Synopsis
URVAN is a collaborative short anime from Toei Animation and Nagasaki International University. This cyberpunk-inspired piece showcases the sights of Sasebo, a city in Nagasaki Prefecture. The title "URVAN" comes from the ancient Avestan word "urvan" (spirit), dating back to the seventh century B.C., which is believed to be the origin of the Japanese word "Obon" or "Urabone"—a custom observed in mid-August to honor the spirits of ancestors. Set in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, the anime is a mystical and nostalgic cyberpunk action story built around the motif of Obon, the festival of welcoming and sending off spirits, where the "extraordinary" and the "ordinary" meet. The real landscape of Sasebo is transformed into a cyberpunk world, and a mysterious man and woman race through this enigmatic city.
Background
"URVAN" is set in Sasebo City, which was produced by Toei Animation's new IP research and development team "PEROs" with the cooperation of Nagasaki International University. By utilizing remote location scouting and the latest communication tools, it is a work that challenged the production of animation during the Corona pandemic, creating a new charm of the area without going to Sasebo, which was the stage. "URVAN" is said to be the etymology of "Obon," that is, "Urabone". It refers to the ancient Avestan word "Ulvane (soul)" around the 7th century BC.