Recommended Japanese Anime Movies List

Recommended Japanese Anime Movies List:

The Legend of the White Snake (Hakujaden) 1958 The first full-color, feature-length cartoon movie in Japan. Based on the Chinese folktale 'Bai Su Zhen/The Legend of the White Snake', also known as the Beijing Opera. The fantasy romance story of love between a young man Xu Xian and a white-snake personified fairy woman Bai Nyang. An aesthetic work full of Chinese taste. The screenplay and direction by Taiji Yabushita. Produced by Toei Animation.
The Adventures of Little Samurai (Shonen Sarutobi Sasuke) 1959 The second of the feature-length cartoon films by Toei Animation. A ninja/samurai action set in Japan's medieval period of Warring States. Based on Kazuo Dan's novel in a newspaper. The story of a boy named Sasuke Sarutobi, who did the training of ninjutsu under a ninjutsu-master Hakuunsai Tozawa, and fights with the samurai warrior Yukimura Sanada against an evil enchantress Yasha-Hime (Princess Yasha). The first CinemaScope animated film in Japan. Directed by Taiji Yabushita and Akira Daikuhara.
Saiyuki
(Alakazam the Great) 1960 The third of the feature-length cartoon films by Toei Animation. Based on Osamu Tezuka's manga (graphic novel), 'Boku no Son Goku/Son-Goku the Monkey', an adaptation of the Chinese classical fantasy novel 'Hsi Yu Chi/Journey to the West'. The comedy action story of Son Goku, a monkey boy with supernatural arts, who takes an adventurous journey with Chinese Buddhist priest Sanzo-hoshi to India in order to get the Buddhist texts. Directed by Taiji Yabushita, Osamu Tezuka and Daisaku Shirakawa. The English-dubbed version entitled 'Alakazam the Great' was released in the US.
Anju to Zushio-maru
(The Littlest Warrior) 1961 The fourth of the feature-length cartoon films by Toei Animation. Based on "Anju to Zushio (Anju and Zushio)", which is the traditional story from medieval Japan, and known as the original of the novel "Sansho Dayu (Sansho the Bailiff)" written by Ogai Mori. Set in the Mutsu Country (in northeastern Japan), in the last days of the Heian period (the 11th century). The unhappy story about a girl named Anju and her younger brother Zushio-maru, who were separated from their parents, and were forced to work as slave laborers under Sansho Dayu, a greedy and ruthless bailiff. The images like Japanese-style paintings or picture scrolls are beautiful. Directed by Taiji Yabushita and Yugo Serikawa.
Arabian Nights: The Adventures of Sindbad 1962 The fifth of the feature-length cartoon films by Toei Animation is an action/adventure derived from 'The Arabian Nights/Alf Laylah wa Laylah' (the collection of Indian/Persian/Middle Eastern stories written in Arabic). The story of a young man Sindbad, who makes an adventurous voyage with a boy named Ali and Princess Samir, in search of the treasure island in the south. The screenplay by Osamu Tezuka (manga artist) and Morio Kita (novelist). Directed by Taiji Yabushita and Yoshio Kuroda.
The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon (Wanpaku Oji no Orochi Taiji) 1963 The sixth of the feature-length cartoon films by Toei Animation. An action adventure film on the Japanese ancient myths. The story of a naughty little prince named Susanoo, who embarks on an adventurous journey to search Underworld where his dead mother Izanami lives, and in the Izumo Country, he fights off the Eight-Headed Dragon. The chief animator is Yasuji Mori. The music by contemporary composer Akira Ifukube, who is known for his music for the Japanese special-effects monster film 'Godzilla'. Directed by Yugo Serikawa.
Doggie March (Wan Wan Chushingura) 1963 The seventh of the feature-length cartoon films by Toei Animation is an animal animation produced as competition with Walt Disney Studios. The story of a wild dog in the woods named Rock, whose mother was killed by a tiger named Killer. Rock and his fellow stray dogs in the town try to fight against Killer and his followers of wild beasts. The title and the motif of "revenge" derive from the Japanese medieval story "Chushingura" (the English title is "The Treasury of Loyal Retainers" or "Revenge of the Forty-Seven Ronin". Also known as Kabuki play or stage drama), but the story content is universal and modern, and it has little relation to "Chushingura". The origial story and storyline by Osamu Tezuka. Directed by Daisaku Shirakawa.
Gulliver's Space Travel 1965 The eighth of the feature-length cartoon films by Toei Animation is a fantasy adventure set in outer space, inspired by "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift. The story of a homeless boy named Ted and an old scientist Dr. Gulliver, who took a spaceship and embarked on an adventurous journey for the 'Blue Planet of Hope', but the 'Blue Planet' had been under the occupation of robots, and the people in the planet had escaped to the 'Purple Planet' in despair. Ted and Gulliver try to bring down the rule by the robots to help the people from the 'Blue Planet'. An artistic film with highly stylized shapes and exquisite color tones. The animation director is Hideo Furusawa. Directed by Yoshio Kuroda. Released in the US theaters in 1966.
Cyborg 009 1966 The first movie version of 'Cyborg 009', Shotaro Ishinomori (former name was Ishimori)'s Sci-Fi saga manga (started in 1964). A Sci-Fi action with the story of a team of 9 cyborgs, produced by Dr. Gilmore, who fight for world peace against 'Black Ghost', the organization of war industry (merchants of death). Directed by Yugo Serikawa. Produced by Toei Animation. Unlike the previous cartoon films by Toei Animation, this film was produced in the method of Japanese TV anime, called 'limited animation'. There are also the second movie version 'Cyborg 009: Monster War' (1967), the first TV anime series (1967-68, monochrome), the second TV anime series (1979-80), the third movie version 'Cyborg 009: Legend of the Super Galaxy' (1980), and the third TV anime series (2001-2002).
Cyborg 009: Monster War 1967 See the paragraph about the Cyborg 009 the first movie. The second movie version. The evil organization 'Black Ghost' attacked around the world, using dinosaur (plesiosaur) type giant robots, and the team of 9 cyborgs launched their quest for the Black Ghost's hideout. 009 met a girl named Helena, who was actually the 10th cyborg, 0010, and a spy sent out by Black Ghost, and she tries to kill 009. The animation produced by Toei Animation. Directed by Yugo Serikawa.
Jack and the Witch (Shonen Jack to Mahotsukai) 1967 An action fantasy film produced by Toei Animation. The story of a boy named Jack (a descendant of Beowulf, the hero in the myth of North Europe), who was taken away by a devil girl named Kikie and came over to the castle of the Witch Grendel. Grendel had kidnapped children and changed them into devils. Jack tries saving Kikie, who is ready to be killed by Grendel. Directed by Taiji Yabushita.
Horus: The Prince of the Sun (Little Norse Prince Valiant) 1968 A heroic/socialistic mob action/drama anime by the young staffs of Toei Animation at the time: directed by Isao Takahata, and scene design by Hayao Miyazaki. Based on Ainu's oral epic (Ainu is Japan's indigenous people) and Kazuo Fukazawa's puppet play. The scene is laid in northern Europe. The story of a boy named Horus, who and village people unite in fighting against the invasion by the devil Grunwald. A product of leftist ideology and labor union movement in the 1960s. Since this work, Takahata and Miyazaki kept on working as a director-animator team for a long time.
Fables from Hans Christian Andersen (Toei Animation version) 1968 A musical fantasy film (80 minutes) describing the Danish author and poet, Hans Christian Andersen's boyhood as a story in combination with his four fairy tales, 'Ole-Luk-Oie, The Dream God/The Sandman', 'Thumbelina', 'The Red Shoes' and 'The Little Match Girl'. The animation produced by Toei Animation. Directed by Kimio Yabuki. The animation director is Akira Daikuhara. The music by Seiichiro Uno. A TV anime series 'Andersen Stories' (aired in 1971. 52 episodes) produced by Mushi Productions has the same title ('Andersen Monogatari' in Japanese) as this film, but there is no direct relationship between them.
The Master Cat or Puss in Boots 1969 A feature-length action/comedy film based on the juvenile literature 'The Master Cat or Puss in Boots' (Le Maître chat ou le chat botté) by French writer Charles Perrault. The first film of the 'Toei Manga Festival'. The story of Pero, a cat with long boots, and a boy named Pierre, who have a try at getting the Princess Rosa out of The Satan, Lucifer. The highlight is the thrilling chase scene on the steeples of Lucifer's castle. Hayao Miyazaki participated as a key animator. Directed by Kimio Yabuki.
The Flying Ghost Ship 1969 A Sci-Fi horror action film based on the manga (graphic novel) by Shotaro Ishinomori (former name was Ishimori). The story of a boy named Hayato Arashiyama, who got involved in the fight between the mysterious ghost ship and a large corporation Kuroshio Products Company, and he fights with the ghost ship against Boa, a mysterious undersea life that controlled Kuroshio's conspiracy from behind. The highlights are the scenes drawn by Hayao Miyazaki, where the giant robot Golem destroys Tokyo. Directed by Hiroshi Ikeda. Produced by Toei Animation.
