Tezuka's Buddha and Princess Knight Anime Movies!

More Tezuka movies are on the way!

Tezuka Productions has announced that both Tezuka's Buddha and Princess Knight (Ribbon no Kishi) will be getting the feature film treatment in the form of two new anime movies. These films could be released as early as next year.

Princess Knight has been animated before through a 1960's anime series as well as an earlier movie in 1994. But Tezuka's manga interpretation of Buddha has never been animated. It will be very interesting to see how these films turn out. I'll be keeping an eye on them!

Source: Japantor - Anime News Network

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TETSUJIN 28 CG ANIMATED MOVIE?

We all know that Imagi has it's Astro Boy animated movie set for release later this year, as well as Gatchaman in the works, but it's looks like it's possible that one more classic anime franchise might be making the Computer Generated leap to the big screen thanks to those talented artists and animators in Hong Kong. And if you've been reading Felix Ip's blog lately, you know that something big is brewing!

Tetsujin 28, the classic franchise sometimes known internationally as Gigantor, could very well be one of the next animated feature films produced by Imagi!

Created in 1956 as a manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama (who also created "Giant Robo"), Tetsujin 28 is very first giant robot story. It has spawned multiple anime adaptations and a recent live action movie. This is legendary character who absolutely deserves a well done animated feature meant for audiences around the world.

To announce this potential project, Imagi has just unveiled a very elaborate website for the movie, complete with a teaser trailer. This animation is likely made just to drum up interest in the project and may or may not represent what the film winds up being like. Obviously the main character's appearance has been updated, but the robots have got that awesome retro look you would hope for. The website has story information and wallpapers, with concept art and more on the way. Pretty impressive for a movie that isn't even officially coming out yet! Looks like they are simply going with "T28" as the name of the film.

At the end of the teaser, there is a chance for you to say if you would like to see Tetsujin made as a movie by Imagi, and to write some comments. It is pretty much unprecedented for a film production to be this open to the potential audience at this point, so be sure to tell them what you think!

This is quite an interesting development because Astro Boy and Tetsujin 28 are products of about the same time, and are in some ways rival characters. I think it's so cool that classic anime characters like these are getting the chance to show how great they are to a whole new global audience, thanks to the same animation studio. Let's hope that the T28 film gets off the ground!

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Anime VS Hollywood

Found this interesting article from the Daily Yomiuri, written by Japanamerica author Roland Kelts, about the positive changes happening in cross pollination between Hollywood and the world of anime and manga. In it is an interesting quote from an Imagi employee working on the upcoming animated Astro Boy movie about how feedback from Japan changed their vision of the movie for the better.

"We showed a preview to some focus groups in Tokyo," said the Imagi producer of Astro Boy, "and the results were disastrous. Our Astro Boy was too snarky, too mature. They wanted to reclaim the original character's innocence."

You can read "Hollywood's new respect for anime sources" on the Daily Yomiuri Online website or read an archived copy right here by clicking the link below.

SOFT POWER HARD TRUTHS / Hollywood's new respect for anime sources

Roland Kelts / Special to The Daily Yomiuri

This March, I had dinner in Los Angeles with two producers from U.S. animation studios making American versions of anime originals. One, a Chinese-American, was from Imagi, the company working on next year's computer-graphic Astro Boy, a film based on Osamu Tezuka's 1960s classic. The other, a Filipino-American, was with Gonzo Digimation Holdings, the company that produces Afro Samurai, an original manga turned international anime series featuring the voice of Samuel L. Jackson.

Both producers were jovial, if anxious about the ongoing decline in U.S. anime DVD sales. But they were also quite keen to share their experiences of working with their counterparts in Japan.

"We showed a preview to some focus groups in Tokyo," said the Imagi producer of Astro Boy, "and the results were disastrous. Our Astro Boy was too snarky, too mature. They wanted to reclaim the original character's innocence."

The staffer on Afro Samurai said this: "We originally thought the collaboration would be, you know, 50-50, between Japan and the U.S. But, to be honest, the final product is more 80-20, with the Japanese input at 80. They knew what they were doing, and we didn't want to screw it up."

In both cases, smart young Asian-Americans were conceding that they needed the Japanese input to make their projects succeed.

This was news to me. In my book Japanamerica, I cite several cases of Japanese artists or producers mishandling (or failing to handle) their intellectual properties once they left the archipelago. Even the original Pokemon franchise first funneled its millions of profit dollars into the bank accounts of its U.S. distributor, a company called 4Kids.

The story was painfully simple: Japanese producers would receive a phonebook-sized contract from the United States, couldn't read all the legalese in English, but recognized a minimal up-front payment in the millions--and would sign away all of their subsidiary rights. I wrote about the absurdity of Japan's losses, wincing as I did so.

A week before the U.S. elections this month, NHK aired a program about recent encounters between anime companies and Hollywood studios called, fittingly, Anime vs. Hollywood.

Included in the show were scenes from the forthcoming Astro Boy movie and Afro Samurai, promoting both projects in the relatively somber tones of a documentary.

And guess what? There was David Bowers, director of the Hollywood Astro Boy film, traveling to Tokyo to seek the approval of Yoshihiro Shimizu, executive producer of Tezuka Productions, for Imagi's latest version of Tezuka's creation.

There, too, was Gonzo's Shinichiro Ishikawa, palling around in Los Angeles with Samuel L. Jackson, laughing and working hard on the newest version of Afro Samurai, which will also include the voice of newly signed Lucy Liu, the Asian-American Charlie's Angel.

In other words: Japanese producers were shown flying to the United States to control their products, and Americans were seen in Tokyo, seeking the approval of the original artists.

