What is the pioneering nature of “All About Lily Chou-Chou” that continues to create new trends?

Shunji Iwai's classic image took root in the 1990s

At the time of its release, I was deeply moved by this film and selected it as one of the best films of the year. I have always believed that this is an exceptional masterpiece by Shunji Iwai. However, this opinion was in the minority, and I remember that there were surprisingly mixed opinions. At least among movie fans in their late 30s and above, when they think of something ``Shunji Iwai'', they probably don't think of the hardcore and fierce style of this film.

So, what is the main feature of Shunji Iwai's style? It was broadcast as a TV drama (CX series) in 1993, and a reconstructed theatrical version was released in 1995 as the legendary masterpiece " Fireworks, Do You See It From Below?" do you see it from the side? It is probably a fusion of a bittersweet youthful image and a stylish visual sensibility, which originated in ``''. `` Love Letter '' (1995), which uniquely refined the sensibility and folky lyricism that was described as shojo manga, with brilliant technique, swept all over Asia as a synonymous work of Iwai World, and became one of the four Tsukimonogatari '' (1998) is also an extension of this. Furthermore, his stylish visual sense was perfected in `` Swallowtail Butterfly '' (1996), which developed a stateless style Asian fantasy, and the song by YEN TOWN BAND, the band in the movie starring CHARA, also attracted attention. , which became a major hit with a distribution of 600 million yen.

``Would you like to see the fireworks from below? do you see it from the side? ” Preview

In the 1990s, Shunji Iwai was at the top of the list of popular young filmmakers, along with America's Quentin Tarantino and Hong Kong's Wong Kar-wai, who were admired by movie buffs and culture buffs at the time. For example, Hitoshi Daikon (born 1968) appeared in the second episode of the TV drama version of " Moteki " (2010/TV Tokyo), titled "Late-night Expressway - Should I Ride Above or Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?'' by copying the entire format and technique, it was written by Hitoshi Ohne, produced by Genki Kawamura (born in 1979), directed by Nobuyuki Takeuchi (born in 1967), and general director Akiyuki Shinbo (born in 1961). This led to the animation remake (2017) with the lineup of ``Birthday''.

Even among his works from the 1990s onwards, I think his works such as `` Flowers and Alice '' (2004) were welcomed by fans as the classic ``Shunji Iwai'' style. What the above works have in common can be said to be Shunji Iwai's Sunny Side - a sense of happiness in the ``miniature garden'' world that is a pure cultivation of sweet and sour storytelling and a sophisticated visual sense.