A Thousand and One Nights 1969 An entertaining action/adventure based on 'The Arabian Nights/Alf Laylah wa Laylah' (the collection of Indian/Persian/Middle Eastern stories written in Arabic), and an adult-oriented anime film that includes some erotic scenes. The story of a young man who had been a water seller in Baghdad, Aldin's checkered life full of love and adventure. The first theatrical, feature-length animated movie produced by manga artist Osamu Tezuka and his Mushi Production. The executive producer is Osamu Tezuka. Directed by Eiichi Yamamoto. The animation director is Sadao Miyamoto. The art direction (character design) by Takashi Yanase. The No.5 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 1969.
Cleopatra 1970 The second of the adult-oriented anime films, 'Animerama' (a coined word from anime and drama or cinerama) by Osamu Tezuka and his Mushi Production, following 'A Thousand and One Nights'. A historical drama on the checkered life of Cleopatra VII, the last queen of the Ptolemaic Dynasty of ancient Egypt. An amorous, comic film full of parodies/quotations from Japanese manga characters, famous paintings of all ages/countries and so on. The original story by Osamu Tezuka. Directed by Osamu Tezuka and Eiichi Yamamoto. The character design by Isao Kojima, who is known for his adult-oriented manga.
Thirty Thousand Miles Under the Sea 1970 A science-fiction cartoon film set in the world under the sea and the ground. The original story written by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori (former name was Ishimori). A 12-year-old boy Isamu, whose father is an oceanographer, got involved in the war between the Underground Kingdom and the Undersea Kingdom. The Underground King tries to conquer the world on the ground by manipulating big robotic monsters called "Flame Dragons", but Isamu struggles to interrupt the Underground Kingdom's invasion with the princess of the Undersea Kingdom, named Angel. The scenes with the Flame Dragons, like special effects monster film, are impressive. Directed by Takeshi Tamiya. Produced by Toei Animation.
Animal Treasure Island (Doubutsu Takarajima) 1971 An entertaining action adventure film adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, 'Treasure Island'. The story of a boy named Jim, who and a girl named Kathy go on an adventurous journey in search of Treasure Island, fighting against pirates. The pirates are all anthropomorphized animal characters. Hayao Miyazaki participated (idea construction and key animation). Directed by Hiroshi Ikeda. Produced by Toei Animation.
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Ali Baba to Yonju-ppiki no Tozoku) 1971 A entertaining comedy film filled with speedy motion and action. An original story based on the episode 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' from 'The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights'. A boy Al Huck, who is a descendant of the boss of the forty thieves, fights with his mouse Kajiru and 38 cats against a tyrant king, Ali Baba the 33rd. The cartoonish and freewheeling key animation by Yoichi Kotabe and young Hayao Miyazaki are worth seeing. Directed by Hiroshi Shitara. The animation director is Akira Daikuhara. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Panda Kopanda
(Panda! Go Panda!) 1972 A fairy-tale anime aimed at children. 'Ko-panda' means 'a kid/little panda'. The story of a commotion caused by a panda family (father and his son), who came to the house of a little girl Mimiko and lived with her. The original works, screenplay and scene design by Hayao Miyazaki. Directed by Isao Takahata. Recommended to those who like Miyazaki's 'My Neighbor Totoro'. Produced by Tokyo Movie. There is the sequel entitled 'Panda Kopanda: Rainy Circus' (1973).
Mazinger Z vs. Devilman 1973 The movie version that co-stars the two heroes from the TV animes based on the original by manga (graphic novel) artist Go Nagai and his Dynamic Productions: Mazinger Z and Devilman. Mazinger Z, who gained the ability to fly in the air with the jet-propelled wings called 'Jet Scrander', fights with Devilman against the allied forces between Dr. Hell's Machine Beasts and Monstrous Beasts from the Demon Race. Directed by Tomoharu Katsumata. Produced by Toei Animation.
Belladonna 1973 The third of the adult-oriented anime films by Mushi Production, following 'A Thousand and One Nights' and 'Cleopatra'. An avant-garde art film based on French historian, Jules Michelet's book "La Sorcière" (the title of the English version is "Satanism and Witchcraft"). Called "Anime Romanesque" in those days. Set in a farming community in medieval France. A sad story of a woman named Jeanne, who sold her body and soul to the devil for living with her beloved husband, Jean. Features the images drawn by illustrator, Kuni Fukai, and produced by an experimental method of using lots of still images and animating the illustrations. The images full of eroticism, like psychedelic wet dreams, are artistic and beautiful. Directed by Eiichi Yamamoto. The art by Kuni Fukai. The animation director is Gisaburo Sugii.
Mazinger Z vs. Grand General of Darkness 1974 The movie version that depicted an episode in the interval between the 2 TV series, Mazinger Z and the sequel, Great Mazinger: The Grand General of Darkness from the Mycenae Empire and his 7 Combat Beasts corps attack the cities around the world. In Tokyo, Mazinger Z is being attacked by the strong corps and gets mortally wounded, but the new hero Great Mazinger appears and with Mazinger Z beats back the Combat Beasts corps. Noted as the most memorable one in all of the 'Mazinger' movies. Directed by Nobutaka Nishizawa. Produced by Toei Animation.
Great Mazinger vs. Getter Robo 1975 A short film (30 minutes) released as one of the programs of 'Toei Manga Festival'. The movie version that co-stars the two giant robot heroes from the TV animes based on the original by manga (graphic novel) artist Go Nagai and his Dynamic Productions: Great Mazinger and Getter Robo. Great Mazinger from the Fortified Research Institute for Science and Getter Robo from the Saotome Research Institute cooperate with each other and fight against an unidentified flying saucer from space and a space monster GilGilGan. The original story by Go Nagai, Ken Ishikawa and Dynamic Productions. Directed by Masayuki Akehi. Produced by Toei Animation.
Uchu Enban Daisenso (Space Saucer Great War) 1975 A short film (30 minutes) released as one of the programs of 'Toei Manga Festival'. A giant robot anime using UFO (flying saucer) as a material. The story of the prince Duke Fleed, whose home, the planet Fleed was destroyed by the invading force led by Yarban the Great, and he escaped to the Earth and lived there as an Earthian Daisuke Umon. But the princess Terronna, who is Yarban's daughter and ex-lover of Duke Fleed, came to the Earth with the invading force, following Duke Fleed. Duke Fleed operates a UFO-type robot 'Gattaiger' and fights against the invading force. It is well-known that this film was the prototype of the later TV anime series 'Ufo Robo Grendizer'. The original works by Go Nagai and Dynamic Productions. Directed by Yugo Serikawa. Produced by Toei Animation.
Puss in Boots: Around the World in 80 Days 1976 The third of Toei Animation's 'Puss in Boots' series, following 'The Master Cat or Puss in Boots' (1969) and 'The Three Musketeers in Boots' (1972). An entertaining action/comedy film based on Jules Verne's 'Around the World in Eighty Days'. Pero (cat) made a bet with Lord Gourmont (pig), a big shot in the city, and he gambled that he could go around the world in 80 days. Pero challenges the round-the-world travel in 80 days with his fellows, Carter (river horse), Chibi (baby mouse) and Chibi's father, fighting against the interference by a hit team of three cats and Dr. Galigari (wolf), who was sent by Gourmont. Directed by Hiroshi Shitara.
Space Battleship Yamato 1977 See the paragraph about the Space Battleship Yamato TV series. The digest movie version edited from the first TV series. In Japan it scored a big hit at the theaters, and caused 'Yamato' boom (the first anime boom in Japan). The original works by Leiji Matsumoto. Supervised by Yoshinobu Nishizaki. Directed by Toshio Masuda. Produced by Office Academy.
