S1.E12 ∙ The Dying Swan

The rare anime biography of Princess Diana from her birth to her early teen years.

These are a collection of animated shorts based on Shigeru Mizuki's illustrations. Each short focuses on a Yokai, a type of Japanese spirit. The shorts range in length from about one to four minutes. They have been categorized based on what order they appear in, and what Yokai is being discussed. Episodes 1 and 15 do not focus on a Yokai, and instead features dialogue and an appearance from Shigeru Mizuki himself.

For years, 14-year-old Masaki Hinaoka showed no interest in surfing, despite it being his best friend Nalu Tanaka's favorite pastime. But his mind changes in the blink of an eye when he encounters a blond boy surfing at sunrise. He finds the boy beautiful and graceful, awakening unfamiliar feelings that draw him toward the surfboard and ride the waves himself. The newcomer, Shou Akitsuki, gladly helps Masaki experience his first surfboarding feats. Although he cannot swim, Masaki exceeds his friends' expectations and shows incredible capability early on. This earns him a spot in a local competition, where he gets the chance to befriend other skilled surfers with unique styles and personalities, fueling his drive to improve. When a sudden tragedy strikes, however, all seems hopeless-but with the help of his newfound friends, Masaki continues to strive for success and to conquer the wildest of waves.

This work "Kikumana" is an animation of a girl called Kikumana who acts like in a stage performance, the role defeated by such an ill circumstance though she tries to find herself. The primal aim is to get the audience feeling a strange atmosphere spread from this work. The image has a pictorial atmosphere and a documentary touch at the same time. Unrealistic phenomena take place there.