KyoAni proves they’re still one of the best with these breathtaking beautiful commercials.

Commercials in Japan may have a reputation worldwide for being… unique, and with commercials like this one for an English school, we can’t deny Japan has its odd share of odd adverts. But recently, companies have been leaning more towards heartwarming ways to advertise their wares, and the latest commercials from Japanese animation and video game company Kyoto Animation will really tug at your heartstrings.

The first of the two commercials is called Meiji and features a young couple going about their daily lives, presumably in the Meiji period (1868-1912). The girl opens a book titled Denki Mokuroku (the name of a series produced by Kyoto Animation) and are immediately transported to the future, with buildings and technology springing up out of the ground. The final slogan ‘Kandou wo mirai he‘ (‘Extending our emotions towards the future’) is also the slogan for the upcoming KyoAni Music Festival taking place this November.

The second video is titled Imagination and shows the tale of another young couple, and what animation means to them. It starts with a young girl lying on the floor, surrounded by jewellery as her mother steps over her. A voiceover is heard, “I used to play make-believe a lot.” The young girl closes her eyes.

The scene switches to a ninja running along the rooftops, and a young boy is watching him from his car window. “When I was young, I used to love daydreaming,” the boy says in a voiceover.

The scene changes once more to a modern day setting. Someone drops a glove, and the young boy, now grown up, runs to pick it up. “No, even now, I guess I still love daydreaming!”

The boy instantly transforms into the ninja of his childhood dreams, and as leaves swirl around him, he leaps from a building to hand the girl back her glove, which has been transformed into a scroll.

As the scene transports us back to reality, the boy hands the girl her glove with a smile. “And moving forward, I’m sure….” he says in a voiceover. “I’m sure,” the girl adds, before saying in unison, “our love of imagination will continue on!”

▼ See the full commercial here

Both commercials are overflowing with themes of hope and joy, which is especially touching coming from a company that has been struck with such tragedy as Kyoto Animation has been. In fact, the two in-house commercials are the first of their kind since since the horrific arson attack two years ago, and Japanese fans were overjoyed to see KyoAni back to doing what they’re best at.

“You really came back with a bang, KyoAni!”
“I was crying before I even realised.”
“It’s amazing how much emotion you can convey in just 30 seconds. I felt so much positivity from this.”
“As expected, the quality is just beautiful.”
“As long as there are people with the power of imagination like [the pairs] in the commercials, Kyoto Animation will live on forever.”
“In just 30 seconds, Kyoto Animation are showing us how much the world is worth living in. All of the anger, sadness, hopes and dreams I feel — they all fuel my power to live.”
“Welcome back, KyoAni.”

Slowly losing our imagination may be one of the saddest things about growing up, so once in a while, why not lose yourself to a daydream and let your imagination take you somewhere exciting? Sure, you might not be a ninja racing along the rooftops, or a princess dancing in the clouds, but never underestimate the power of your imagination. It might even turn into something beautiful.

Source: YouTube/KyoaniChannel via Nijimen
Top image: YouTube/KyoaniChannel
Insert images: YouTube/KyoAniChannel (1, 2)
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