Tenguri, the Boy of the Plains 1977 A short film (22 minutes) produced as a public relations film for Snow Brand Milk Products. Tenguri is a boy living in a rairie in Central Asia, who grew up with a calf named TaruTaru like brothers. One day, the village people tried to kill and eat TaruTaru for lack of food, but Tenguri made TaruTaru get way. Years later, the village people and Tenguri go on safari looking for cattle led by a bull with 'golden horns', and Tenguri meets up again with TaruTaru. A high-quality work by eminent creators, the original story by Osamu Tezuka, direction and animation direction by Yasuo Otsuka (animation director of "Horus: The Prince of the Sun", "Lupin III" the first TV series, "Panda Kopanda", "Samurai Giants", "Future Boy Conan" and "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro"), the key animation by Yoichi Kotabe (character designer and animation director of "Heidi, Girl of the Alps" and "Haha o Tazunete Sanzenri"), Yoshio Kabashima (animation director of "Shin Obake no Q-Taro", "Jungle Kurobee", "Ace wo Nerae!" the first TV series and "The Adventures of Gamba"), Hayao Miyazaki, Yoshifumi Kondo (director of "Whisper of the Heart") and others. It had been a rare film for a long time, because it was not on general release in theaters, but released on DVD in 2007. The animation produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: In the Name of Love 1978 See the paragraph about the Space Battleship Yamato TV series. The first original movie version of Yamato series and the sequel to the story of the TV series. In 2201 AD, ex-Yamato crew go aboard Yamato again and carry out suicidal attacks on the White Comet Empire Gatlantis trying to destroy planets and to conquer the universe. There was criticism for its romanticism as if to glorify death in war or suicide attack, but this movie was a big hit in Japan (the attendance was four million). The original works by Leiji Matsumoto. The original conception by Yoshinobu Nishizaki, Leiji Matsumoto and Toshio Masuda. The planning, production and supervision by Yoshinobu Nishizaki. Directed by Toshio Masuda and Leiji Matsumoto. Produced by Office Academy. Produced as the last program of the series, but after this many sequels had been produced: the second TV series 'Space Battleship Yamato 2' (1978-79), the TV special 'Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage' (1979), the movie 'Be Forever Yamato' (1980), the third TV series 'Space Battleship Yamato III' (1980-81), and the movie 'Space Battleship Yamato: The Final Battle' (1983).
Gatchaman the Movie 1978 See the paragraph about the 'Gatchaman' TV series. The movie version (1 hour and 50 minutes) produced as a redigest of the TV series (aired in 1972-1974). The Science Ninja Team battles against Gallactor's 'V2 Program' (the leader of Gallactor, Berg Katse threatens the human race with a Monster Bird Missile which can bring down the Van Allen radiation belt surrounding the Earth) and 'Black Hole Program' (Generalissimo X of Gallactor tries to wipe out the Earth by detonating a molecule bomb within the Earth). The climaxes are the scenes of brief reunion between Ken and his father, and the last sequence in which Joe dies. The original story by Tatsuo Yoshida. The general supervision by Kihachi Okamoto. Directed by Hisayuki Toriumi. The music by Koichi Sugiyama. The animation produced by Tstsunoko Production. Screened with 4 channel stereophonic system called 'Phoenix Sound'.
Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo 1978 See the paragraph about the Lupin III first TV series. The first movie version released when the second TV series was on the air. A slapstick action/comedy depicting a battle between Lupin III and Mamo, a mystery man who developed cloning technology at the very dawn of time, and gained enormous wealth and eternal life. The atmosphere is like the first half of the first TV series, and much closer to the image of the original manga (graphic novel) version by Monkey Punch, and more adult-oriented than other movie versions. The original story by Monkey Punch. Directed by Soji Yoshikawa. Supervised by Yasuo Otsuka. Produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha.
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro 1979 See the paragraph about the Lupin III first TV series. The second movie version. The scene is laid in Principality of Cagliostro, an European small country that makes fake bills. The story of Lupin III's attempts to protect the Princess Clarisse from unwilling marriage with Count Cagliostro. The screenplay and direction by Hayao Miyazaki. The first film by the director Miyazaki. A very high quality finished work as an entertaining action/adventure film. A must-see masterpiece. Produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha.
Galaxy Express 999 1979 See the paragraph about the Galaxy Express 999 TV series. The first movie version based on the storyline of the TV series. The express stops are: Megalopolis Central Station (on the Earth), Titan (the Saturn's satellite), Pluto, Trader's Fork (on the planet Heavy Melder), and Maetel, the mechanized mother planet. Tetsuro avenged his mother's death on Count Mecha, and challenges Promethium, the queen of the Machine Empire. Leiji Matsumoto's other main characters, Emeraldas and Captain Herlock appear as supporting players. Directed by Taro Rin. Produced by Toei Animation. The No.1 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 1979. There is the sequel second movie version too.
Aim for the Ace!
(Ace wo Nerae!) 1979 See the paragraph about the 'Aim for the Ace!' first TV series. The completely renewed movie version based on the first part of the original manga (graphic novel) by Sumika Yamamoto. More faithful to the original manga version than the first TV series. Directed by Osamu Dezaki. Produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha.
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Dinosaur 1980 Based on Fujio F. Fujiko's popular Sci-Fi comedy manga. Doraemon is a cat-like robot, who came from the future world to help a boy named Nobita Nobi, a grade schooler and born loser. The original manga version (1969-1996) is one of nationally-popular manga works in Japan, and had gained popularity in Asian countries too. The first movie. The story of Nobita's attempts to protect a Cretaceous dinosaur named Peesuke (he raised by himself) from a dinosaur hunter came from the future. Directed by Hiroshi Fukutomi. Produced by Shin'ei Doga. There are the first TV series (1973), second TV series (1979-) and lots of movie versions too.
Phoenix 2772: Love's Cosmo Zone 1980 The one and only original theatrical anime movie based on the worldview of Osamu Tezuka's manga, 'Phoenix/Hi no Tori' (serialized in 1967-88). The manga version is a saga drama dealing with the theme of 'human life and death', and Tezuka's lifework that mainly consists of 12 long stories from the ancient times to the distant future. This movie version '2772' has the original story independent from the manga version. A Sci-Fi fantasy set in extremely rationalized and controlled future society. A young man named Godot, who was born as a test-tube baby and raised as a space hunter by a nursery robot Olga, takes the spaceship 'Space Shark' and goes on a journey with Olga to outer space in search of space life 2772, so-called the 'Phoenix'. The original works and supervising direction by Osamu Tezuka. The screenplay by Osamu Tezuka and Taku Sugiyama. Directed by Taku Sugiyama. Produced by Tezuka Production. There are other 'Phoenix' film versions: the live-action movie 'Phoenix' (partly combined with anime, 1978), the anime movie 'Phoenix: Karma Chapter' (1986), and 2 OAVs, 'Phoenix: Yamato Chapter' (1987) and 'Phoenix: Space Chapter' (1987).
Toward the Terra 1980 A feature-length animated movie (112 minutes) based on Keiko Takemiya's Sci-Fi manga 'Terra he.../Toward the Terra' (serialized in 'Monthly Manga Shonen' in 1977-1980). The original manga is a serious political drama set in the distant space-age future depicting a struggle between the human race and a new human race of psionics called 'Mu'. In 500 S.D. (Superior Dominance), people have grown up in colonial planets, being controlled by the mother computer, from the cradle to the grave, and only chosen people are allowed to live on Earth (Terra). The Mu have been oppressed as disparate elements by humans, but the Mu leader Jomy Marquis Shin leads the Mu race and tries to return to their mother planet Terra. Meanwhile, a young man from the enforcement agency 'Members Elite', Keith Anyan becomes the Head of the Terra and counters the Mu. This movie version has a different ending from the original manga. The direction in the live-action style using lots of long takes is worth seeing. Directed by Hideo Onchi (live-action director). The character designer and animation director is Masami Suda. Produced by Toei Animation. There is also the TV anime series (produced Minamimachi Bugyosho and Tokyo Kids. 2007).
Makoto-chan 1980 The only animated film (85 minutes) based on the popular comedy manga 'Makoto-chan' (serialized in 'Weekly Shonen Sunday' since 1976 until 1981) by Kazuo Umezu, who is known as the master of the genre in horror manga. The original manga is a nonsense, surreal and scatologic comedy/gag manga depicting the daily life of a boy at a kindergarten, Makoto Sawada with his family and friends. This movie consists of five episodes from the original manga: 1. A Little Lover, 2. A Present of Mother's Day, 3. Sparrow's Egg, 4. Lunch of Love, 5. Good-Child Award. The original title is "Energisch Gag Makoto-chan". The character design and animation direction by Osamu Kobayashi. Directed by Tsutomu Shibayama. Produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. The original author Kazuo Umezu has a talent for music, and the opening song "Papa and Mama Rock" and the ending song "Samba de Makoto-chan" are written, composed and sung by Kazuo Umezu himself. Screened with co-feature: 'Tonda Couple/Dreamy Fifteen', a live action film directed by Shinji Somai.
Ashita no Joe
(Tomorrow's Joe) 1980 A sports anime. The story of Joe Yabuki, a homeless orphan boy, who met his archrival, a boxer Toru Rikiishi in a youth prison and became a boxer to fight against Rikiishi. Based on the manga (1968-73) by Asao Takamori (Ikki Kajiwara) and Tetsuya Chiba. The first movie edited from the first TV series (1970-71). Directed by Yoichiro Fukuda. The original manga version is a monumental masterpiece noted as the greatest work of boxing/sports manga. There are the second TV series and the second movie version too.
