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Friday, May 29
Miss Hokusai ANIME REVIEW
RELEASE: 25 April 2016
FROM: Anime Limited
FORMAT: DVD & Blu-ray
PRICE (RRP): £17.99 (DVD), £19.99 (Blu-ray), £59.99 (Collector’s Edition)
AGE RATING: 12
Set in Edo in the early 19th century, Production I.G movie Miss Hokusai is as sound a film about art and artists as you’re likely to find, animated or live action. It tells the story of O-Ei, the 20-something daughter of great ukiyo-e painter Katsushika Hokusai (although she calls him “Tetsuzo” throughout; the man had more names than a phone directory).
A talented artist in her own right, O-Ei and her scruffy, workaholic dad live together in comfortable squalor in a tiny house littered with drawings and crumpled paper – “We don’t cook. We don’t clean. It gets too dirty, we move.” Her mother has already transferred to pastures new and more salubrious; her blind sister O-Nao left in the care of nuns.
Adapted from a manga by the late Hinako Sugiura, director Keiichi Hara (Colorful) brings the hustle and bustle of
Edo to life through a series of vignettes. Not only do we meet the floating world staples – courtesans, samurai, street peddlers and, of course, painters – but popular print subjects such as yokai and dragons find their way into the narrative too.
While Miss Hokusai may not be the most plot-driven of movies, it’s by no means formless or lacking in theme. The father-daughter relationship between O-Ei and Hokusai is delicately handled, as is the reluctance of these two consummate observers of humanity to fully engage with the nitty-gritty, emotional aspects of life themselves.
For O-Ei, it’s the romantic side of her nature that she’s unwilling to face up to; a prolific sketcher of erotica, she retreats inside herself whenever any of the handsome, eligible artists who flock to her father make a pass. Meanwhile, Hokusai goes out of his way to avoid his other daughter O-Nao, whose illness is a constant reminder of his own mortality.
In some ways, O-Ei is the ideal protagonist for a historical drama, in that we only know the broad strokes of her life – leaving both manga author and film maker free to fill in the gaps. Sporting big ol’ eyebrows, a perma-pouty lower lip and – frequently – a pipe, she’s a main character we can believe in; goodhearted, grouchy and thoroughly independent.
O-Ei also possesses the crowning virtue of not behaving as if she’s in a historical drama. Although its snapshots of Edo life are peppered with detail – loose-living samurai Zenjiro Ikeda and gauche, likeable Kuninao Utagawa were both real ukiyo-e artists, for example – Miss Hokusai wears its learning lightly; it never feels like you’re being bludgeoned with a history book. The guitar rock that bookends the film’s soundtrack also reminds us that for the characters, 19th century Edo is a modern metropolis, not some picturesque stage set.
As expected of Production I.G, Miss Hokusai looks the part as well. The animation may lack Ghibli lavishness, but Hokusai wouldn’t have much to moan about when it comes to capturing his world, whether it’s the bustle of a busy bridge or a winter’s walk in the snow. There are also nods to the famous “Great Wave Off Kanagawa” and the “Great Daruma”, his 600ft-long portrait created using a broom and buckets of ink, while the closing scene gives us a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glimpse of Edo’s transformation into present day Tokyo.
Some films make an immediate impression, blasting out a fanfare of flashy set pieces and bombastic action, only to shrink once the rush wears off. Miss Hokusai is the opposite – understated and nuanced, it’s a film that repays re-watching and improves with time.
Anime Limited Panel @ MCM London Comic Con
The distribution company Anime Limited opened MCM Comic Con in style on Friday with a flurry of announcements about their upcoming releases. Marketing executive Jeremy Graves and product manager Kat Hall took to the Platinum Suite stage to give fans the good news during the first panel of the day, and provided information about 14 new anime titles that will be distributed by the company.
Describing their products as the “anime version of the Criterion collection”, Graves and Hall first discussed the products that will already be available for fans to purchase at Comic Con ahead of their general release later this year. A remastered HD release of the 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam Part 1, as well as collectors’ editions of Full Metal Panic!, Baccano, and Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya are all on sale at their booth in the main hall.
Designed by Hall to provide the best possible product for fans, each of the collectors’ editions will come with exclusive art books and other extras, such as tarot cards in the Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya box.
Fans rejoiced at the prospect of new products to buy, but it was the discussion about Anime Limited’s 2016 releases that really grabbed the audience’s attention. Ninja Slayer From Animation, Expelled From Paradise and Tokyo ESP were the first series to be announced. Expelled From Paradise is set to be released on 25 January, while Tokyo ESP will be out in February, and Ninja Slayer From Animation will be sold in 2016.
The pair also announced the HD Blu-ray release of The Disappearance Of Haruhi Suzumiya, which has previously not been available to buy in the UK. While both Ping Pong and Fusé Memoirs Of A Huntress are set to be released in January, with a special collector’s edition available for the first series. Makoto Shinkai’s The Place Promised In Our Early Days and Voices Of A Distant Star will also be sold by Anime Limited, and an exclusive steel book of the film will be available.
