Comic Garden Collection

**Comic Garden Collection** is a compilation of previously unreleased shorts and movies produced by Studio XYZ and based on Katsushi Niwa's work.

The compilation was released in DVD format on 2006.

## Staff

### Source material

**Manga**
*Mehran by* Katsushi Niwa

### Script/Storyboard

Katsushi Niwa (story)
Shigehiko Aoyagi

### Director

Masakatsu Takahashi

**Hankō** (*Kanji: 反抗*), titled **Resistance** in English, was produced in 2003 as part of the anthology drama film *What the Taliban Left Us*.

The story, written by Niwa himself, is a side-story to his manga *Mehran*, detailing what happened between the title character's mother's execution in Chapter 9 and the timeskip in Chapter 10.

### Plot

Kabul, Afghanistan. Mehran, his soul shattered by his mother's wrongful execution, is placing a sign that reads "**Taliban: Get out of Afghanistan!**" when Paiman comes running and invites both Mehran and his grieving father to a wedding. Paiman had actually invited their other friend Abtin, who had declined.

Paiman dismisses Abtin as a fake friend, but Fardeen believes Abtin may have done the right thing denying the invitation, as the Taliban had forbidden the gatherings of both men and women, and holding a wedding, which often mix genders, could not end well under their rule. Mehran however accepts Paiman's invitation, since they'd had a tough week, and a party wasn't too bad of an idea.

Hours pass, and Abtin has just finished his Maghrib (sunset prayer) when he looks out his window and sees his friends running off to Paiman's house. Abtin is visibly worried, but decides not to budge, knowing what might happen if word is spread about what Paiman's family is planning.

On the night of the ceremony, right before the dance, Mehran overhears a Taliban technical rushing in and warns Paiman to cut the celebration short. By the time he does, however, it's already too late: Taliban soldiers are shooting the material down, and Mehran, Paiman and Fardeen run away, but Paiman's weight gets the best of him and in his best efforts to catch up to Mehran, he trips on a grenade, it explodes and Paiman bounces to a certain death. Mehran attempts to get his friend to regain conscience, but to no avail. Mehran then breaks into tears and tells off the Taliban for taking the innocent life of one of his dearest friends.

The next day, Abtin gets a letter from Mehran:

"Abtin, you were right to deny Paiman's invitation. He took the risk of gathering his family of guys and girls and it's ended horribly. Now we've lost Paiman, and I can't stop hating myself for being so gullible.
If it hadn't been for that wedding, Paiman would still be with us. The Taliban might have the upper hand, but I won't give up.
You and I know it wasn't right, and we won't stand for this. They've done nothing but build up our **resistance** to the Taliban."

### Cast

* Narumi Tsunoda as a broken Mehran.
* Reiko Kondō as Abtin, who plays a minor role in the short's story.
* Yoshiko Kamei as Paiman, whose family holds a wedding that ends in tragedy.
* Akio Ōtsuka as Fardeen, Mehran's grieving father.

## Staff

### Source material

**Picture book**
*Zōtarō* by Mikayo Okamura and Katsushi Niwa

### Director

Yōichi Tomikata

**Zōtarō** (*Kana: ぞうたろう*), based on a picture book written by Mikayo Okamura and illustrated by Katsushi Niwa, was produced in 2005 as a pilot for NHK Educational Television, but never picked up for a full series for unknown reasons.

### Plot

The story is set in Tanzania, introduced as a species-rich country, where a little elephant named Zōtarō lives his elephant life: eating leaves off trees and drinking water from his trunk. Zōtarō has become bored with this lifestyle, and wants some fun.

Zōtarō goes up to Kirinko the Giraffe and asks her about a way to have fun. Kirinko then offers Zōtarō a ride through the jungle. Zōtarō agrees and the two ride along, but the ride doesn't last long, as Zōtarō holds on too tight to Kirinko's neck and the two crash into a tree. Zōtarō didn't like the ride as much, and apologizes to Kirinko before leaving.

Zōtarō then goes to see Lionchi, a lion who proudly claims to be the best singer in Africa. Before Zōtarō can say another word, Lionchi begins to sing so horribly it trembles the jungle. Zōtarō didn't like the concert one bit, and apologizes to Lionchi before leaving.

Zōtarō is sad because he can hardly have fun as an elephant, but he's then surrounded by Kirinko and Lionchi, who tell him that everyone has their own way of having fun, and Zōtarō just hasn't found his yet. Zōtarō tries to find something he can really enjoy, and ultimately realizes that spraying water across the plains is fun. He likes the water and continues to spray water.

The story concludes with the narrator stating there are no animals quite like the characters we met in the story.

### Cast

* Hizuru Numata as Kirinko the Giraffe and the narrator.
* Kūya Nakatani as Zōtarō the Elephant.
* Yūsei Ninomiya as Lionchi, the self-proclaimed best singer in Africa.