Cyborg 009: Legend of the Super Galaxy 1980 See the paragraph about the Cyborg 009 the first movie. The third movie version released after the second TV series was aired. A Sci-Fi action film set in space. The team of 9 cyborg warriors take a spaceship called "Ismael" and fight against Zoa, the king of the Planet Dagas, who plots to conquer the universe by using the super energy "Vortex", which is something like the mother source of the universe. The original works and general supervision by Shotaro Ishinomori. Directed by Masayuki Akehi. Produced by Toei.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Movie 1981 See the paragraph about the Mobile Suit Gundam TV series. The first of the Gundam movie trilogy, and the re-edited version from the first 13 episodes of the TV series with some new shots and scenes added. The supervising director is Yoshiyuki Tomino. Produced by Sunrise.
Mobile Suit Gundam II:
Soldiers of Sorrow 1981 See the paragraph about the Mobile Suit Gundam TV series. The second of the Gundam movie trilogy. Re-edited/re-constructed version of the TV series, from the 16th episode to the 31st one, with some new shots and scenes added. The supervising director is Yoshiyuki Tomino. Produced by Sunrise.
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Space Story 1981 See the paragraph about the Doraemon first movie. The second movie based on Fujio F. Fujiko's manga (graphic novel). A Sci-Fi action/adventure in the Western style. The scene is laid in the Planet Koyakoya, where the gravity is lighter than the Earth's. The story of Nobita's heroic activity in battle against the Galtite Mining Industry, which plots to drive the pioneering settlers out of the planet and to monopolize the Galtite ore, a substance that generates antigravity energy. This work is noted as a masterpiece of Doraemon movie versions, among many others. The original works and screenplay by Fujio F. Fujiko. Directed by Hideo Nishimaki. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Adieu Galaxy Express 999 1981 See the paragraphs about the Galaxy Express 999 TV series and the first movie version. The second movie version based on the manga by Leiji Matsumoto. The sequel to the first movie. Tetsuro, who had been fighting against the Mechanized Men as a partisan soldier on the Earth, gets on the 999 again and starts for the terminal station, the planet Great Andromeda. Directed by Taro Rin. Produced by Toei Animation.
Jarinko Chie the Movie (Chie the Brat) 1981 The animated feature film based on Etsumi Haruki's popular manga (graphic novel) 'Jarinko Chie (Chie the Brat)' (serialized in weekly 'Manga Action' since 1978 until 1997). A comedy full of human touches, set in downtown Osaka (the big city in Kansai region, the middle west of Japan). The leading character, Chie Takemoto is an eleven-year-old girl (in the fifth grade). She manages her family business, a bar-and-grill serving broiled pig innards, on behalf of her father Tetsu Takemoto, who does nothing but gambling and brawling. The original story by Etsumi Haruki. Directed by Isao Takahata. The character design by Yoichi Kotabe. The animation directors are Yoichi Kotabe and Yasuo Otsuka. The animation produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. The TV anime series (1981-1983, 65 episodes) was aired after this movie version. In Kansai region, the TV series was re-aired many times and became a popular show. There is also the sequel second TV series (1991-1992, 39 episodes).
Unico 1981 A feature-length, child-oriented fantasy adventure film based on Osamu Tezuka's manga (graphic novel) 'Unico', which was serialized in 'Lyrica', a girl's magazine published by Sanrio. The storyline is an adaptation of the chapters 3 ('A Cat on a Broomstick') and 8 ('Lonely Unico') of the original manga. A little unicorn with a white horn, Unico met a kitten Chao, who wanted to be a human girl. Unico transformed Chao into a girl by his magical power, but she was kidnapped by Baron Ghost, who was the incarnation of a giant Satan. Unico and his friend Akuma-kun (a little devil) try to fight against Satan and help her out. The original story by Osamu Tezuka. Directed by Toshio Hirata. Produced by Sanrio (cooperated by Madhouse). There are other 'Unico' film versions: a short pilot film 'Unico' (produced in 1979 and released as video under the title of 'Unico: Black Cloud and White Feather') and the second movie 'Unico: To the Magic Island' (1983).
The Door into Summer 1981 A medium long anime movie (59 minutes) based on the short story "The Door into Summer" (published in the girls' manga magazine 'Hana to Yume' in 1975) by Keiko Takemiya. An aesthetic film describing adolescent boys' delicate feelings set in France in the early 20 century. A story of a four boy team in a gymnasium, who calls themselves 'Rationalist Party'. The leader of the team, Marion takes a critical attitude toward adults and has no fear of senior students. A mayor's daughter and a beatiful girl Ledania is secretly in love with him, but he is tempted by an older beautiful woman Sarah and spends the night together with her. A cutting-edge film in those days, for it had some touchy subjects of sexual awakening and homosexuality, and exquisite drawings close to the original manga's touch. Directed by Mori Masaki. The animation produced by Madhouse and Toei Animation. Screened in the off-theater system (in non-theater locations such as halls and public cultural facilities) with "Akuma to Himegimi/The Devil and the Princess" based on the manga by Akimi Yoshida.
Mobile Suit Gundam III:
Encounters in Space 1982 See the paragraph about the Mobile Suit Gundam TV series. The third of the Gundam movie trilogy. Re-edited version of the episodes 32 to 43 (the last) of the TV series. About 70% of the animation is new. The supervising director is Yoshiyuki Tomino. Produced by Sunrise.
The Ideon: A Contact/Be Invoked 1982 See the paragraph about the Ideon TV series. This movie version consists of two parts: The first part 'A Contact' is a digest version summarizing the TV series, and the second 'Be Invoked' is a completely new film and the ending part that corresponds to the last four (40-43) episodes not aired on TV. 'Be Invoked' is a grand-scale Sci-Fi film depicting the drama of mankind's extinction and transmigration set in outer space, like Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey'. The supervising director is Yoshiyuki Tomino. Produced by Sunrise.
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita and the Haunts of Evil 1982 See the paragraph about the Doraemon first movie. The third movie is an action adventure set in Africa. Nobita, Doraemon, Shizuka, Suneo and Gian explore the secret of a big stone god in a jungle of Congo Basin, central Africa, and find a kingdom of evolved dogs. The original story and screenplay by Fujio F. Fujiko. Directed by Hideo Nishimaki. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Arcadia of My Youth (My Youth in Arcadia) 1982 A Sci-Fi adventure which depicted the younger days of Herlock, the hero of the TV anime series 'Space Pirate Captain Herlock' (aired in 1978-79) based on Leiji Matsumoto's manga (graphic novel). The story of young Herlock, who had fought agaisnt the invasion by aliens Illumidus, as the captain of the space battleship Death Shadow, which belonged to the Solar System Federation, but he lost the battle, and the Earth was conquered by Illumidus. After losing his beloved woman Maya in the fight against Illumidus' occupation forces, Herlock left the Earth and took off for space, with his lifelong friend Tochiro and the space battleship 'Arcadia', for his belief, 'to live freely'. The original story by Leiji Matsumoto. Directed by Tomoharu Katsumata. Produced by Toei. The TV series 'Arcadia of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX' (aired in 1982-83) is the sequel of this film.
Queen Millennia the Movie 1982 The movie version released just before the end of the TV anime series 'Queen Millennia' (aired in 1981-1982, 42 episodes), based on the original story by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto. A Sci-Fi fantasy story on 'Queen Millennia', who comes to the Earth from the planet Lar Metal once a millennium. In the year 1999, the Queen Millennia had lived in the Earth as a woman named Yayoi Yukino, working as a teacher and observatory officer. She fights with observatory's professor Amamori and a boy named Hajime Amamori (professor Amamori's nephew and her student) against the attack by Lar Metalians, who try to emigrate to the Earth. The original story by Leiji Matsumoto. Directed by Masayuki Akehi. Produced by Toei Animation.
Goshu the Cellist 1982 A fantasy film based on the fairy story written by Kenji Miyazawa. Self-produced by Oh-Produntion, the well-established animation company. Set in a Japanese old-time country town surrounded by nature. The story of a young cellist named Goshu, who meets strange talking animals (cat, cuckoo, Japanese raccoon dog and mice). The background music is Beethoven's Symphony No.6 'Pastoral'. The screenplay and direction by Isao Takahata. The character designs and key animations by Shunji Saida for himself.
Crusher Joe 1983 A Sci-Fi action movie based on the space-opera novel by Haruka Takachiho. The direction, character design and drawing direction by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko (an animator/manga artist who is known as the character designer and animation director of the Gundam first TV series). The story of a space handyman, Crusher Joe and his team's fights against space pirate Murphy. Kei and Yuri from 'Dirty Pair' (the original characters by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko) appear as guests. Produced by Sunrise. There are also the 2 OAVs released in 1989.
