In the course of the Fall 2014 anime season, Kyoto Animation launched Amagi Good Park, an adaptation of Shouji Gatou’s mild novel of the identical title. Regardless of operating for less than a single 13-episode season, Amagi Good Park has remained a fan favourite amongst anime fans because of its memorable characters, Kyoto Animation’s signature visible prowess, and powerful comedic parts. Eager-eyed observers would possibly discover distinguished references to Mr. Gatou’s different title, Full Metallic Panic!. Nonetheless, is that the one call-back throughout the collection?
To summarize, Amagi Good Park tells the story of the titular amusement park, as soon as a well-liked vacationer attraction, going through monetary break. With poor attendance numbers and after years of poor administration, the ability – which is definitely an elaborate entrance for the residents of the magical Maple Land to reap “enjoyable power” – is weeks away from closing its doorways. To save lots of their dwelling, the residents of Amagi Good Park, the Maplelanders, hunt down former little one star and genius Seiya Kanie to repair their state of affairs. Though his character and unconventional techniques usually battle with veteran staffers, Seiya slowly begins to show issues round, and for the primary time in a very long time, Amagi Good Park sees a shimmer of hope.
The Actual Amagi Good Park
Disregarding fantastical beings from one other world and a narcissistic teenager turned enterprise supervisor, the story of Amagi Good Park seems to share a historical past with an precise Japanese theme park – Nara Dreamland.
Within the Nineteen Fifties, Kanizo Matsuo, president of the Matsuo Leisure Firm, took a visit to Los Angeles and visited the town’s latest theme park. Impressed with the positioning’s element, high quality, and theming, Mr. Matsuo sought an viewers with the park’s proprietor to debate bringing the identical idea to Japan’s historical capital of Nara. That proprietor, Walt Disney, was excited on the prospect of opening his final leisure imaginative and prescient, Disneyland, abroad. A preliminary deal was struck, and development of Nara Disneyland, a deliberate near-carbon copy of the California location, was underway. Nonetheless, Matsuo and Disney had a falling out, and the latter would go away the venture. Undeterred, Mr. Matsuo renamed his park Nara Dreamland, which might open to the general public on July 1, 1961.
Mr. Matsuo’s thought was an instantaneous hit, and Nara Dreamland served as one in all Japan’s premier amusement locations for the subsequent 20 years. In spite of everything, it was the closest factor the nation needed to a “correct” Disney expertise. After all, that was till April 15, 1983, when Matsuo and Disney’s unique imaginative and prescient got here to fruition with the opening of Tokyo Disneyland. From that day, it wasn’t lengthy till Nara Dreamland started its decline.
The droop Nara Dreamland discovered itself in mirrors the situation of Amagi Good Park seen in episode one of many anime. With low attendance numbers, each parks’ points of interest fell into disrepair. That, combined with a failure to result in contemporary improvements, led to the lack of status for the 2 websites.
The Similarities
Except for their monetary states, Nara Dreamland and Amagi Good Park additionally share many superficial traits. The 2 include numerous themed areas – akin to a water world, a fountain-centric major plaza, and character stage reveals – however the focus of the parks is a big fantasy fortress. The truth is, the information maps for the 2 websites illustrate they include most of the identical traits. However maybe most notably, the uniforms of Nara Dreamland’s mascots, Dori-chan and Ran-chan, have a stark familiarity with Amgai Good Park’s feminine protagonist, Isuzu Sento’s, main outfit.
Moreover, Amagi Good Park’s writer, Shouji Gatou, is from Shiga Prefecture, which borders Nara Prefecture. Though it’s unclear if Mr. Gatou (born in 1971) visited the park in its heyday, bear in mind, Nara Dreamland was one in all Japan’s hottest amusement locations throughout the sixties and seventies. Subsequently, it does appear probably that some affect – be it acutely aware or not – may have performed a job throughout the penning of the sunshine novels.
Then once more, it’s also potential the similarities between Nara Dreamland and Amagi Good Park (the situation) are purely coincidental. Maybe the 2 seem like alike as a result of Amagi Good Park (the anime) is about an outwardly generic amusement park that couldn’t sustain with the instances. Besides that issue alone is probably the most distinguished factor that connects the 2 areas. The failure of the parks to develop with their clients introduced the as soon as giants to the brink. Sadly, the final word results of their respective predicaments is the place the tales of Nara Dreamland and the collection diverge.
The ultimate episode of Amagi Good Park ended on a notice of hope, to not point out a basis for a second season that has but to, and probably by no means will, manifest – a narrative for one more time. Nonetheless, the identical optimistic destiny wouldn’t befall Nara Dreamland. On August 31, 2006, after 45 years of operation, the as soon as iconic park, the place that was meant to be Japan’s first Disneyland, closed its gates for good. So as to add insult to damage, the situation sat deserted for one more ten years earlier than it was lastly demolished in 2017.