Story
With a girl singing for a singer, and fateful encounter of young people, An impressive story depicting "miracle".
Director / ScreenwriterAKIO NISHIZAWA
Chairman of WAO Corporation
Original Works / Theme songAI KAWASHIMA
Ai Kawashima, a singer-songwriter was called "Angel on the Street".
Based on Ai Kawashima’s note "The Last Words", the story was reconstructed as a youth group drama with the young president and student staff who found her, friendship, love, a single-minded attitude, and passion of the young people - "Symphony in August" expresses these universal themes into a movie work that touches the heart of the viewers.
Ai, the girl came to Tokyo alone when she entered high school to fulfill her promise of becoming a singer with her only family, her mother. She started out as a street musician in Shibuya trying to find her way to become a singer.
One day, the young president and his student staff, were attracted to Ai’s singing voice and impressed by her single-minded attitude, supported Ai through repeating many trial and errors because of his fateful encounter.
Ai decided to "stand the stage of a big music hall in Shibuya". At that time, her mother dreaming of becoming a singer finally fainted due to an illness ...
- "Saigo no Kotoba" ("The Last Words")
- AI KAWASHIMA
Ai Kawashima is an actual singer-songwriter who is very popular among young people in Japan. Director and scenario writer Akio Nishizawa completed impressive animation based on her autobiography "Saigo no Kotoba"("The Last Words").
Staff
Director / ScreenwriterAkio NishizawaChairman of WAO Corporation
Though, he once dreamed of becoming a film director, Akio Nishizawa chose to pursue his career in education. Under his motto: "In order to change today’s Japan, we need to reform the base of the Japanese education system," he developed WAO Corporation into a nationwide general educational service provider.
"NITABOH," the very first movie Nishizawa scripted and directed, has been officially screened in various film festivals all over the world. It has also won the Best Picture Award at the REEL 2 REAL International Film Festival and the Public Award for Best Animated Film at the Asian Film Festival of Lyon. In his second movie "JAPAN, Our Homeland," Nishizawa has created an original story based on his own childhood with some fictional elements.
Executive Producer / Animation DirectorMasahiro Murakami
Masahiro Murakami completed "NITABOH the Shamisen Master" and "JAPAN, Our Homeland" as an Executive Producer. This is his 3rd work collaborating with Akio Nishizawa.
Planning and Web ProducerMasae Nishizawa
Masae Nishizawa has been involved in Akio Nishizawa’s "NITABOH" and "JAPAN, Our Homeland" from planning step. She actively promoted their works lots of film festivals overseas. She also joined as a web producer of each titles.
Technical Director / Animation Director / StoryboardHiroyuki Shimazu
Character Design / General Animation DirectorTatsuo Ryuno
StoryboardHitoyuki Matsui
StoryboardKeiichiro Furuya
Art DirectorTadashi Kudo
CG DirectorShuichi Fujinaka
Music DirectorMakoto Kuriya
Makoto Kuriya is a Jazz Pianist well known in the worldwide. He is invited for the International Music Day to perform of the UNESCO HQ in Paris in October 2004.
Sound DirectorYoku Shioya
Sound EffectShizuo Kurahashi
A mogul of sound effect. He is also involved in fiction films.
Character
Ai
The protagonist of this story. She came alone to Tokyo from Fukuoka when she was just 15 years old. She has a strong dream to be a professional singer, which is also her mother’s. She started hopeful life in Tokyo. However, she was fired by her agency. Nevertheless, she didn’t give up on her dream. She decided to do 1000 times street performances.
●Cast：Misato Fukuen
Ai’s mother
She loves Ai. Ai is her everything. She had a strong dream that Ai would be a singer. So she overworked because her husband had died of. She financially helped Ai’s going to high school in Tokyo in spite of her poor health. She cheers her up over the phone from Fukuoka.●Cast：Keiko Takahashi
President Akiba
He is 35 years old, a young, capable president of a marketing company. On the other hand, he supports a student business seminar and offers a part of his office for the students aiming to be entrepreneurs. He is so unconventional and openhearted that the students respect him. When he speaks passionately, his tone gradually gets rude, but he is mentally romantic and is easily moved to tears.●Cast：Kazuya Takahashi
An old man
He is a homeless who settled down in the suburban park in Tokyo. His face is dark, but his eyes are gentle. Once he had a glorious time, now he is isolated from his family. But he seems to enjoy his present life. He thought there was nothing more precious than success in the business when he had a glorious time. Now he is well aware of something truly precious.●Cast：Gaku Yamamoto
Takeshi Ishida
He is a leader of the student business seminar. A Funny character and full of leadership, he is reliably among the students. On the other hand, he is sometimes careless and a bit ignorant.●Cast：Wataru Takagi
Shoji Seo
He supports Takeshi Ishida as a sub leader of the student seminar. In contrast to Ishida, he is so observant and acts carefully. He always keeps calm even when his friends get high.●Cast：Hiroyuki Yoshino
Fumito Nakai
He is gentle and impressive. He is the only one who is very familiar with the music in the student seminar. Different from other students like Ishida or Seo, his attitude is very polite and his fashion is smart as well. Developing his affable personality, he is in charge of negotiation and persuasion in the Ai’s project to be a singer.●Cast：Takahiro Mizushima
Izumi Umesawa
Izumi Umesawa is an active college student. She is prompt and acts smartly. Her opinions are always precise. So she is also a good advisor to Ai, and looks after her just like her elder sister.●Cast：Hitomi Ando
