In this special 49-minute episode of ANIME MANGA EXPLOSION,

we're airing the full version of COCOLORS with an in-depth look at its creator, Yokoshima Toshihisa.

Yokoshima, shown here playing with old figurines, is now one of Japan's top animation directors.

As a child, these helped Yokoshima nurture his imagination.

I would imagine that
they were battling on a cliff.

I loved the "Dragon Ball" series
and wanted to create similar stories.

In 2023, Yokoshima was chosen to direct "SAND LAND,"

a film based on the manga from Toriyama Akira of "Dragon Ball" fame.

Toriyama created the original manga without any assistants.

No one gets to be more evil than a fiend!

Yokoshima's specialty is creating 3DCG with a hand-drawn look.

This technique is called cel shading.

He extracts outlines from 3D models and adds monochromatic colors,

leading to a 3D world that looks like a 2D illustration.

The technique felt
like traditional printmaking.

Combining cutting-edge tools
with traditional Japanese techniques

is a lot of fun !

Yokoshima used cel shading in his 2017 work we feature in this episode: COCOLORS.

It depicts a bleak world where people live underground to protect themselves from body-melting bacteria.

Characters wear protective clothing and masks that cover the entire face.

Since character faces are covered,

the biggest challenge was
expressing emotion to the audience.

Even with dialog that reads positive,
characters might be sad under the mask.

I think imagining character expressions
is a great way to enjoy this film.

Now, please enjoy the full version of COCOLORS!

Tell me.

Ow.

Tell me, Aki.
What's the color of the sky?

The sky?
You mean the one out there?

Yeah. Do you know about
the world outside?

You bet. Uh...
Outside, it's really bright and...

Oh, cool creatures fly in the sky!

Creatures?!

Shh! Stay quiet!

What are the creatures like?

Ow!

Got Aki and Fuyu!

Don't talk about the outside!

You'll get in trouble with Master Gidoku.

Besides, everyone knows about the sky.

The sky...

is just raining ash. Like this.

Yeah!

Like Shu said! Just ash falling!

You good-for-nothing liar!

Wimp!

Liar!

Creatures in the sky? That's so stupid.

Fuyu, I bet the creature is

thi-----------s big!

Zooom!

You shouldn't go from here on.

Don't sound so sad.

I know!

Let's color that picture!

We'll amaze everyone
with that picture of the outside!

"From birth, the boy could only whisper."

"So he 'talked' with the curious flute
around his neck."

Hey, Fuyu. You're looking well.

"One note means 'yes.'"

Oh no! Fuyu, did you shrink a bit
after the check-up?

"Two means 'no.'"

Go easy during the festival!

Another fever will get you
a scolding from Master Gidoku.

"Three notes together means"

Don't trouble Master Gidoku too much!

"It's OK."

Come on, The Collection Festival's gonna start!

Hurry up, you guys!

Oops...

Look!

Whoa!

Wow!

I commend you all for another year
of hard work.

Thanks to the Salvage Unit
and their labors outside,

their great harvest lets us live our days
in light again this year.

Fuyu!

The thing you made for me, it broke.

Can you fix it?

Great! Thanks, buddy!

I'm going to join the Salvage Unit
someday to revive this town.

I'll make it brighter and safer
for everyone.

Me, too...

I'll join the Salvage Unit, too!

Don't make me laugh.

A dimwit like you can't make it!

Aki in the unit? What a joke!

There's no way, you wimp.

I can too!

Hey, stop.

May light shine on in our darkness!

May light shine on in our darkness!

You good-for-nothing liar!

Shu, I said quit it!

You're gonna break his mask!

Come on.

Let me go!

Light bugs can only survive for
one night during the festival.

All hit the ceiling and
fall dead to the ground.

Their lives are fragile.

Hmm?

Now, Fuyu! Don't run!

Fuyu!

There's no need for you to think
about the outside.

What your hands can actually grasp...

That's what makes your world, Fuyu.

"7 years later"

I know the recent years
have been strenuous for all.

But there's no need for worry.

We've overcome hardships before.

Our radiant history itself
proves our perseverance!