The panel then announced that series two of Durarara are being licensed by the company, and part one of the anime, and both will be sold in February. Graves and Hall also revealed that, following its theatrical release in early 2016, Miss Hokusai will come out on DVD and Blu-ray in March.
Finally, the panel also brought some light to the slightly delayed release of Shinichiro Watanabe’s Terror In Resonance, which was originally slated for distribution earlier this year. The series will now be available in March or April of 2016, and will come in an “ultimate package”, which will include a DVD and Blu-ray version of the series, as well as an art book inside. Anime Limited is set to make more announcements of their upcoming releases on Sunday at MCM Comic Con, so keep a lookout for more news on their latest products.
"London Loves Anime" Announced At MCM Scotland Comic Con
Was there ever any doubt that Scotland loves anime? After the Scotland Loves Anime festival panel at Scotland Comic Con, there certainly isn’t! Scotland Loves Anime festival director Andrew Partridge and All the Anime social media giant Jeremy Graves were in attendance to reveal news about the festival and answer questions from an enthusiastic audience. Ironically, however, the biggest news from the panel wasn’t about Scotland, but London – a world premiere, in fact. But we’ll get to that in a moment.
First of all they promoted their screening of Empire Of Corpses which will be shown in Glasgow a mere eight days after its initial release in Japanese cinemas – so those attending the festival will be amongst the first people to see the film outside of Japan.
Another one of the giant films headlining the festival is the UK premiere of Miss Hokusai. From the studio that brought us Giovanni’s Island, Miss Hokusai depicts the story of the famous artist Katsushika Hokusai and his daughter. The film will be screened at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Saturday 10 October, and the festival is celebrating this prestigious occasion with by bringing the film’s director, Keiichi Hara, to Glasgow to introduce the film and take part in a post-screening Q&A.
The team was also delighted to announce a theatrical programme for the Japan Anima(tor)’s Exhibition from Studio Khara, the talent behind Evangelion 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0! The exhibition pulls together a series of shorts focusing on original projects, music PV, VJ films, etc. The programme will be screened at the Filmhouse Edinburgh on Friday 16 October and it is recommended for over 18s only.
Andrew Partridge pointed out an interesting note regarding the screenings of Dragon Ball Z – Resurrection ‘F’. If you would prefer to see this shown in Japanese with English subtitles you will need to attend the Glasgow screening on Saturday 10 October at the Glasgow Film Theatre. If you like to watch your anime in dubbed English you can attend the screening at the Filmhouse Edinburgh on Sunday 18 October.
For those attending MCM London Comic Con in October listen up! You lot are getting a little taste of Scotland Loves Anime. The festival organisers are planning to run a small festival of films alongside Comic Con over the weekend at a nearby theatre.
They revealed that they will be having theatrical screenings of Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin Episode I and Episode II – the latter of which will be a world premiere no less. This event will be ticketed separately from MCM London Comic Con and more information will be revealed in the coming weeks.
During the following Q&A panel attendees asked what were the chances of Scotland Loves Anime screening some classic anime films at their festival? Andrew answered that while there isn’t any on this year’s programme, it doesn’t mean that they won’t show some in the future, highlighting that they’ve successfully sold out two screenings of Cowboy Bebop in previous years. Typically they would do screenings when it’s surrounding DVD/Blu-Ray releases of the chosen film.
When asked what their top picks were for the festivals Partridge chose Empire Of Corpses, Miss Houksai and Boruto: The Naturo Movie. Jeremy Graves gushed revealing his chosen pick to be Dragon Ball Z – Resurrection ‘F’ stating that, “I’m a giant by trade, but a Dragon Ball fan by heart”.
Andrew and Jeremy explained the inner workings of organising the festival when asked how much work goes into collecting these titles. Andrew talked how the work was more than just requiring the rights to these titles, it’s also about respecting the reputation of the work. They admitted that the end result in delivering these films to this audience and bringing Japanese guests across to Scotland makes it all worthwhile. With each guest they introduce they feel they are also creating a bigger reputation in Japan when the artist then spreads the word about how well they were received in Scotland.
One attendee asked if they had to choose between the Glasgow and Edinburgh screenings which would they choose? They laughed explaining it’s as if they’ve been asked to choose between which child they love more. Jeremy recommended Glasgow if you want the whole festival encapsulated in a weekend and he suggested Edinburgh would be best if you were spending the week in the city and you could take the festival in daily.
Scotland Loves Anime will be in the GFT, Glasgow from 9-11 October and at the Filmhouse Edinburgh from 12-18 October. They will also be showing a select set of films at the Belmont Cinema, Aberdeen on 23-24 October. For further information visit LovesAnimation.com or follow the festival on Facebook & Twitter.