Harmagedon 1983 A Sci-Fi anime based on the original works by Kazumasa Hirai (novel) and Shotaro Ishinomori (manga). The story of a Japanese high school boy with psi power, Joe Azuma, and other psionic fighters in the world, who unite in fighting against 'Genma', an invader from outer space, to save the Earth. The characters designed by Katsuhiro Otomo are cool. Directed by Taro Rin. The music directed by Keith Emerson. The animation production by Madhouse.
Urusei Yatsura: Only You 1983 See the paragraph about the Urusei Yatsura TV series. The first movie directed by Mamoru Oshii, who had been the chief director of the TV series. A slapstick comedy/love romance that is extension of the TV series. The story of Elle, the queen of the Planet Elle, who pressed to Ataru Moroboshi to get married with her, and took him away to her planet. She tried going ahead with the marriage, but Lum begins an operation to recapture Ataru. Produced by Kitty Film (cooperated by Studio Pierrot). Screened with co-feature: 'The Big Catch; Shonben Rider', a live action film directed by Shinji Somai.
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Monstrous Underwater Castle 1983 See the paragraph about the Doraemon first movie. The fourth movie is an action adventure set in the depths of the sea. Nobita, Doraemon, Shizuka, Suneo and Gian rode a submergible buggy and went camping in the mountains at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. They found an undersea people's state, the Mu Federation in the Mariana Trench, and met Mu's child soldier, El. Then, submarine volcanic activity reactivated Atlantis' automatic reprisal system in the Bermuda Triangle, which was a legacy of extinct Atlanteans, and it was going to fire a nuclear missile. Nobita, his friends and El go to the Bermuda Triangle to stop the missile launch. The original story and screenplay by Fujio F. Fujiko. Directed by Tsutomu Shibayama. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Golgo 13: The Professional 1983 'Golgo 13' is Takao Saito's graphic novel serialized in the magazine 'Big Comic' since 1968 for long periods. The leading character Golgo 13 (alias: Duke Togo) is a professional assassin and ruthless sniper who never fails to shoot down any target. The anime movie version is a hard-boiled action with the story based on the 108th episode of the original. The oil tycoon, Leonard Dawson fights a pursuit battle with Golgo 13, who killed Dawson's son Robert, mobilizing FBI, CIA and Pentagon. Directed by Osamu Dezaki. The chief animator is Akio Sugino. The animation production by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. The title of the US release version is 'The Professional: Golgo 13'. There is also the OAV (original animation video) 'Golgo 13: Queen Bee' (1998) by the duo of Dezaki and Sugino.
Unico: To the Magic Island 1983 See the paragraph about 'Unico' the first movie. The second movie is a fantasy adventure in a modern-horror style. Based on the manga 'Unico and the Kingdom of the Sun' newly-drawn for this film. The story describes the fight between Unico and the sorcerer Kukurukku, who changes humans into dolls called 'living puppets' and builds his castle by using them for the parts. The original story by Osamu Tezuka. The screenplay and direction by Moribi Murano. Produced by Sanrio. Cooperated by Madhouse.
Patalliro! Stardust Program 1983 See the paragraph about the 'Patalliro!' TV series. The movie version (48 minutes) released after the TV series ended. Based on the original manga's long episode 'Stardust' (published in the book vol. 5). A comical spy action/gag anime set in outer space. Patalliro, Bancolin, Maraich and Plasma X (a super robot created by Patalliro) fight against 'Tarantella', an international crime organization which steals diamonds from around the world and tries to rule the world. The original story by Mineo Maya. Directed by Nobutaka Nishizawa. The animation produced by Toei Animation. The opening theme song 'Run Away Rose Boys!' is sung by the original manga author Mineo Maya himself.
Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind 1984 An ecological Sci-Fi film. The original works, screenplay and direction by Hayao Miyazaki. Based on the full-length manga (graphic novel) by Miyazaki himself. Set in a distant future world when industrial civilization has collapsed after the apocalyptic war called the 'Seven Days of Fire'. The large parts of the earth have been covered by the 'Sea of Corruption', the forests with miasma (poison gas) and 'Ohmu' (giant mutated insects). Nausicaa, who is the princess of a small kingdom 'Valley of Wind', gets involved in the war against Torumekia, the military kingdom plotting to revive the Giant God Soldiers (weapons that destroyed the world in the 'Seven Days of Fire'), and she seeks to follow a path of coexistence with ecosystem. The storyline is simpler than the original manga, but a very high quality finished work as a motion picture. Produced by Top Craft (later Studio Ghibli).
Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer 1984 See the paragraph about the Urusei Yatsura TV series. The second movie version is a controversial piece which is both a self-parody of the TV series as 'an endlessly repeating slapstick comedy' and a meta-fictional Sci-Fi film with the theme of 'inner space'. The story of Ataru Moroboshi and other main characters, who are confined in a strange world of inner space like a dream, where one and the same day-the day before the school festival in Tomobiki High School-is being repeated over and over. The screenplay and direction by Mamoru Oshii. The greatest work in all of the Urusei Yatsura series, and must-see masterpiece. Produced by Kitty Film. Cooperated by Studio Pierrot.
Macross: Do You Remember Love? 1984 See the paragraph about the Macross TV series. The completely renewed movie version based on the main storyline of the TV series. The drawings and animations are much more elaborate and splendid than the TV series. In terms of images, the highest quality anime film of the time. Directed by Noboru Ishiguro and Shoji Kawamori. Produced by Big West, Tatsunoko Production and others.
Wata no Kuni Hoshi (The Star of Cottonland) 1984 The anime film version based on the girls' manga 'Wata no Kuni Hoshi' by Yumiko Oshima (serialized in monthly 'LaLa' since 1978). The original manga version is a fantasy masterpiece with a literary flavor, which depicted the worlds of humans and cats from the viewpoint of an anthropomorphized kitten. The storyline of the film is mainly based on the episode one ('Watanokunihoshi') and three ('Silkmoon Petitroad') of the original: A young man going to a prep school, Tokio Suwano brought home an abandoned female kitten, and he named her 'Chibineko'. Chibineko believed she could be a human being someday, but a beautiful, silver-colored male cat Raphael said to her "cats can't be humans", and talked to her about the legendary 'Cottonland'. The planning and production by Mushi Production. The screenplay by Masaki Tsuji and Yumiko Oshima. Directed by Shin'ichi Tsuji.
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Great Adventure into the Underworld 1984 See the paragraph about the Doraemon first movie. The fifth movie version is a fantasy adventure set in another world (a parallel world) where magic has evolved. Dr. Mangetsu preaches the 'Devildom Contiguity Theory' that says the 'Planet Devildom' approaches the Earth and the devils plot to invade the Earth. The devils abduct him and change his daughter Miyako into the form of a cat. Nobita, Doraemon, Shizuka, Suneo and Gian with Miyako barge into the devildom and fight against the Great Satan Demaon to save the Earth. The original story and screenplay by Fujio F. Fujiko. Directed by Tsutomu Shibayama. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Jumping 1984 The most famous and ambitious work of experimental short anime flims produced by the manga artist Osamu Tezuka in his later years (the 1980s). The world scenes, such as towns, forests, sea and battlefields, are seen from a first person point of view that keeps on jumping high, like a bouncing ball. 6 minutes and 20 seconds. One-shot shooting all through the film. Tezuka was inspired by Hungarian animator, Ferenc Rofusz's short film "The Fly" (1980) and produced this film. The direction and screenplay by Osamu Tezuka. The drawing by Junji Kobayashi. Produced by Tezuka Productions. Won the Grand Prix at 1984 Zagreb international animation festival.
Gamba the Movie 1984 See the paragraph about the 'Gamba no Bouken/The Adventures of Gamba' TV series. A digest version (93 minutes) that summarizes the TV series' main episodes. The original movie title is 'Boukenshatachi: Gamba to Nana-hiki no Nakama (The Adventurers: Gamba and Seven Friends)'. Re-edited and directed by the TV series' director Osamu Dezaki himself. Mainly consists of the episodes which describe Gamba's encounter with friends and fight against a white weasel Noroi. If you have time, I recommend you watch all the episodes of the TV series, because the TV series is one of the greatest films in Japan's anime history. The original story by Atsuo Saito. The animation director is Yoshio Kabashima. The scenes design and layout by Tsutomu Shibayama. The art director is Shichiro Kobayashi. Produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha.
The Dagger of Kamui 1985 A ninja action/adventure film based on the novel by Sci-Fi writer Tetsu Yano. Set in Japan (last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate of the Edo Period) and the US (the pioneer days of the American West) in the middle of the 19th century. The story of a half-Ainu half-Japanese young man named Jiro (Ainu is Japan's indigenous people), who became a ninja and takes an adventurous journey with the 'Dagger of Kamui' (a relic of his father), from Japan to the US through Kamchatka peninsula and ice-bound seas, to explore the mysteries of the pirate Captain Kidd's treasures. 'Kamui' is Ainu's word for something like 'Gods'. Directed by Taro Rin. The animation production by Project Team Argos and Madhouse.
