life as it was drawn
a collection of film photographs on anime locations by Gabriel Cheung
(*Available for preorder, estimated shipping date October 2025)
I remember first discovering how certain anime were based off real life locations in 2018 when I came across an article on the film
5 Centimeters per Second pointing out it's various references to Tokyo throughout. Until then, I had always thought that backgrounds in anime were simply imagined by artists and directors. Ever since, I have come to appreciate the care that goes into recreating the real world scenery in animation; from pathways to the signage of background shops. Visiting these places and seeing the locations which inspired the these scenes has not only given me a better understanding and greater appreciation for the process which goes into creating an anime but has introduced another level of immersion to the medium. While using real world refernces may at times simply be due to it's convenience, it has an unintended side affect of authenticity. The end result being something which blurs the line between real and fiction. Capturing the real world counterparts of these animated scenes allows me to explore how art reflects life— and how, in turn, life begins to feel a little more like art. (*Gabriel Cheung, photographer, 2025)