Director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell & The Sky Crawlers) has a couple of projects which will keep him busy through the Summer of 2009.
The first project is a new theatrical stage adaptation of Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s Tetsujin 28 manga. Oshii-san will be writing the script as well as making his stage-directing debut.
© Hikari Production/Shikishima Juko
Tetsujin 28 has already been adapted into several anime productions spanning the years from 1963 through 2004. There was also a live action movie in 2005. For this adaptation, the cast will feature (from ANN):
“Actress Kaho Minami (Soreike! Anpanman: Ningyo Hime no Namida) will play Shoutarou Kaneda, the 15-year-old hero of the story and the controller of the Tetsujin 28 robot. The other performers include Narushi Ikeda (Gurren Lagann, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon), Diamond Yukai, Sunplaza Nakano-kun (Odenkun).“
Composer Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell, Death Note films) will also be making his theatrical stage debut as the play’s composer.
The play will open in Tokyo in January 2009 and will move to Osaka in February.
The second project will be an animated movie about Musashi Miyamoto, the legendary swordsman who lived during the early days of the Tokugawa Shogunate (early 17th century) and author of The Book of Five Rings.
© 2009 Miyamoto Musashi: Soken ni Haseru Yume Production Committee (Tentative)
Oshii-san is developing and writing the film, Miyamoto Musashi: Soken ni Haseru Yume (Musashi Miyamoto: The Dream of Riding with Two Swords). The director will be Mizuho Nishikubo (Otogi Zoshi). The film is scheduled for a Summer 2009 release by Production I.G.
ANN Stories:
- Tetsujin 28, Samurai 7 Get Adapted as Stage Plays,
- Oshii Develops, Writes Musashi Miyamoto Samurai Film (Update 2)
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© Yoshiichi Akahito/Square Enix, Shikabane Hime Production Committee
FUNimation Entertainment recently licensed the13-episode supernatural anime series Shikabane Hime: Aka (Corpse Princess), which is currently airing in Japan. According to their press release, it sounds like FUNimation will be experimenting with a model which will attempt to reduce the impact of fansubs. They will be streaming subtitled episodes through partners YouTube.com, Joost.com, and Hulu.com as well as their own website (www.funimation.com)…all for free. The first episode was streamed on October 24.
According to Gen Fukunaga, president and CEO of FUNimation:
“Often by the time a licensing deal is signed to bring a series from Japan to the U.S. the episodes are already available as illegal downloads. In bringing this series to anime fans within days of its premiere we are not only offering unique content and increasing the awareness of the series but we are offering a legal online alternative to illegal file sharing.“
FUNimation is also offering a download-to-own option through www.funimation.com at $1.99 per episode. While the press release did not mention future DVD releases, their license does include DVD rights.
The press release ended by stating:
“FUNimation Entertainment plans to expand its distribution channels and offer similar digital content to U.S. anime fans in the future.“
© 2006 Gonzo/Red Garden Project
In other FUNimation news, three titles which FUNimation acquired from ADV were only 2-3 volumes away from completion before the license transfer. FUNimation had originally announce that these series (Red Garden, Pumpkin Scissors, and Welcome to the NHK) would only be released as box sets…not good news for those who had been purchasing the individual DVDs.
However, a few days later, FUNimation announced that they would indeed be releasing individual DVDs for the final volumes of these series as well as box sets. So good news for everyone in the end.
ANN Stories:
- FUNimation Entertainment Acquires Shikabane Hime: AKA for North American Release
- Red Garden, NHK to End in Boxes, Not Single DVDs
- Funimation to Ship Final Single DVDs for 3 Former ADV Titles
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The fourth time was the charm for Taro Aso. He finally became Prime Minister this past September after Yasuo Fukuda resigned. It may be a short lived term, however, since elections will be held no later than September 2009, which is when the LDP’s (Liberal Democratic Party) current four year mandate expires.
© Tokyo International Film Festival
Aso-san is well known as being a big manga fan and humorously referred to this during a speech at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF):
“In Japan, I’m not known as the Prime Minister Taro Aso, but more famous as a Manga ‘Otaku’.”
He also noted that many current Japanese TV dramas are based on original manga works. Aso-san then spoke about the Osamu Tezuka exhibition at TIFF:
“Manga reflects the chronological realism. On the other hand, it also laughs the dark perspective of the real world away, and pictures future dreams. The future that Osamu Tezuka drew 50 years ago has been realized now.”
A week later, Aso-san gave his first street speech as Prime Minister in Tokyo’s Akihabara district. The speech concentrated on the economy where he said that the LDP would be trying to improve the economic situation in Japan+. He gave a couple of examples of possible solutions…raising the minimum wage and developing programs which would increase regular full time jobs.