Once again, promising youths have come
to answer their call today.

Chibo, look!

Tonight, let us praise
our honorable Salvage Unit,

and pray that the souls,

of those gone safely reach
the lands beyond!

May light shine on in our darkness!

May light shine on in our darkness!

From now on, we'll be bringing back
really useful relics.

Just wait. I'm gonna make this town
glitter with lights.

Talking big, like always.

Well, I guess our secret fort's
become Fuyu's "studio" now.

This picture's pretty worn down.

Once I get out...

I'll say "Hi" to the sky creature!

"Me and Shu joined the Salvage Unit."

"It's only because,"

"we were a bit healthier than the others."

Hey, what is that thing?

Oh, that.

That's...

the creature!

But it's not a scary creature.

Yeah! It's actually pretty cool and nice!

Right, Fuyu?

I'm back, Fuyu.

And then, out of nowhere,

this low, deep rumbling snore
started to sound.

I bet that in the outside world,

a creature thi-------s big
must live somewhere.

Oops!

Oh yeah! Fuyu, gimme your hand.

I sneaked this past the inspector
for you.

Don't tell Master Gidoku.

What's this?

How did you do it?!

Wow!

I get it.

These carved out lines
become the outline.

And what's left here adds color
to the open spaces.

Wow! Now, it won't matter
how worn the picture gets

and you can make lots more
to show everybody!

Fuyu, out there,

lots of huge boxes are lined up.

And everyone lives in them together.

Fuyu.

The creature I saw the other day

made this beautiful sound while

happily dancing around the air.

Fuyu.

Every time,

the scenery changes when we go outside.

It's full of colors

so we never get tired of
going out for salvaging.

Fuyu, out there, there's a place where

they have festivals almost every day.

Like our Collection Festivals before,
they're bright and loud.

It's a really wonderful and fun place.

Fuyu.

Out there,

the world outside...

I know you're there, come out.

Find any color stones this time?

Again, no luck.

Oh.

But thanks for always helping
me out, Shu.

So, he's not...

coming lately?

Well, you know he's always been
a birdbrain.

Probably dawdling somewhere.

Where is it?
Where can I find it?

Hey! Do you know where I could
find a sky-colored stone?

I've been looking and looking
but can't find one.

Wha...?!

Don't!

Stop!

Nightmare, huh.

Shu...

This town's really gone bleak.

Friends, gone.
Our younger days seem unreal now.

Aki.

Quit the unit.
You're just not cutout for it.

No! Next time, I promise...

You never change.

You talk big, but you've never
done anything. Not one thing.

What gives?

A coward that...

talks big, then runs away from any hurt.

Whatever.

See? Just like that!

What's your problem?!

Tell me straight!
Why are you going outside?

Stop it! Let go of me, Shu!

Say it! Why do you go? Is it for Fuyu?

Yeah.

For Fuyu, I'm...

You no good liar!

It's not for him!

- You're only going for yourself!
- No!

To protect yourself,
you've been using Fuyu as an excuse!

I haven't!

Cool sky creature?

You saw the real creature!

That thing wiped out an entire city,
burned to the ground in a flash!

As if... as if there was
never anything there!

I'm the same.

I'm afraid that...

someday I'll be nothing, like that city,
that sky. Nothing left.

Always afraid...

I...

I don't want to go out there anymore.

I just can't...

Shu?

Shu!

Shu!

A shame...

I'll bring a stone back, OK?

- How sad.
- So sudden...

The Salvage Unit directly
breathes in the dust.

- Down.
- Total darkness.

Release the coffin.

It's how it is.

It's the inescapable fate
of all who are here.

It always becomes like this
after bullying Aki.

Fuyu.

He just can't make it on his own.

Please, Fuyu.

Stand by him,

stand by Aki.

Please help Aki.

I saw your studio.

I, I almost forgot, Fuyu!

I finally found it! The inspector
almost caught me, so I hid it.

I don't have it with me.

But I really, really found it!

I found the color stone, by myself,

for the sky!

So, get better
and let's finish the picture.

Wha...?

I won't reprimand you for the stones
you brought back.

