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Sing a Bit of Harmony

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Sing a Bit of Harmony
Theatrical release poster
Japanese name
Kanjiアイの歌声を聴かせて
Transcriptions
Revised HepburnAi no Utagoe o Kikasete
Directed byYasuhiro Yoshiura
Screenplay by
Story byYasuhiro Yoshiura
Starring
Music byRyo Takahashi
Production
company
Distributed byShochiku
Release date
  • October 29, 2021 (2021-10-29)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Sing a Bit of Harmony (Japanese: アイの歌声を聴かせて, Hepburn: Ai no Utagoe o Kikasete, lit. 'Let Me Hear Ai's Singing Voice') is a 2021 Japanese animated slice of life science fiction[1] film, produced by J.C.Staff and directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura. It premiered in Japan in October 2021.

Plot

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The film takes place in a unspecified near future in a small Japanese town, which the technology company Hoshima uses as test site for multiple AI controlled systems and robot. The story follows high school student Satomi Amano, who lives with her mother, Mitsuko Amano, a Hoshima-employed AI specialist.

After a past incident, Satomi is isolated at school, shunned by her classmates, and estranged from her childhood friend, Tо̄ma Suzaki. Her mother is preparing a secret test of a newly developed AI system, which is supposed to be indistinguishable from humans. In this test, the AI is to spend a few days in Satomi's class in a realistic looking robotic body as exchange student Shion Ashimori. Shortly after having been introduced to the class, Shion surprises everyone by recognising Satomi, asking her whether she is happy, and breaking into song.

In the following days, Shion is bent on making Satomi happy. She helps Satomi find friends, helps these friends with their own problems, and goes on to fix Satomi's relationship to Tōma, all with the power of song. Meanwhile, it becomes clear that someone mysteriously manipulates the recordings of the school's security system and Shion's telemetry results to hide Shion's unconventional behavior from Hoshima.

When the company eventually gets wind of this, Shion is violently taken in and prepared for deletion, and all the devices containing footage and memories of Shion are seized. Following the discovery that Shion is a modified AI gifted to Satomi by Tо̄ma when they were children, Satomi, Mitsuko, and her friends decide to rescue her, and break in to Hoshima. They are confronted by Hoshima's security, but Satomi and her friends take Shion to the roof of the building, where Tо̄ma links Shion to the building's antenna. Shion uploads herself to a satellite. Encouraged by Shion, who is watching over Satomi from orbit, Satomi and Tо̄ma reconcile.

Characters

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Shion Ashimori (芦森 詩音, Ashimori Shion) / Shion (シオン)
Voiced by: Tao Tsuchiya[2] (Japanese); Megan Shipman[3] (English)
Satomi Amano (天野 聡美, Amano Satomi) / Satomi (サトミ)
Voiced by: Haruka Fukuhara[2] (Japanese); Risa Mei[3] (English)
Tо̄ma Suzaki (素崎 十真, Suzaki Tо̄ma) / Tо̄ma (トウマ)
Voiced by: Asuka Kudo[2] (Japanese); Jordan Dash Cruz[3] (English)
Sadayuki Gotō (後藤 定行, Gotō Sadayuki) / Gotchan (ゴッちゃん)
Voiced by: Kazuyuki Okitsu[2] (Japanese); Ian Sinclair[3] (English)
Aya Satō (佐藤 綾, Satō Aya) / Aya (アヤ)
Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu[2] (Japanese); Alexis Tipton[3] (English)
Koichiro Sugiyama (杉山 絋一郎, Sugiyama Kōichirō) / Thunder (サンダー, Sandā)
Voiced by: Satoshi Hino[2] (Japanese); Kamen Casey[3] (English)
Mitsuko Amano (天野 美津子)
Voiced by: Sayaka Ohara[4] (Japanese); Laila Berzins[3] (English)
Nomiyama (野見山)
Voiced by: Kenji Hamada[4] (Japanese); Richard L. Olsen[3] (English)
Saijō (西城)
Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda[4] (Japanese); David Wald[3] (English)

