Story Tree【Director: Max Blustin】

Project Overview

Since its founding in 1909, Kodansha has cherished the values of being both entertaining and enlightening. “Inspire Impossible Stories” is the English expression of the space where these two values come together. This brand purpose reflects Kodansha’s commitment to inspiring both creators and readers with new discoveries and creativity (“Inspire”), while continuously bringing unprecedented (“Impossible”) stories (“Stories”) into the world.

The film depicts the creative journey through the growth of a tree. A “seed,” made of little more than scribbles from a creator’s imagination, is nurtured by the elements. It sparks inspiration in other creators, and eventually evolves into a world of new possibilities.

Hidden subtly throughout the film is Kodansha’s iconic “K” logo.

Director’s Statement

For me, the highlight is the moment an idea “sparks” into life and begins its journey towards becoming a story. It sends an apparently conventional scene, on a peaceful afternoon in a park, in an unexpected direction. It felt like the right way to begin expressing “inspire impossible stories”!