But please, just let him go peacefully.

It's the best thing you can do for him.

Aki!

Damn the sky creature!

Damn the color of the sky!

What's the use...

I... I can't breathe.

Somebody... somebody help me.

My mask's broken. I can't see.

Oh... Everything's fine now.

Everything is fine like this.

I don't want to see anything.
I don't want to hear anything.

Tell me.

Tell me, Aki.
What's the color of the sky?

The color of the sky?

I have no idea what
the color of the sky is.

I don't know.

But I'm sure you'll be able to see it.

I can't!

Even if I open them, I won't see anything!
I can't see anything anymore!

Stop.

Stop it!

I'm tired of everything!
I can't take it!

I can't...

What is that?

That's...

Let's go see the sky together, Fuyu.

You OK?

Fuyu!

Find him!

Don't forget.

If you bully Fuyu,

I'll make you really sorry!

I'll make you really sorry!

No one's gone through today!

Then, where has Fuyu disappeared to?!

It can't be...

Only Shu's gone beyond here.

He said, going up and following
the falling ash

will lead to the outside.

Fuyu?

Fuyu!

Let's go back.

But you're not OK!

Fuyu...

It's no good. With these bulky masks,
I can't carry you.

Wait here! I'll get Master Gidoku!

I'll be right back!

Fuyu!

No! Don't do it!

Fuyu!

Idiot! What are you doing?!

Put on the mask!

It seems they exited from here.

Shall we follow?

No.

Just a bit more.
Just a bit more, and we'll be outside.

"Just give up."

"Why should you bear anything?"

"You've had enough."

"Let go."

"Let go."

"Let that hand go."

Fuyu!

I can't.
I'm too scared to go any further.

I can't stand going outside anymore.

During salvaging,
I hid underground the whole time.

I got by with what Shu gave me.

It's the same with the color stones.
Like Shu said, I'm a good-for-nothing liar.

There are no sky creatures.

That world you drew and created,
it doesn't exist anywhere!

The real world...

The real world is...

Fuyu...

If you make Fuyu cry,

I'll make you really sorry!

Shu!

You guys... how...?

Fuyu told us.

You said so yourself after seeing that picture.

What remains after being carved out
becomes an outline.

We're the same.

The pain,

the sorrow,

and the despair you felt,

all create your outline, Aki.

Hey, hurry up!

Aki, you're still such a slowpoke.

You're gonna show Fuyu
the color of the sky, right?

Come on, keep going!

Can you see?

I know. You want to know about
the color of the sky, right?

It's just like your picture,
any kind of color can still be added on.

What remains after being cut and carved out
becomes an outline

or sometimes becomes the colors
that fill them, to make a picture.

That's why,

the color of the sky is right here.

I finally found it, Fuyu.

COCOLORS originated from one of Yokoshima's life experiences.

One year after being accepted into college, Yokoshima dropped out.

He lived a reclusive life for the next three years.

Looking back now,
life was quite rough.

Whatever I started wouldn't last long.

I had a habit of running away.

I felt no matter how hard I tried,
I would always fail.

Feeling powerless when something needs to be done.

Yokoshima imbued his emotions into Aki.

The person I was then
still exists inside me.

The pursuit of happiness is not
the only way to give value to life.

At times, life itself can become
an unexpected burden.

All of that influences
how Aki lives from here on.

I wanted his first steps forward
to be heavy.

To depict the inner turmoil of the protagonist, Yokoshima focused on movement and gestures.

In particular, character hands.

The animation moves
at 12 frames per second.

But for close-up shots of hands,
I doubled that to 24 frames.

In the film, there are four scenes where Aki hands Fuyu a stone.

Yokoshima made subtle changes in each scene.

As Aki lies, the shame he feels
pushes him away from Fuyu.

I expressed that through
the distance between their hands.

Yokoshima continues to produce animated works that people living life in recluse might find supportive.

I don't feel like I've been
very successful.

After all, I might be a recluse
a year from now.

So, we don't know
what happens to Aki next?

That's right.
he might be moving forward.

Or he might be hiding away.

But I think that's okay.