Night on the Galactic Railroad
(Nokto de la Galaksia Fervojo) 1985 A fantasy film based on Hiroshi Masumura's manga (graphic novel) version of the fairy story written by Kenji Miyazawa. The main characters are anthropomorphized cats. The story of a boy named Giovanni ans his best friend Campanella, who go on a strange trip into the Milky Way on the galactic railroad train. Directed by Gisaburo Sugii. Music by Haruomi Hosono. The animation production by Group Tac. 'Nokto de la Galaksia Fervojo' is the Esperanto title.
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Little Star Wars 1985 See the paragraph about the Doraemon first movie. The sixth movie version is a Sci-Fi action adventure in the motif of "A Voyage To Lilliput" from "Gulliver's Travels" written by Jonathan Swift. One day Nobita meets a lilliputian boy Papi, who is the president of small-sized aliens' planet, Pirika. In Pirika, General Gilmore had launched a coup d'etat and Papi had escaped from the planet. Gilmore comes to the Earth and captures Papi to kill him. Nobita and his friends (Doraemon, Shizuka, Suneo and Gian) make themselves smaller like lilliputians and goes to Pirika to save Papi, riding on radio-controlled tanks. The original story and screenplay by Fujio F. Fujiko. Directed by Tsutomu Shibayama. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Urusei Yatsura 3: Remember My Love 1985 See the paragraph about the Urusei Yatsura TV series. The third movie version directed by Kazuo Yamazaki, who became the chief director of the TV series, taking over from Mamoru Oshii. A fantasy drama and a straightforward love story based on the original worldview of the manga version and TV series. Featuring all the main characters. Being cursed by a sorcerer, Lum and Ataru Moroboshi were separated by the fault line in time and space. Ataru changed into a pink hippopotamus, and Lum disappeared after a mysterious boy named Ruu, who changed Ataru into a hippopotamus. And then, Ataru reverted to his original appearance, and became used to the daily life without Lum, but one day he realizes that he needs Lum at heart. Produced by Kitty Film. Cooperated by Studio DEEN.
Broken Down Film 1985 One of experimental short anime flims produced by the manga artist Osamu Tezuka in his later years (the 1980s). A comical parody of old black-and-white silent animated films. A story of a cowboy who tries to defeat a villain and help out a beautiful girl. He also struggles with the film itself on which he appears, the scratches (like rain) and dust on the film and disturbed frames. 5 minutes and 37 seconds. Black and white (partly color). Screened in the 1st Hiroshima International Animation Film Festival. The original story, composition and direction by Osamu Tezuka. Produced by Tezuka Productions.
Laputa: The Castle in the Sky 1986 A delightful fantasy action adventure film on 'Laputa', the floating island in the sky, from Jonathan Swift's novel, "Gulliver's Travels". The story of a boy, Pazu (an apprentice mechanic) and a girl, Sheeta, who embarks on an adventurous journey for exploring the legend of 'Laputa' and the mystery of the 'Flying Stone'. The first of the feature-length anime movies produced by Studio Ghibli. The original works, screenplay and direction by Hayao Miyazaki.
Dragon Ball the Movie: Curse of the Blood Rubies (The Legend of Shen Long) 1986 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball' TV series. The first movie version (50 minutes) is an original story that tells the meeting of Son Goku, Bulma, Oolong, Yamucha and Master Muten, and the beginning of Goku's adventure, which is different from the manga version and TV series. In the Kingdom of Gurumes, people suffer under the misrule of the King Gurumes, who is looking for the world's greatest delicacy. Goku and his party fight against the Gurumes' military forces, scrambling for dragon balls. Directed by Daisuke Nishio. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita and the Platoon of Iron Men 1986 See the paragraph about the Doraemon first movie. The seventh movie version is a Sci-Fi action/drama depicting the fight against robotic corps from another planet. One day, Nobita met a mystery girl named Rilulu. She was actually a robot from the Planet Mechatopia, in which highly-advanced robots are living, and she tried to establish a front-line base for conquering the earth. Nobita and his friends get Mechatopia's robotic corps into the 'Specular World' (world on the other side of the mirror) and fight a desperate battle againt them. The original story and screenplay by Fujio F. Fujiko. Directed by Tsutomu Shibayama. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
They Were Eleven 1986 A Sci-Fi suspense set in a closed situation inside a spaceship. Based on Moto Hagio's short manga (published in 1975). The story of a young man named Tadatos Lane (Tada), who took the entrance exam for 'Cosmo Academy', the most prestigious university in space. In the final test, test-takers were made to live together in groups of ten each in a derelict spaceship during 53 days, but for some reason, there were 11 test-takers in the spaceship Tada boarded. Produced by Kitty Film. Directed by Tetsu Dezaki and Tsuneo Tominaga.
Project A-ko 1986 A Sci-Fi slapstick action/comedy by two animators who had participated in working on the Urusei Yatsura TV anime series: Katsuhiko Nishijima and Yuji Moriyama. Directed by Katsuhiko Nishijima. The character designer and chief animator is Yuji Moriyama. The leading character, Eiko Magami (A-ko) is a high school girl with superhuman strength. She and her friend Shiiko Kotobuki (C-ko) transfer to the Graviton School. There A-ko combats against her childhood friend Biiko Daitokuji (B-ko) over C-ko, and they get involved in the battle between alien's spaceship and defense forces. The animation production by A.P.P.P. There are the sequels too.
Windaria 1986 A fantasy film depicting the tragic love of the two couples involved in the war between the two powers. The story of a youngman named Izu and his young wife Marlin, who had lived in the village of Saki, where a big tree called 'Windaria' stood. They had worked as vegetable vendors and lived peacefully, but when the war started between the two kingdoms, Isa and Paro, Izu went to Paro and joined the war, leaving Marlin. Meanwhile, princess of Isa, Ahanas and prince of Paro, Jill had loved each other, but their destiny was to meet again in the battlefield and fight each other. The storyline is based on the one episode 'Asaji ga Yodo/The House of Wild Gramineons' from 'Ugetsu Monogatari/Tales of Ugetsu' by Akinari Ueda (the Japanese ghost stories of the 18th century). The original story and screenplay by Keisuke Fujikawa. The character design and animation supervised by Mutsumi Inomata. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. The animation produced by Kaname Production. There is the novelized version, 'Windaria: Legend of Fabulous Battle' by Keisuke Fujikawa.
Arion 1986 A fantasy/romance film on Greek myths. Directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the animator/manga artist who is known as the character designer and animation director of the Gundam first TV series. Based on the manga/graphic novel (serialized in 1980-85) by Yasuhiko himself. Set in ancient Greece which had been ruled by the god family Titans. A coming-of-age story of a boy named Arion, who was born between Titans and humans. The original works, direction, character design and animation direction by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. The animation produced by Nippon Sunrise. Recommended to those who like the original manga or Yasuhiko's characters.
Royal Space Force: Wings of Honneamise 1987 A Sci-Fi film depicting the first manned space flight in another world, the Kingdom of Honneamise. The story of Shirotsugh Lhardatto, a young officer in the 'Royal Space Force', who meets a devout girl named Leiqunni Nondelaiko, and volunteers for being the pilot of the experimental manned spacecraft. The highlights are the detailed settings and realistic description of another world. The first production by GAINAX (the production company of Gunbuster, Nadia and Evangelion). The original concept, screenplay and direction by Hiroyuki Yamaga. The musical director is Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Dirty Pair the Movie (Project Eden) 1987 See the paragraph about the 'DirtyPair' TV series. The movie version released after the TV series (1985) and the OAV 'Dirty Pair: Affair of Nolandia (Mystery of Norlandia)' (1986). A Sci-Fi action entertainment featuring the girl duo, Kei and Yuri, who work in the WWWA (Worlds Welfare Work Association) as galactic troubleshooters. In the year 2141, they went to the planet Agerna to investigate the case of the attack on the experiment plant for 'Vizorium' (a rare-metal element essential to the latest technologies like warp engine). They sneaked with a master thief Carson D. Carson into the laboratory of scientist Wattsman, and they discovered that the case was caused by Wattsman, who tried to create a new life form from Vizorium ore (fossils of an ancient creature 'Sadinga'). The features are the sequences of tremendous physical actions and battles against monsters. The original story by Haruka Takachiho. Produced by Shochiku and Sunrise. Directed by Koichi Mashita.
