Live-action News, Part 3 of 3

Here is the third and final part of the Live-action News mini-series. Read Live-action News, Part 2 of 3 and Live-action News, Part 1 of 3.

Blood the Last Vampire

Blood: The Last Vampire was an original anime movie released in 2000 by Production I. G and Aniplex. It became popular enough to have spun off games, manga, and novels. Later, Production I. G produced a related TV series, Blood+ (2005/06) which also had games, manga, and novels as spin off products.

Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun

In May 2006, Hong Kong producer Bill Kong (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) announced that his company Edko Films as well as independent studio French Pathe would be making a live-action version of Blood: The Last Vampire. French director Chris Nahon (Empire of the Wolves) will be at the helm of this international production. Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun (My Sassy Girl and Windstruck) will be playing Saya. Incidentally, Variety had earlier reported that she would be westernizing her name for this and future films to Gianna Jun.

I could not find much info about the story. However, there was an interesting tidbit about the setting which has to be taken with a grain of salt. According to an Ain’t It Cool News interview with the original director Ronny Yu (Fearless):

“… I changed the setting of the story. In the animation, it was set in the 1960s. Now I move it to 1948 in Tokyo, just after the bombing, just after the war. I think it will look visually stunning because of the ruin of the city and all the death all around the city. Then the story happens right in the middle. There’s a US Army camp because Japan at the time is occupied by the US. So, you have this apple pie, good old wholesome American army camp and surrounding it is death and ruin.”

Of course, since the director is now Chris Nahon, this may have changed…looking at Jun’s photo above (courtesy of VarietyAsiaOnline), the setting looks more modern than post-War Japan.

There was a late addition to the cast. In mid-August, it was announced that Japanese actress Koyuki (Ikebukuro West Gate Park and The Last Samurai) would be joining the cast as a vampire, though her character was not in the original anime. There is supposed to be a battle scene between her character and Saya.

Blood: The Last Vampire is being shot in English at locations in China and Argentina. It is scheduled to be released in 2008 internationally.

From woyaoqu.com: Koyuki (left), Jun Ji-hyun (right)

ANN Stories:
Live Action Blood: The Last Vampire
Koyuki Joins Cast of Upcoming Blood Movie

Sources:
Tokyograph
Sponichi Annex (Japanese)

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Shodensha’s Feel Young magazine announced that Mitsukazu Mihara’s Shigeshoshi manga will be made into a 12-episode live-action TV drama series. The English title for the series which was licensed by Tokyopop is The Embalmer. D-Boys member, Masato Wada (Prince of Tennis musicals), in his first TV starring role, will play Shinjuro Mamiya, a young man working as an embalmer. Here is a brief synopsis from ANN’s review section:

“In Japan, the practice of embalming is looked at with anything from skepticism to downright disgust. It is considered garish and unsanitary. The Embalmer takes an episodic look at the prejudice, pain, dangers, and joys that face a young man who goes against the grain to practice this taboo art.”

The series will air on late Friday nights on TV Tokyo’s Drama 24 timeslot beginning October 5.

ANN Story:
DOLL Creator’s Embalmer Manga Spawns Live-Action Show

Sources:
Tokyograph
Sports Hochi (Japanese)
Ultimatum (Japanese)

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The popular shōjo manga series, Hana Yori Dango (literally “Boys before Flowers” and titled Boys Over Flowers by North American licensor Viz Media) ran in the bi-weekly anthology magazine Margaret from October 1992 to September 2003. It has had many adaptations…an early live-action movie (1995), an anime TV series (1996/97), an animated movie (1997), and two seasons of a live-action TV drama (2005 & 2007). The TV live-action drama’s story will conclude with a theatrical movie, Hana Yori Dango: Final. According to Tokyograph, the film:

“…is set one year after Tsukushi Makino’s graduation [last scene from Season 2]. The story focuses on a major incident that the five main characters become involved in, while also depicting the ups and downs of Tsukushi and Tsukasa [Domyoji]’s relationship. “

The film reunites the five main cast members… Mao Inoue (Tsukushi Makino), Jun Matsumoto (Tsukasa Domyoji), Shota Matsuda (Sojiro Nishikado), Shun Oguri (Rui Hanazawa), and Tsuyoshi Abe (Akira Mimasaka)…and series primary director Yasuhara Ishii. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, I have posted a correlation chart from Season 2 below…though, I guess some knowledge of Japanese would be helpful…

A larger version of the chart plus information for both seasons (in English) may be found on the d-addicts’ wiki page.

The manga-ka Yoko Kamio will be working with series scriptwriter Mikio Satake (nom de plume of actor Takayuki Takuma) to develop the story. The film will start shooting in January and is scheduled for two-months including some overseas locations. The movie will be in theaters in the summer of 2008.