The scenes of mutual engagement and respect between anime and Hollywood felt groundbreaking, especially given the history of willful ignorance on both sides. Combined with the comments made by the two Asian-American producers in Los Angeles last spring, they produce a portrait of soft power finally working its mojo--motivating people to work together across national borders largely because they want to.

When Barack Hussein Obama, another hybrid American, was elected president of the United States last week, I and a lot of my friends were deeply moved, regardless of party affiliation, political slant or even passport designation. Obama has a lot to live up to, and an awful lot of hard work to do. But we were stirred by the mere suggestion of a 21st-century America that might reach out to others in a spirit of collaboration, as he has promised to do, seeking advice and counsel and offering strength and support rather than unilateral force and coercion--especially since the threat of declining fortunes long facing the anime industry is now being shared by the rest of us.

Kelts is a Tokyo University lecturer who divides his time between Tokyo and New York. He is the author of "Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S." (www.japanamericabook.com), now available in an updated paperback edition. His column appears twice a month.
(Nov. 14, 2008)

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Speed Racer hits Japan

Things have come full circle as the live action movie "Speed Racer", based on the classic Japanese anime, has been released to theaters in Japan this week. To mark the occasion, the Japan Times has a pair of articles, written by Patrick Macias, about the original anime.

'Speed Racer': drawing on an anime legend is an incredible interview with Ippei Kuri, one of the founders of Tatsunoko and creators of "Mahha GoGoGo", and 'Americanizing' a cartoon classic focuses on Peter Fernandez, who adapted the Japanese series into the series known internationally as Speed Racer.

It's interesting to note that Speed Racer was a much bigger hit outside Japan than it was in its own country. And yet, the Speed Racer movie hasn't done very well and is considered to be a box office disappointment. How will Japan accept the film, and what bearing does it have, if any, on the Astro Boy movie?

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Speed Racer Spoiler-Free Review

I'm kind of struggling to find the right words to describe the Speed Racer movie. I guess the easiest thing I could say about it is that I have never been so happy to get a headache. Speed Racer is some of the most fun I've ever had at the movies.

With it's bright colors, rich details, and incredibly fast racing sequences, the live action Speed Racer movie is not a film that everyone is going to enjoy, or even be able to handle. Motion sickness did kick in for me towards the end of the film. But I had a smile on my face nearly the entire time, and when I wasn't smiling I was gasping in amazement at the incredible visuals. It really looks and feels like no other movie that has come before it. Perhaps this new visual style is an acquired taste, as it has been criticized since the first images were revealed, but I was blown away by it. Speed Racer succeeds in bringing an animated property to life better than anything else, and you simply can't fault a movie for succeeding in being exactly what it wanted to be. The story is structured uniquely as well, with many flashbacks and events not necessarily unfolding linearly.


The cast was pretty much spot on, with everyone looking and acting exactly like their anime counterparts. John Goodman, in particular, was born to play Pops Racer. And Christina Ricci is totally adorable as Trixie. Speed himself is well played by Emile Hirsch as the ultimate do-gooder. And you gotta love Sprittle and Chim-Chim. They were pretty annoying at times, but they were worth a few laughs and kids really liked them. All of these characters really emphasized the family aspect of the movie, and made it more than just a display in special effects. And of course, you've got the original anime bad-ass in Racer X, who is just as cool, if not more so, than he was on the TV show.


Another thing that warrants some attention is the music. The score weaves in the classic soundtrack from the cartoon in both subtle and dramatic fashion over the course of the film. It was exceptionally well done and will fill fans with great memories of the TV series.


This is a movie that really goes all out in being what it is without trying to make sense of adapting the source material into typical Hollywood context. It's clearly set in it's own alternate reality where cars can look and move the way they do and it's not weird at all for the Racer family to name their son "Speed" and have a pet chimpanzee. It just got everything right without either taking itself too seriously or mocking the original show. You either get it or you don't. Speed Racer fans will love it. Speed Racer is much better as a Speed Racer movie than, say, a movie like Transformers is about Transformers. In my opinion, most of the negative press surrounding Speed Racer centers more around critics attempting to write witty headlines like "Speed Racer Crashes" or "Speed Racer Runs Out of Gas" than actually giving the film a chance. Those who do give it a chance will likely find a movie with a lot of heart, warm nostalgic feelings, amazing visuals, and most of all, tons of fun. I have a lot of pity for anyone who doesn't.

So, yeah, Speed Racer is a wild ride, and the rapid paced, crazy camera angles a did give me a headache. But it was the best headache I ever had. Watching this movie was an absolute blast.

Go see Speed Racer!

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Speed Racer is here!

The wait is over! The first major Hollywood adaptation of a classic anime has now been released to North American theaters. Speed Racer is here, and with its release comes a wave of coverage and interest in all things anime, including Astro Boy and other series released in the 60's.

Here are a few articles that have been popping up around the Internet.


'60s Japanese cartoons led to anime, new 'Speed Racer' film - This article explores the origins of anime internationally and lists of a few of the more important and successful Japanese animated imports of the time.


SOFT POWER, HARD TRUTHS / America in Speed's rear-view mirror - An interesting look at how Speed Racer was originally shaped by American culture.

Nostalgia for 'Racer' more than kid stuff - A really beautiful article about how Speed Racer was a deeper and more meaningful cartoon than others of its era.

Introducing anime - The filmmakers talk about their introduction to Speed Racer and anime.

Fast and furious - A fairly detailed article of what the movie is all about.

Speed Racer looks like no other movie that's ever been made. This could be the dawning of a brand new visual genre of film. Make sure you see it and judge for yourself. Expect a review on the movie right here very soon!

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