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MAPPA, Contrail Animate Short About Japan's 'Young Carers'
posted on by Joanna Cayanan
Sibling animation studios YouTube channel of Tokyo's Nakano Ward on Wednesday.
The animated short centers on the theme of "young carers" and "connections with others." The story is about Yūma, an elementary student who learns about "young carers" through his friend Kenta, who takes care of his family and their household.
Japanese law defines a "young carer" as a child or a young person who is recognized as excessively caring for family or other aspects of the family's daily life. Being "young carers," it becomes a social problem for the children, affecting their school life and making it difficult to have time for themselves for play and leisure activities.
The animated short project is part of the Cabinet Office's local Loneliness and Isolation Countermeasures Public-Private Partnership Platform Promotion Project, in which Nakano Ward in Tokyo was selected as a model organization for the project in 2024.
MAPPA and Contrail produced the short with the hope that it will encourage people to talk to someone about their own situation.
The animated short's cast are:
- Hana Satō as Yūma
- Natsue Sasamoto as Kenta
- Yuki Ōminami as Yūma's mother
- Fū Hirohara as Yūma's big sister
The Nakano Ward Community Promotion Department and Saki Oshitani composed the music.
Additional staff includes:
- Characted Design Assistance/Original Illustrations: Dokan
- Animation Checker: Mutsuko Kajigaya
- Art Setting/Art Board/Background Art: Kumi Dobashi
- Color Design/Color Key/Checking: Ayaka Itakura
- Compositing Director of Photography/Cinematography: Rio Konishi
- Editing: Shunya Takarakura
- Sound Production: dugout
- Animation Prducer: Ayako Sekine
An exhibition of the animated short will be held at the Nakano Higashi Library from April 26 to June 26. The short's storyboards and character designs will be displayed at the exhibition.
Source: Press release