ANN Story:
Hana Yori Dango: Final Movie to End Live-Action Drama

Japanese Source:
Sankei Sports
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There will be another adaptation of Akiyuki Nosaka’s semi-autobiographical novel, Grave of the Fireflies. The first adaptation was Studio Ghibli’s animated movie (written and directed by Isao Takahata) in 1988. A live-action movie was produced by NTV to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII in 2005.

This version was originally to be directed by Kazuo Hiroki. After he died from a stroke earlier this year, his assistant Taro Hyugaji took over. The film will start shooting in September and is tentatively scheduled to be released in the summer of 2008.

The story, from ANN, is:

“…about two children who flee the firebombing of Kobe by American planes during the closing months of World War II, and their attempt to survive on their own in the Japanese countryside.”

ANN Story:
Grave of the Fireflies to be Made as Live-Action Film

Source:
Screen Daily (subscription required)
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A live-action TV drama series of Hataraki Man (Working Man) is in the works. It will be based on the manga by Moyoco Anno (yes, her husband is Hideaki Anno). Hataraki Man (2004 – present), which runs in Kodansha’s Weekly Morning magazine, had already been adapted into an anime series which aired in 2006. The title role will be played by Miho Kanno (Tomie). The story, according to the ANN Encyclopedia:

” Hiroko Matsukata [Miho Kanno] is a woman who works for a magazine company [Jidai magazine]. She puts all she has into her work, and is known as a strong, straight-forward working girl, who can at will turn herself into Hataraki man (working man) mode. Despite Hiroko’s success at work, her life lacks romance.”

The drama will start airing in October on Wednesdays at 10pm. The broadcaster is NTV.

ANN Story:
Moyoco Anno’s Hataraki Man to be Made into Live-Action

Sources:
Tokyograph
Sports Nippon (Japanese)

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A different sort of live-action adaptation will be made from Kei Kurashima’s gag manga 24 no Hitomi. The adaptation will be around 2 hours in length, but will be separated into 80 episodes…each episode will last 90 seconds. The starring role of Hitomi-sensei will be played by Rina Akiyama (Kamen Rider Den-O and Kamen Rider Agito). According to Tokyograph, Hitomi-sensei is “a young teacher whose constant lies cause trouble around her”.

The show will be broadcast on TBS starting October 1. It will air late Mondays through Wednesdays between 3am and 4am. The series is scheduled to run for about 6 months.

The photo of Rina Akiyama (with two of her “students”) came from her website.

Tokyograph Story:
Rina Akiyama stars in 90-second drama series

Japanese Source:
TBS

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Back in May, manga-ka Ken Akamatsu confirmed in his blog (May 18th entry) that a live-action adaptation of his manga, Negima! Magister Negi Magi was underway. Then in July, the official website for the live-action TV drama announced the 31 actresses cast as the students in the story’s middle school class. Most recently, at a September 1 press conference/event, the rest of the cast was revealed. The lead male role of Negi Springfield will be played by 13-year old actress Yukina Kashiwa (who has had roles in Tokusō Sentai Dekaranger and Garo). She is seen below with Sara Wakatsuki, who plays Asuna Kagurazaka.

The role of Negi will still be that of a young boy magician (9-10 years old). Other members of the cast include actress Nao Oikawa, who will play Shizuna Minamoto (Negi’s advisor) and comedian Hiroshi, who will play Takamichi Takahata (art teacher). Here is a synopsis from Wikipedia:

“After graduating from the Merdiana Magic Academy in Wales, he is given a duty as a cover in the real world, and training, before he actually becomes a Magister Magi. That duty is to become an English teacher at Mahora Academy in Japan. The task will not be easy, however, as Negi will become a teacher to a Middle School class of 31 older girls, each very special in her own way. The series details his time and adventures in Japan as he gains acceptance and respect from his students, helps them in their problems, and faces magical threats from inside and outside Mahora Academy. His main relationship is with Asuna Kagurazaka, his student and roommate, who dislikes him initially but later accepts him as a friend and becomes his partner, helping find clues about his father and his life.”

The drama premieres in Japan on October 3.

Mainichi Interactive posted the pictures of the press conference…above is a picture of the entire class. StarChild has posted some pictures from the set during shooting.

ANN Story:
Negima! Live-Action Drama’s Negi Played by 13-Year-Old Girl

Japanese Source:
Moon Phase

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Back in June, David wrote about the upcoming live-action adaptation of Speed Racer. In Japan, the 1966 manga and the two anime TV series (1967/68 and 1997) went by the title of Mach Go Go Go. The English title was Speed Racer (Speed Racer X for the 1997 series).

