Here are some more visual research and references for my attempt to make this animation more historically accurate in terms of setting and fashion:
Trains
By the end of World War II, the railways throughout Japan were severely destroyed, it was over the next few years that they began the electrification of their new railway lines. It was particularly difficult finding references of train models that were used or built in an exact year, though one can safely assume that these few models should have been used from the late 1930s to 1940s (Still not entirely sure if they frequently updated their models during that period like they do today), I also feel that it is safe to refer back to the train scene in "Grave of the Fireflies" (And even "Spirited Away) when comparing the models.
Lifestyle
I decided to at least get a rough idea of the family lifestyles in Japan during that period, and see which one bears the closest similarity to that of Totto-Chan's own lifestyle. Never was it ever mentioned that she and her family would ever stick to their more traditional roots, though I am most certain that they were of the middle class (Things only truly went downhill for them once the war officially commenced, and even then she and her family were one of the few fortunate people to evacuate to safer place by the end of the book).
Music
For the band of eccentric musicians that are only briefly mentioned at the very beginning of the book (I still find them to be a great highlight to Totto-Chan's ever excitable and fun nature), I decided to simply mix together various references I got of traditional japanese musicians throughout the decade before, even going all the way back to the feudal period. I especially had to find instruments that were portable enough to be carried around by traveling musicians (Such as Shamisen, Tambourines, Bankos and Flutes), and so Taiko drums are out of the question.
While it was said that the genre Ryukoka was a genre that referred to popular music from the late 1920s to early 1960s, with some of the roots developed from Western classical music, ultimately it was split into two genres: Enka (That became popular from 1950s onwards) and Poppusu.
In terms of their attire, it is not much later that musicians would drab themselves in more modern clothing, and a way more traditional attire (With perhaps a few minor alterations in terms of colors and accessories) seems more suiting, especially when studying various references, while Totto-Chan and other average citizens have begun to dress in slightly more westernized clothing, these musicians will be able to give off a more ethnic feel to that time period (Especially since many at the time still tend to dress in kimonos be it during casual or formal events).
I decided to look more into this aspect when it came to designing Totto-Chan's mother, the fashion at the time aside from their more traditional attire did not seem too different to that of the westerners in the 30s and 40s, though perhaps their coats and suits were a little less decorated and more conventional (Which probably makes things easier for me, simpler is always better after all when animating).
No comments:
Post a Comment