Takashi Ohashi directs the music video for HATSUBOSHI GAKUEN, Wildest Flower, tracing the protagonist’s transformation from athlete to Japanese idol. HATSUBOSHI GAKUEN, Wildest Flower is a music video for a track featured within a social game. The story centers on the game’s protagonist, Saki Hanami, a former athletic prodigy who matured early and, as a result, experienced a setback at a young age. The piece traces her psychological transformation as she is reborn from an athlete into a Japanese idol.
To evoke “the solitude, impatience, and uncompromising spirit that often accompany genius,” I deliberately stripped away the kind of excessive, decorative imagery typically described as “eye candy.” Instead, I pursued what I call “eye protein,” a reduced visual language built on simplicity and bold character silhouettes. This approach emphasizes both her inner resilience and the velocity of the music itself. To connect with Saki’s past as a track and field athlete, the entire piece is structured around the themes of time and light. A starter pistol appears in the film, with an LED embedded in its barrel; when the trigger is pulled, it emits an intense flash. This moment transitions into imagery reminiscent of chronophotography, depicting Saki in motion.
The sequence alludes to Étienne-Jules Marey’s photographic gun, suggesting how animation and Motion Design can give form to otherwise invisible phenomena such as motion and time. Visual techniques such as sequential photography, smear frames, and graphic motion blur are used with the intention of evoking movement, sound waveforms, and even musical notation.
Even for viewers unfamiliar with the game’s narrative or characters, I wanted the emotional flow of the music to merge with her sense of identity, allowing for an intuitive and immediate connection.
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Takashi Ohashi directs the music video for HATSUBOSHI GAKUEN, Wildest Flower, tracing the protagonist’s transformation from athlete to Japanese idol.
HATSUBOSHI GAKUEN, Wildest Flower is a music video for a track featured within a social game. The story centers on the game’s protagonist, Saki Hanami, a former athletic prodigy who matured early and, as a result, experienced a setback at a young age. The piece traces her psychological transformation as she is reborn from an athlete into a Japanese idol.
To evoke “the solitude, impatience, and uncompromising spirit that often accompany genius,” I deliberately stripped away the kind of excessive, decorative imagery typically described as “eye candy.” Instead, I pursued what I call “eye protein,” a reduced visual language built on simplicity and bold character silhouettes. This approach emphasizes both her inner resilience and the velocity of the music itself.
To connect with Saki’s past as a track and field athlete, the entire piece is structured around the themes of time and light. A starter pistol appears in the film, with an LED embedded in its barrel; when the trigger is pulled, it emits an intense flash. This moment transitions into imagery reminiscent of chronophotography, depicting Saki in motion.
The sequence alludes to Étienne-Jules Marey’s photographic gun, suggesting how animation and Motion Design can give form to otherwise invisible phenomena such as motion and time. Visual techniques such as sequential photography, smear frames, and graphic motion blur are used with the intention of evoking movement, sound waveforms, and even musical notation.
Even for viewers unfamiliar with the game’s narrative or characters, I wanted the emotional flow of the music to merge with her sense of identity, allowing for an intuitive and immediate connection.
Credits:
Music
Vocals: Saki Hanami (VA. Aoi Nagatsuki)
Lyrics: HIROMI
Composed & Arranged by: Giga
Movie
Director / Storyboard / Compositor: Takashi Ohashi
Character Design / Concept Art: Yukie Nakauchi
Animators: Namiko Ishidate, Haruya Kageyama, Yuta Kuniyasu (CALF), Ippei Kurahashi, Yukie Nakauchi, Shin Hashimoto (CALF), Kei Fujishima, Maikaken, Yuribou, RiU & rhythmos
Prop Designer / Background Art: Hirotaka Tanaka
Graphic Design: Syun Sasaki (AYOND) & Ryuji Okura (AYOND)
Animation Producer: Shuma Hirose (CALF)
Production Manager: Mai Takeshita (CALF)
Animation Production: CALF
MV Producer: KEISUKE YANO
X: @6HPMPLP6
Instagram: @ohashitakashi