It looks like shooting for the live-adaptation is over…at least for Susan Sarandon (Mom Racer). She recently spoke with mtv.com’s moviesblog (via ANN) about the movie:

“I just finished with the Wachowskis…I just came from Berlin where I was doing ‘Speed Racer,’” Susan Sarandon told us over the weekend, talking about the flick that has her playing Speed’s mother opposite John Goodman as the dad. “I can’t even understand [what they’re doing]. But I worked with the chimp, so that was really worth it.”

She revealed that the Wachowski Brothers will be using the original theme song as well as the sound effects. She also noted that the film will be using an innovative hi-def camera system and technique which will reproduce the multi-focal point look of animation. Additionally, the Brothers will be using a very saturated palette, again to reproduce the look of animation:

“[All] of it is in-focus, the front and the back, because they’re layering the film,” Sarandon explained of the technique, which hopes to make the live-action resemble real-life anime. “You know, in a cartoon, everything is in focus, right? Well, we don’t act like cartoons – we act like real people. But it’s very saturated, the look of it – it’s not an animated process over us, there are real people in this very bright world. Every color that was not in The Matrix is in this movie.”

The movie is currently scheduled to be released on May 9, 2008.
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Finally, here are a couple of news bits about North American releases of Japanese live-action movies and one story about a live-action series which won some awards:

From dvdactive, here is news about Paramount’s upcoming DVD release of the 2004 film Casshern:

“Paramount Home Entertainment has sent over artwork for the Kazuaki Kiriya directed Casshern which features stars Kumiko Aso, and Yusuke Iseya. The disc will be available to own from the 16th October, and should retail at around $26.99. The film itself will be presented in anamorphic widescreen, along with a Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track. English subtitles will also be provided. We have no word on any extra material for this one yet – but we’ll let you know just as soon as we hear anything. Stay tuned.”

The film is based on the 1973/74 anime TV series, Shinzō Ningen Kyashān (translated as “Neo-Human Casshern”). There was also an OVA released in 1993.

Here is the live-action’s plot summary from the ANN Encyclopedia:

“Fifty years of war between the Great Eastern Federation and Europa – now merged as Eurasia – have taken their toll on planet Earth. As a result of the use of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, much of Earth has become uninhabitable and people have become prey to new diseases. Professor Azuma’s “neo-cell” project, which is supposed to be the answer to mankinds hardships, becomes a nightmare come true when mutants spawned from the experiment escape and declare war on the human race. Azuma’s son Tetsuya, who was killed during the previous war, is reborn into the cyborg Casshern as mankind’s last hope against the new mutant threat.”

Very few details here, but according to ANN, Viz Pictures (part of Viz Media) will be releasing the 2006 live-action adaptation of Lovely Complex in the spring of 2008.

Lovely Complex is a shōjo manga series by Aya Nakahara which ran from 2001 to 2006 in Shueisha’s Bessatsu Margaret. In addition to the live-action movie it has been adapted into a TV anime series (2007), a PS2 game (2006), and 2 drama CDs.

From the ANN Encyclopedia, the story is about:

“Risa Koizumi and Atsushi Otani are two high school students who both have height complexes. Risa is a tall girl and Otani is a short guy. They have each confessed to someone before, but were rejected because of their height differences. In school, they are known as “All Hanshin Kyojin” because of their height differences and the fact that they are always bickering in a comedic way. They are both looking for love and they just might find it in someone they didn’t think they would: each other.”

The live-action adaptation of Tomoko Ninomiya’s manga, Nodame Cantabile, was nominated in five categories for the Seoul Drama Awards, which recognizes excellence in television made-for-TV dramas. It won in three categories…Best Mini-series, Best Director (Hideki Takeuchi), and Best Music (Daisuke Mogi, Music Director). The show was also nominated for Best Art Director (Hideki Takeuchi) and Best Actress (Juri Ueno who plays Megumi “Nodame” Noda), which was won, incidentally, by Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect 7 aka Prime Suspect: The Final Act).

Here is a brief synopsis from the ANN Encyclopedia:

“Chiaki is a top-level piano student at a Music Academy in Japan. After getting into a fight with his teacher, he finds himself demoted to the lower classes. His dream is to become a conductor in Europe, but he cannot study overseas due to an extreme fear of flying. To top it all off, he ends up having to work with an annoying girl, Noda, who has a crush on him, and also lives in the apartment next to him.”

Oh, and here is another of those d-addicts’ correlation charts so you can see how the cast relates to each other:

ANN Story:
Manga Adaptation Wins Korean TV Drama Awards

Source:
Seoul Drama Awards

A brief mention here…according to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. Pictures and Maguire Entertainment, the production company of Tobey Maguire (Spiderman movies), have acquired the film production rights to the Robotech franchise from Harmony Gold USA. I’ll write more about this in my next regular Anime News article.

Read Live-action News, Part 2 of 3 and Live-action News, Part 1 of 3.