Dragon Ball the Movie: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle 1987 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball' TV series. The second movie (46 minutes) is an original story set in the 'Castle of Fiend' where Lucifer and demons live. Kame-Sen'nin (the Master Muten) says to Son Goku and Krillin, "tack back the sleeping princess from the Castle of Fiend, and I'll take you as my students". Goku and Krillin sneak into the castle, but Bulma, who also comes to the castle with Yamcha, Puer and Oolong, following Goku, is captured by the castellan Lucifer. Directed by Daisuke Nishio. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
My Neighbor Totoro 1988 A fantasy film set in a Japanese farming village of around the 1960. The story of a 11-year-old girl named Satsuki and her four-year-old sister Mei, who move into a farming village (Tokorozawa City, Saitama Pref.), and meet Totoro, an odd-looking creature (spirit) living in the woods. The original works, screenplay and direction by Hayao Miyazaki. Produced by Studio Ghibli. Screened with co-feature: 'Grave of the Fireflies' directed by Isao Takahata.
Grave of the Fireflies 1988 A tragic story of a young orphaned Japanese brother and sister at the time of World War II. In the last days of the Pacific War, in 1945, a 14-year-old boy named Seita and his four-year-old sister Setsuko lose their mother and house in an air raid, and they try living alone at an air-raid shelter. An impressive film depicting hopeless love and near-death experience with cold and realistic touch. Based on the novel by Akiyuki Nosaka. The screenplay and direction by Isao Takahata. Produced by Studio Ghibli. Screened with co-feature: 'My Neighbor Totoro' directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
AKIRA 1988 A world-famous cyberpunk Sci-Fi action movie. Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, a manga (graphic novel) artist. Based on the full-length manga by Otomo himself. In near future 'Neo-Tokyo' after the World War III, government, armed services, urban guerilla and motorcycle gangs fight over a state secret called 'AKIRA'. The highlights are the elaborate and ultra realistic drawings/animations. The animation production by Tokyo Movie Shinsha.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack 1988 See the paragraph about the 'Mobile Suit Gundam' TV series. The first completely original movie of the Gundam series. The sequel to the story of the first TV series. The story of the final fight between Amuro Ray (who belongs to Londo Bell, the independent corps of the Earth Federal Forces) and Char Aznable (the leader of Neo Zeon) in 0093 Universal Century, 13 years after the 'One Year War'. The original works, screenplay and direction by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Produced by Sunrise.
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Parallel Saiyuki 1988 See the paragraph about the Doraemon first movie. The ninth movie is a Sci-Fi action adventure with the theme of time paradox (paradox of time travel), set in ancient China and today's Japan. Nobita, Doraemon, Shizuka, Suneo and Gian went to ancient China to confirm the reality of Son Goku, who appeared in the Chinese classical fantasy novel 'Hsi Yu Chi/Journey to the West'. Nobita played Son Goku by using Doraemon's future game console 'Hero Machine', but monsters jumped out of the machine and ruled the real world. As a result, the history was altered, and today's world was changed into monsters' world. To put the history back by bringing down monsters, Nobita and his friends head to ancient China again. The original story by Fujio F. Fujiko. Directed by Tsutomu Shibayama. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Dragon Ball the Movie: Mystical Adventure 1988 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball' TV series. The third movie (46 minutes) is an original story set in the Mifan Empire. Son Goku visits the empire to enter the martial arts contest, but a minister Tsuru Sennin makes his follower Tao Pai Pai kill Goku to get dragonballs. Arare-chan from 'Dr. Slump: Arare-chan' appears as a guest character. Directed by Kazuhisa Takenouchi. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Maison Ikkoku: Final Chapter 1988 See the paragraph about the 'Maison Ikkoku' TV series. The movie version released when the TV series ended. An original episode that describes the scenes at Ikkoku-kan two days before the wedding of Yusaku Godai and Kyoko Otonashi. As always, the residents at Ikkoku-kan have spent their time doing drinking parties each and every day, but it seems like Kyoko is eagerly waiting for a letter from someone, so Yusaku worries that she might change her mind. Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki. The character designer/drawing director is Yuji Moriyama. Produced by Kitty Film. The animation produced by Asia-Do.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: The Dead Zone 1989 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The first movie (41 minutes) is an original story after Son Goku defeated Piccolo at the 23rd World Martial-Arts Tournament. Kami-sama's old nemesis Garlic's son Garlic Jr. and his following knock down Piccolo by attacking him unawares, and they kidnap Son Goku's son Gohan with his dragonball. Gaining immortality by Shen Long's power, Garlic Jr. tries to be Earth's ruler by killing Kami-sama, but Goku, Krillin and Piccolo challenge Garlic Jr. to a death match. Directed by Daisuke Nishio. Produced by Toei Animation.
Kiki's Delivery Service 1989 A fantasy film based on the juvenile literature by Eiko Kadono. The story of a 13-year-old witch named Kiki, who with her black cat Jiji, left her family, and started to work as a deliverer flying on a broom, for being a full-fledged witch. The screenplay and direction by Hayao Miyazaki. Produced by Studio Ghibli. The No.1 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 1989.
Patlabor the Movie 1989 See the paragraph about the Patlabor OAV series. The first movie version. The story of the Special Vehicles Section 2 members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, who fight against a cybercrime to plot to destory Tokyo by making Labors run amuck with a computer virus. The new Patlabor, 'Type-Zero' is cool. A high quality finished movie as an entertainment film. Highly recommended. The planning and original works by Headgear. Directed by Mamoru Oshii. Produced by Studio DEEN.
Soreike! Anpanman: Tears of the Planet KiraKira 1989 The first movie version of 'Soreike! Anpanman' (Go! Anpanman), the TV anime series (aired since 1988) based on Takashi Yanase's picture books for little children. 'Anpan' means 'a bean-paste bun' (a sweet bun filled with red-bean paste), and Anpanman is an Anpan-headed hero fighting for justice. The story of Anpanman and his fellow's fights to save the Princess Nanda from the Planet KiraKira. The character designs are simple and cute. Directed by Akinori Nagaoka. The animation produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. The TV version has been aired in South Korea, Thailand, Spain and Brazil. There are many other movie versions too.
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland 1989 A feature-length animated movie based on the American comic strip classic 'Little Nemo in Slumberland' (serialized in the 'New York Herald' since 1905) by Winsor McCay. A Disney-style fantasy animation produced by Japan-U.S. collaboration. Set in the kingdom of dreamland called 'Slumberland', a little boy Nemo and his friends, Princess Camille and Professor Genius have an adventurous journey to save the King Morpheus kidnapped by the Nightmare King. Released in the U.S. in 1992. This film was a box-office failure, but the quality of animation itself is high, and in the US the video racked up sales of 2 million. Produced by Yutaka Fujioka (Tokyo Movie Shinsha president). Directed by Masami Hata and William Hurtz (William T. Hurtz. An animator who participated in Disney's 'Fantasia'). Screenplay by Chris Columbus and Richard Outten. Screen concept by Ray Bradbury. The animation directors are Kazuhide Tomonaga and Nobuo Tomizawa. Conceptual design by Jean Moebius Giraud. The animation produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. There are the three versions of pilot films: Sadao Tsukioka version, Yoshifumi Kondo/Kazuhide Tomonaga version, and Osamu Dezaki version.
The Five Star Stories 1989 The anime film version based on the first volume's episode of 'The Five Star Stories', the Sci-Fi/fantasy saga manga (graphic novel) by Mamoru Nagano (the character/mechanical designer for the TV anime 'Heavy Metal L-Gaim'). The original manga version is a very long and best-selling series started in 1986. A sweeping epic of romance and mecha-action set in the Joker Star Cluster, formed by the four solar systems and one sun-and-plannet system. On the Planet Addler, people have fought fierce battles with each other by using giant humanoid machines called 'Mortar Headds', which are piloted by knights called 'Headliners' and controlled by female androids called 'Fatimas'. The film version is the love story between Ladios Sopp, the maker of Mortar Headd 'The Knight Of Gold', and a Fatima girl, Lachesis. The original story by Mamoru Nagano. Directed by Kazuo Yamazaki. The animation produced by Sunrise. Recommended to those who like the original manga version, or who have an interest in it.