Production

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Sing a Bit of Harmony was announced by Funimation, as a co-production with J.C.Staff, on September 10, 2020.[5] The film was directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura. Yoshiura and Ichirō Ōkouchi co-wrote the script, Kanna Kii drew the original character designs, Shuichi Shimamura designed the characters for animation and is also the chief supervising animator, and Hidekazu Shimamura served as supervising animator.[5][6] Ryo Takahashi composed the music and Yohei Matsui wrote the songs.[6] On April 6, 2021, Funimation posted a trailer for the film.[6]

Release

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Sing a Bit of Harmony premiered in Japan on October 29, 2021.[4] The film had its international premiere on October 2, 2021, at the Scotland Loves Animation film festival, held at the Glasgow Film Theatre.[7] Funimation screened the film, in both subbed and dubbed formats, in the United States and Canada on January 23, 25, and 26; in Australia and New Zealand starting on January 27; in the United Kingdom and Ireland starting on January 28.[8][9][10]

Manga adaptation

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A manga adaptation, illustrated by Megumu Maeda, was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon from June 24, 2021,[11][12] to July 25, 2022.[13][14] Its first tankōbon volume was released on October 21, 2021.[15]

Reception

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In October 2021, Sing a Bit of Harmony won the Audience Award at the Scotland Loves Animation film festival.[16] It is also won the Best Animation Film Award at the New York City Film & Television Festival 2021,[17] entered finalist of New York Animation Film Awards 2021 Best Animation Feature Film.[18] In Japan, it is also nominated for the Excellent Animation of the Year in Japan Academy Film Prize 2022. [19]

References

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  1. ^ Davis, Victoria (January 21, 2022). "'Sing a Bit of Harmony': The Rise of Music in Anime". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Mateo, Alex (April 6, 2021). "Funimation, J.C. Staff's Sing a Bit of Harmony Original Anime Film Unveils Trailer, Cast, Staff". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mateo, Alex (December 14, 2021). "Sing a Bit of Harmony Film's English Dub Cast, January Release Date Briefly Listed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 14, 2021). "Sing a Bit of Harmony Anime's Trailer Reveals More Cast, October 29 Opening". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 10, 2020). "Funimation, J.C. Staff Co-produce Sing a Bit of Harmony Original Anime Film". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Funimation Co-Production 'Sing a Bit of Harmony' Reveals Latest Trailer, First Cast Info". Funimation via Anime News Network. April 7, 2021. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  7. ^ Osmond, Andrew (August 25, 2021). "Scotland Loves Anime Glasgow Line-Up Confirmed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  8. ^ Dempsey, Liam (December 14, 2021). "Sing a Bit of Harmony Reveals English Dub Cast and Release Date". Funimation. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  9. ^ Mateo, Alex (December 14, 2021). "Funimation Announces Sing a Bit of Harmony Film's English Dub Cast, January Release Date (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  10. ^ Osmond, Andrew (January 24, 2022). "Sing a Bit of Harmony Opens in U.K. and Ireland Cinemas on Friday". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  11. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 24, 2021). "Funimation, J.C. Staff's Sing a Bit of Harmony Anime Film Gets Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  12. ^ 医療ソーシャルワーカー描く新連載＆「アイの歌声を聴かせて」マンガ版がアフタで. Comic Nalalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 24, 2021. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  13. ^ Yoshiura, Yasuhiro [@yoshiura_rikka] (July 21, 2022). アフタヌーン9月号にて漫画版『#アイの歌声を聴かせて』ついに完結！前田めぐむさん、素晴らしいコミカライズをありがとうございました！ (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved September 10, 2022 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ アフタヌーン 2022年9月号. Monthly Afternoon (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  15. ^ ポンコツなAIが織りなすハートフルストーリー「アイの歌声を聴かせて」マンガ版1巻. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. October 21, 2021. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  16. ^ Hazra, Adriana (October 31, 2021). "Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, Sing a Bit of Harmony Anime Films Win Scotland Loves Anime Festival Awards". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  17. ^ "Funimation Co-Production "Sing a Bit of Harmony" Reveals Newest Trailer". Anime News Network. September 11, 2021. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  18. ^ "sing-a-bit-of-harmony Nominations and Awards". Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd. 2022. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  19. ^ "Belle, Evangelion 3.0+1.0, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Nikuko, Sing a Bit of Harmony, More Nominated for 45th Japan Academy Film Prizes". Anime News Network. January 18, 2022. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
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