What do Ren and Stimpy, Spongebob, Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, Batman and Superman the animated series, Early Sesame Street, Osamu Tezuka, The Simpsons, Beatles Yellow Submarine, Akira, Charlie Brown and Peanuts, Kim Possible, Jay Ward, Hayao Miyazaki, Sonic the Hedgehog, Nightmare Before Christmas, Mr. Magoo, Brave Little Toaster and ‘The Art of Bill Plympton’ have in […]
Kenji Iwaisawa’s offbeat On-Gaku: Our Sound (2019) has attracted a loyal following in the US; it even earned an Annie nomination for Independent feature. Although it’s based on a self-published manga by Hiroyuki Ohashi, Iwaisawa wrote the screenplay, directed the film and animated it almost single-handedly. He simply couldn’t afford professional animators; the film’s shoestring […]
Many recent anime TV programs reflect Japan’s daunting socio-economic problems in the post-Bubble economy: An aging, shrinking population; a bleak financial future that makes many young people undesirable as potential marriage partners; growing economic inequality; the persistent trauma from the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident Westerners call Fukushima—and the government’s ineffectual response to it.
GKIDS and long-time partner Fathom Events, are continuing their collaboration this summer, bringing back a series of critically acclaimed and fan-favorite anime features. Kicking off the series is the 2020 animated tour-de-force from Studio 4°C (Tekkonkinkreet, MFKZ, Mind Game), CHILDREN OF THE SEA. Directed by Ayumu Watanabe, with a score by award-winning composer and longtime […]
Renowned filmmaker Yonfan’s No. 7 Cherry Lane is an epic, beautiful and emotional romantic drama. It’s also Oscar qualified for this year’s Best Animated Feature prize. In this Email Q&A, Yonfan explains how the first animated film of his career came to life. YONFAN: I am not an art dealer but I was gifted with […]
