" Paris ni Saku Etoile " is an original animated feature film directed by Goro Taniguchi , known for the anime series " Code Geass " and "One Piece Film Red." Set in Paris in the early 20th century, the film depicts two Japanese girls who refuse to give up and reach for the stars (Etoile) in the midst of difficult times. Director Taniguchi has provided a commentary, talking about the process of production.
The project began with Director Taniguchi's desire to "create a work with a different direction from works with boys as the protagonists." At the beginning of the project, while he envisioned a story with a female protagonist, Director Taniguchi struggled to "feel grounded." So he asked screenwriter Reiko Yoshida , known for works such as "K-ON!" and " Violet Evergarden ," to join the project.
Director Taniguchi recalls, "Yoshida-san was free to add his ideas about what he thought were 'wonderful' and what he liked, and the content solidified as we continued to communicate." Apparently, the idea of setting part of the story in Paris was there from the beginning, but as they continued to discuss, the story was set in Belle Epoque Paris, an era when art and culture were at their most brilliant, and the characters of two girls, Fujiko, who dreams of becoming a painter, and Chizuru, who is fascinated by ballet, emerged.
Kondo Katsuya, who has worked on character design and key animation for Studio Ghibli films such as " Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea," is in charge of the original character designs for this film, teaming up with director Taniguchi for the first time. Director Taniguchi said, "Kondo's designs are truly classic. Recent anime tends to be full of curveballs and excessive decoration, but Kondo's designs are simple yet convey the presence of the characters." It is this strength of being "classic" that so deeply overlaps with the image of young girls reaching for their dreams despite being tossed about by the times.
"Kondo-san was also interested in the project, and not only did he create the designs, but he also drew the original drawings for the opening scene and the scene with the fairy that appears to represent Fujiko's inner thoughts, which resulted in some very memorable scenes," said Director Taniguchi, revealing his trust in his expressive abilities. "Paris ni Saku Etoile" is said to be a "straightforward story" written by Director Taniguchi, Kondo-san, and Yoshida-san, creators who have been active at the forefront for many years.
The film stars actress Ami Touma as the main character Fujiko, Rina Arashi as Chizuru, and Taichi Saotome as Ruslan, a young Russian man who lives in the same apartment as Fujiko. The film is scheduled to be released on March 13th.
