeous view of the area's Marina Bay skyline.
Shinkai has previously produced anime shorts for commercial purposes. This ad is Shinkai's third for the Taisei Corporation. Before he produced the previously mentioned 30-second ad for Taisei in 2014, he also made an ad highlighting the Bosporus Strait Tunnel that Taisei was building in Turkey! in 2011. His "Cross Road," short film was produced for correspondence education service Z-Kai in 2014. Shinkai also made the anime short 'Dareka no Manazashi' (Someone's Gaze) for the Nomura Real Estate Group.
Musical duo Sukima Switch has provided theme songs for several anime, including Silver Spoon, Space Brothers, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Haikyu!! Their Mr. Kite single went on sale in September followed by their new album Shin Kūkan Algorithm in March.
Paramount Pictures and J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions are producing a live-action Hollywood adaptation of Makoto Shinkai's your name. (Kimi no Na wa.) anime film.
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