Taro Aso (3rd from right) with director John Woo (3rd from left) and cast from Red Cliff © Tokyo International Film Festival
Aso-san also said that the responsibilities and schedule of being Prime Minister has cut into his manga time. From the Japan Times:
“This is already Sunday this week. I’ve read ‘Sunday’ and ‘Magazine’ of the last week but haven’t got to ‘Jump’Morning,’ ” he said, referring to three major manga for boys and another for adult males.” and ‘
- animeanime Story (translation via KatanaXtreme): Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso visits Tokyo International Film Festival
- ANN Story: Japanese Leader Aso Talks Politics, Manga in Akihabara
- Japan Times Story: Aso Vows to Cure Economic Woes
Images Courtesy Totoro Forest Project Blog
Images Courtesy of Totoro Forest Project Blog
Last year, I wrote a brief article about the efforts of director Hayao Miyazaki, locals, and other volunteers to protect the Fuchi no Mori forest (aka Totoro’s Forest) from new housing development. Their efforts helped the local government purchase and maintain the land.
This past September, the Totoro Forest Project held an auction at the Pixar Animation Studios headquarters in northern California. 190 American and Japanese artists donated 205 pieces of art. The auction raised over $201,000 (US) or approximately 21.1 million yen.
In honor of the event and the contributions, Miyazaki-sama painted the watercolor seen above. This painting as well as the donated art will be on exhibition at San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum from September 20, 2008 through February 8, 2009.
The Totoro no Furusato Foundation has raised over 300 million yen (approx. $2.9 million US) since 1990 for the preservation of Totoro’s Forest and surrounding areas west of Tokyo.
- Images: Totoro Forest Project Blog
- ANN Story: Totoro Forest Auction Earns an Estimated US$201,236
- Japanese Source: Yomiuri Shimbun
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© Chabata k, GFDL
Lake Kitana – Winter Image © Chabata k, GFDL
Like the Fuchi no Mori forest, Lake Kizaki has become the focus of fans who want to help maintain and preserve it. The Lake was the inspiration behind the background locales in two anime series…Onegai Teacher and Onegai Twins.
Every year the western Japanese city of Omachi has lit the lake shore with street lights from July through September. However, rising operations costs were about to stop this tradition. Fans of the series heard about this and were able to raise 120,000 yen (approx. $1200 US). They gave this money to the Lake Kizaki Springs Tourism Association to help with the maintenance costs.
Fans have also helped with local cleanup campaigns around the lake.
© 2001 Please!
On a related note, both anime series also featured looks at the local train stops. From September 2008 through August 2009, the Oito train line will be issuing special souvenir tickets with background art from the anime.
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Crayon Shin-Chan Images: © Yoshito Usui/Futabasha, Shinei, TV Asahi
There is an upcoming live action historical romance movie titled Ballad – Namonaki Koi no Uta (Ballad: The Nameless Song of Love). Apparently, it is based on the plot of the 2002 animated movie Crayon Shin-chan: Arashi wo Yobu Appare! Sengoku Daikassen (Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called – The Battle of the Warring States).
Since the latter film is a comedy, it is unlikely that the live action movie is a direct remake. However, my sources were rather unclear about this. The most likely explanation is that the animated film served as inspiration for the live action film.
The plot of the 2002 animated movie is:
“Shinnosuke [Crayon Shin-chan] suddenly finds himself in the war-torn medieval ’sengoku’ [Warring States] era. He happens to change history by saving the life of a samurai who is supposed to die there… “
The animated film did win several awards including the Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Category’s Best Prize, the 57th Mainichi Film Awards: Animation Grand Award, 2003 Tokyo Anime Award Feature Film Category Best Prize and others.
The plot of the upcoming live action movie:
Crayon Shin-Chan Images: © Yoshito Usui/Futabasha, Shinei, TV Asahi
A Sengoku-era princess is offered a political marriage with a daimyo of a neighboring state. She turns him down which causes a war. The love story is between her and (I believe) one of her generals. A boy from the future, Shinichi, plays an important role in these events.
The film will feature Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (SMAP member) as the general, Yui Arakagi as the princess, and 11-year old Akashi Takei as Shinichi. The supporting cast includes Michitaka Tsutsui, Yui Natsukawa, Atsuo Nakamura, and Takao Osawa. Takashi Yamazaki (Always: Sanchome no Yuhi) is the director. The film has a 2 billion yen (approx. $20 million US) budget. The battle scenes will make heavy use of CGI. The tentative release date is September of 2009.
The common elements appear to be the setting and the time traveling boy.
- ANN Story: Shin-Chan Film’s Story Remade as Live-Action Film
- animeanime Story (translation via KatanaXtreme): CRAYON SHINCHAN to be a live action feature directed by Takashi Yamazaki
- Tokyograph Story: Kusanagi’s “Ballad” inspired by “Crayon Shin-chan”
- Japanese Source: Sports Hochi
- Ballad – Namonaki Koi no Uta website: www.ballad-movie.jp/
FUNimation seems to have a good plan. It’s one thing to sit around complaining about fansubs or pirated content, and it’s another to actually improve your business plan to counter it. Good for them.