Homage to the Legendary 'Tropical Night' High Schoolers: Short Drama 'Ano Hi Bokura' Released for All Dream Chasers
movel Inc. has released the short drama 'Ano Hi Bokura,' inspired by the true story of the 'Itsumen Fever' group, who became an internet sensation 11 years ago. The story depicts their struggles and bonds after their recent 'adult version' video went viral again.
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- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 13:39 (18h 39m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 10:59 (477h 20m after Collected)
movel Inc. (Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEOs: Yuki Kawai, Takumi Uchibori) is pleased to announce the production and release of the short drama 'Ano Hi Bokura.' This work traces the life stories and pays homage to the 'Itsumen Fever' group, famously known as the legendary 'Tropical Night (Nettaiya)' high schoolers, starting March 29.
This project was born by reinterpreting the journey of the 'Tropical Night' high schoolers. Their video recreating RIP SLYME's 'Nettaiya' MV during their high school years recorded 14 million views on YouTube. In 2025, over 11 years since the original release, they posted an 'adult version' which once again attracted significant attention on social media. The production team, consisting of movel and director Mabuta Motoki, identified a 'fundamental message' that resonates with people amidst the various ups and downs, conflicts, complex human relationships, and emotions swaying between expectation and loneliness they have experienced—from the release of the high school video to the adult version and achieving their highest-ever view counts. They wove this into a short drama dedicated to 'everyone who pursues a dream.' The members of Itsumen Fever also appear in the work as crucial keys to the drama's development.
Along with the release of the short drama 'Ano Hi Bokura,' we introduce the behind-the-scenes story from the planning stages to the filming.
### From Meeting to Project Birth
The creation of this work began with an encounter between the members of Itsumen Fever and movel's CEO, Kawai. After the release of the 'adult version' of 'Tropical Night,' which became a major topic on SNS, Kawai became deeply involved in their story after hearing about their past activities and the real human drama behind the scenes. He reached out to them, saying, 'I want to create a work together that supports your future activities,' and the collaboration between the legendary 'Tropical Night' high schoolers and movel began.
Initially, due to the scale and uniqueness of the story, a long-form documentary was considered. However, as planning progressed, it was decided to create a piece as a short drama, which is movel's specialty. During the planning stage, the concept was revised many times together with the members of Itsumen Fever. Through repeated dialogues, the theme was narrowed down to 'friendship' and the 'power of music' that connects the past and the future, returning to the origins of their activities.
Furthermore, what became visible upon diving deep into the miracle of 'ordinary high schoolers going viral as an internet meme' and their subsequent life episodes were universal anxieties that anyone in their late 20s to 30s might vaguely hold—questions like 'Am I doing what I want to do?', 'What do I want to do in the first place?', and 'Is it okay for my life to stay this way?'. The direction was set to create a work that calls for sympathy and appeals to emotions, with the themes of 'anxiety about reality' and the 'power of music' and 'friendship' to overcome it.
### Thoughts and Commitment Put into Visuals
[Message to Convey]
The goal of this work is to encourage viewers to 'take a step toward tomorrow' through a drama that pays homage to the trajectory of Itsumen Fever. In the final scene, the protagonist Koichi makes a choice, but what the work consistently conveys is that 'regardless of the result of the choice, to everyone we meet in the process of pursuing a dream—friends, comrades, family...'
This project was born by reinterpreting the journey of the 'Tropical Night' high schoolers. Their video recreating RIP SLYME's 'Nettaiya' MV during their high school years recorded 14 million views on YouTube. In 2025, over 11 years since the original release, they posted an 'adult version' which once again attracted significant attention on social media. The production team, consisting of movel and director Mabuta Motoki, identified a 'fundamental message' that resonates with people amidst the various ups and downs, conflicts, complex human relationships, and emotions swaying between expectation and loneliness they have experienced—from the release of the high school video to the adult version and achieving their highest-ever view counts. They wove this into a short drama dedicated to 'everyone who pursues a dream.' The members of Itsumen Fever also appear in the work as crucial keys to the drama's development.
Along with the release of the short drama 'Ano Hi Bokura,' we introduce the behind-the-scenes story from the planning stages to the filming.
### From Meeting to Project Birth
The creation of this work began with an encounter between the members of Itsumen Fever and movel's CEO, Kawai. After the release of the 'adult version' of 'Tropical Night,' which became a major topic on SNS, Kawai became deeply involved in their story after hearing about their past activities and the real human drama behind the scenes. He reached out to them, saying, 'I want to create a work together that supports your future activities,' and the collaboration between the legendary 'Tropical Night' high schoolers and movel began.
Initially, due to the scale and uniqueness of the story, a long-form documentary was considered. However, as planning progressed, it was decided to create a piece as a short drama, which is movel's specialty. During the planning stage, the concept was revised many times together with the members of Itsumen Fever. Through repeated dialogues, the theme was narrowed down to 'friendship' and the 'power of music' that connects the past and the future, returning to the origins of their activities.
Furthermore, what became visible upon diving deep into the miracle of 'ordinary high schoolers going viral as an internet meme' and their subsequent life episodes were universal anxieties that anyone in their late 20s to 30s might vaguely hold—questions like 'Am I doing what I want to do?', 'What do I want to do in the first place?', and 'Is it okay for my life to stay this way?'. The direction was set to create a work that calls for sympathy and appeals to emotions, with the themes of 'anxiety about reality' and the 'power of music' and 'friendship' to overcome it.
### Thoughts and Commitment Put into Visuals
[Message to Convey]
The goal of this work is to encourage viewers to 'take a step toward tomorrow' through a drama that pays homage to the trajectory of Itsumen Fever. In the final scene, the protagonist Koichi makes a choice, but what the work consistently conveys is that 'regardless of the result of the choice, to everyone we meet in the process of pursuing a dream—friends, comrades, family...'