Singapore Has Never Looked Better Than In This Anime
And you won't believe what the short film is for. By Marc Koo
Photo: Youtube
Your Name Anime TEL
You don’t need to be an otaku to watch anime, you just need to take the train. Japanese construction company Taisei Corporation commissioned acclaimed 'Your Name' director Makoto Shinkai to direct and produce this short animated film for the construction of the Thompson-East Coast Line (TEL), in conjunction with their work on the Marina Bay station. The protagonist of the film, a Japanese engineer, is voiced by Masami Nagasawa, who played Miki Okudera in 'Your Name'.
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Photo: Youtube
Your Name Anime TEL
The 30-second film was published on 6 May, and revolves around Ayano, an engineer from Japan. We follow her work on the TEL project in Singapore and get glimpses of the Singapore skyline, the iconic Marina Bay Sands and the familiar banners hung on construction barricades.
We should already be familiar with the company; Taisei Corporation was also behind other MRT stations such as Marymount and Botanic Gardens on the Circle line, and Downtown on the Downtown Line. The Marina Bay station will be an interchange connecting the TEL, North-South Line and Circle line.
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Photo: Youtube
Your Name Anime TEL
This is not the first of its kind, however; Taisei Corporation has commissioned several other advertisements for their construction projects both in and outside of Japan. In each film we get a sense of the protagonist’s thoughts and their conviction to do their job well, setting the stage for the hero behind the wall.
Even if you don’t speak Japanese, the film is set to wow you with the (animated) Singaporean view. Can you recognise some of the other landmarks Makoto placed in the film?
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Watch the full commercial below: