CoMix Wave Films (CWF), the animation studio behind such films as Your Name. (2016) and Suzume (2022), produced the short anime movie Hatsukoi no Nioi (The Smell of First Love), directed by up-and-coming animator Maho Takagi. Takagi has participated in many popular anime works, including Weathering With You (2019), SSSS.DYNAZENON (2020), Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021), and Suzume. Hatsukoi no Nioi is her directorial debut work.The sweet, but bitter tale of first love reminded by the smell of a scarf, featuring a newly-written song of the same name by singer-songwriter Sakura Fujiwara, is now streaming on her official YouTube channel.
The project started with using animation to express the coquettish charm of women as portrayed by Director Takagi. Since a life-size song to accompany the girl was essential to the story, Takagi offered Sakura Fujiwara to create the song as her ideal singing voice. Takagi had always been a big fan of Fujiwara.”I had definitely wanted to portray Sakura-san’s fragile but moody and strong-willed singing voice in my work someday,” said Takagi. “Thanks to this song, which contains all of Sakura-san’s good qualities, I was able to make both the video and the music dazzling beyond my expectations. I would be glad that the video, along with Sakura-san’s singing voice, could heal your heart even if only a little.”Fujiwara also commented, “I wanted to gently and tenderly embrace the lovely girl with the ever-changing expression that Maho-san depicts. I would be happy if you could feel the smell and temperature of first love with me, which makes your heart prickle when you remember it, but also makes you want to touch it again.”The song “Hatsukoi no Nioi” also released digitally on May 20, and its 7-inch CD single will start shipping in late July. Pre-orders are now available on A!SMART.
Sakura Fujiwara profile photo
Sources: Sakura Fujiwara official YouTube channel, CoMix Wave Films website and press release