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita at the Birth of Japan 1989 See the paragraph about the Doraemon first movie. The tenth movie is a Sci-Fi action adventure set in Japan and the Chinese continent 70 thousand years ago. Nobita, Doraemon, Shizuka, Suneo and Gian run away from home to Japan 70 thousand years ago by riding a time machine, and they start building a utopia. They meet a boy named Kukuru, who came from Hikari (light) tribe in the Chinese continent, and Hikari tribe has been attacked by the King of Spirits 'Giga Zombie' and violent Kurayami (darkness) tribe. Nobita and his friends go to the Chinese continent to save Hikari tribe. The original story and screenplay by Fujio F. Fujiko. Directed by Tsutomu Shibayama. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: The World's Strongest 1990 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The second movie (59 minutes) is an original story describing a fight between Son Goku and evil scientists. An extraordinary scientific genius, Dr. Wheelo had died 50 years before, but his assistant Dr. Kochin colletced seven dragonballs, called Shen Long and resurrected Dr. Wheelo into a mechanical body with his brain. Dr. Wheelo takes Bulma hostage and calls Kame-Sen'nin to get the body of the world's strongest guy. Goku, Gohan and Krillin fight against Dr. Wheelo and his following to rescue Kame-Sen'nin and Bulma. Directed by Daisuke Nishio. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: The Tree of Might 1990 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The third movie (61 minutes) is an original story describing a fight between Son Goku and a heinous Saiyan fighter named Turles. Turles tries to destroy the Earth by planting the seeds of 'the Tree of Might', which sucks dry the nutrients of the earth and turns it into a desert. Goku and the Z Warriors (Gohan, Krillin, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Chaozu and Piccolo) challenge Turles' group to a death match in order to save the Earth. Directed by Daisuke Nishio. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
A Wind Named Amnesia 1990 The third anime work based on the novel by Hideyuki Kikuchi and produced by Madhouse, following the 2 OAVs, 'Wicked City' and 'Demon City Shinjuku'. A Sci-Fi adventure story set in the near-future world after the human race lost their memories and the civilization collapsed. A Japanese boy Wataru and a mysterious woman Sophia start a journey crossing ex-United States of America, fighting against two-legged robots called 'Guardians', which were the fighting machines deployed by the security authority of San Francisco in the early 1990s, for suppressing riots. A serious science fiction with a critical view on mechanized and computerized civilization. Directed by Kazuo Yamazaki. Supervised by Taro Rin and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. The animation produced by Madhouse.
Chibi Maruko-chan: the Original Movie 1990 'Chibi Maruko-chan' ('Little Maruko') is a popular TV anime series (started in 1990) based on the essayistic manga (started in 1986) by Momoko Sakura, which is a nostalgic and heartwarming comedy story depicting the everyday life of Momoko Sakura (nicknamed Maruko), a nine-year-old girl in the third grade. Set in Shimizu City, Shizuoka Pref. (a local city in Japan) in the 1974. This first movie version has the original story of the friendship between Maruko's two boy classmates, Ken'ichi Ono and Satoshi Sugiyama. The original story and screenplay by Momoko Sakura. Directed by Tsutomu Shibayama. Produced by Nippon Animation.
Only Yesterday (Omoide Poroporo) 1991 The film based on the manga (graphic novel) by Hotaru Okamoto (story) and Yuuko Tone (drawing), produced by Studio Ghibli. The story is set in 1982. A 27-year-old single woman Taeko Okajima, who is an office worker in Tokyo, takes a vacation at her brother-in-law's home in Yamagata (Northeastern countryside in Japan). There she reconsiders herself, helping with the farm work, and thinking back on events of her childhood when she was in the fifth grade (in 1966). There are lots of nostalgic scenes of the 1960s. The screenplay and direction by Isao Takahata. The No.1 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 1991.
Roujin-Z 1991 A Sci-Fi slapstick action/comedy set in the near-future Japan, where the society is rapidly aging. 'Roujin' is a Japanese word for 'old man'. The story of a computer-aided automatic hospital bed for a bedridden old man, called 'Z-001', which finds the will like a robot, and begins to run amuck with an old man riding on it. The original works, screenplay and mechanical designs by Katsuhiro Otomo. The original character designs by manga (graphic novel) artist Hisashi Eguchi. Directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo. Produced by A.P.P.P.
Silent Möbius 1991 The first movie (53 minutes) based on Kia Asamiya's manga 'Silent Möbius' (serialized since 1988). The original manga is a sci-fi/police action set in near-future Tokyo, and it follows the world view of the movie 'Blade Runner'. The story of AMP/Attacked Mystification Police Department, a group of six women against invaders called 'Lucifer Hawks' from another dimensional world 'Nemesis'. The first movie is an original story depicting the development in which a woman with magical powers, Katsumi Liqueur became a member of AMP. The supervising direction, character design and storyboards by Michitaka Kikuchi (alias of Kia Asamiya). Directed by Kazuo Tomizawa. The animation produced by AIC. The two movie versions are better in drawing quality than the later TV series (26 episodes, aired in 1998).
Mobile Suit Gundam F91 1991 One of the Gundam sagas. The completely original movie by the staff of Gundam first TV series. In 0123 Universal Century, a militant group named Crossbones Vanguard occupied the space colony Frontier IV, and a high school boy named Seabook Arno joined a resistance group and started to fight Crossbones Vanguard as the pilot of Gundam F91. The supervising director is Yoshiyuki Tomino. Produced by Sunrise.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: Lord Slug 1991 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The fourth movie (52 minutes) is an original story describing a fight between the Z Warriors and a Namekian named Slug. An evil super Namekian Slug and his gang come to the Earth and try to convert the Earth into a vehicle (planet cruiser). Son Goku becomes a super Saiyan and fight with Son Gohan, Krillin and Piccolo against Slug and his gang. Directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: Cooler's Revenge 1991 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The fifth movie (47 minutes) is an original story describing a fight between Son Goku and Cooler (Frieza's elder brother), the strongest warrior in space. After defeating Frieza, Goku returns to the Earth and enjoys camping with Gohan, Krillin and Oolong. Cooler, who comes to the Earth to destroy the Saiyans, attacks them. Goku transforms into Super Saiyan and counters Cooler. Directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Ranma 1/2 the Movie: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China 1991 See the paragraph about the Ranma 1/2 TV series. The first movie version of 'Ranma 1/2', romantic comedy/martial-arts action anime based on Rumiko Takahashi's manga (graphic novel). A Chinese martial artist named Kirin, who was the head of the perfect and faultless martial art school called 'Shichifuku-Dojin/Seven-Gods', visited Tendo family's home, and he kidnapped Akane Tendo (Ranma Saotome's future bride) to take her for his wife. Ranma and all other related people go to Nekonron, China and confront the Shichifuku-Dojin/Seven-Gods martial artists to bring back Akane. Directed by Shuji Iuchi. The animation produced by Studio DEEN.
Gamba to Kawauso no Boken (The Adventures of Gamba and Otter) 1991 See the paragraph about the 'Gamba no Bouken/The Adventures of Gamba' TV series. A new theatrical version (80 minutes) produced as a sequel to the 1975 TV series and 1984 movie. Gamba and his friends (Boobo, Ikasama, Gakusha, Yoisho, Shijin) gathered again and took to the road to search for Shijin's lost lover, Nagisa. They found Nagisa, and she was going to escort two otters, who were pursued by wild dogs, to their habitat. Gamba and his friends also escort otters and try to find the place in which otters can safely live, called "rich river", fighting against wild dogs. The staff is different from the original TV series, but the cast is the same as the TV series. This film deals with the problem of Japanese river otter threatened with extinction, and it has a strong message against human's destruction of nature. The original story by Atsuo Saito. Directed by Shunji Oga. Produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha.
Porco Rosso
(The Crimson Pig) 1992 A comic and nostalgic film set in Italy in the 1920s. The story of a bounty hunter called Porco Rosso, who has the pig's face and fights against the flying pirates by a seaplane in the Mediterranean Sea. The original works, screenplay and direction by Hayao Miyazaki.Produced by Studio Ghibli. The No.1 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 1992.
Ranma 1/2 the Movie: Nihao My Concubine 1992 See the paragraph about the Ranma 1/2 TV series. The second movie version of 'Ranma 1/2', romantic comedy/martial-arts action anime based on Rumiko Takahashi's manga (graphic novel). One day in summer, the Tendo family and other related people had taken a vacation in an island in the south, but the ruler of the island Toma, who was the prince with magical power, abducted the girls one by one to make them his prospective brides. To rescue kidnapped Akane Tendo (Ranma Saotome's fiancee) and other girls, Ranma Saotome and other boys fight against Toma and the gang. There are lots of amusing action scenes. Directed by Akira Suzuki. The animation produced by Studio DEEN.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: Return of Cooler 1992 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The sixth movie (46 minutes) is a sequel to the previous film "Cooler's Revenge". A supergiant computer called the Big-Getestar is parasitic in the Planet New Namek. To save Namekians, Son Goku and his gang take a spaceship to the Planet New Namek, but Cooler is resurrected as 'Metal Cooler' with a mechanical body by the Big-Getestar, and he stands up against Goku and hid gang. Goku and Vegeta transform into Super Saiyans and fight against Cooler. Directed by Daisuke Nishio. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: Super Android 13 1992 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The seventh movie (46 minutes). After Dr. Gero died, his secret laboratory computers developed androids #13, #14, and #15, and they try to eliminate Son Goku. Goku, Trunks, and Vegita transform into Super Saiyans, and fight against the androids with Kuririn and Piccolo. Directed by Kazuhito Kikuchi. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Midori 1992 A cult anime film (47 minutes) based on the manga 'Shoujo Tsubaki' (the English title is "Mr. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show") by Suehiro Maruo, a manga artist known for his artistic drawing and underground style, such as erotic and grotesque. The original manga (a short story published in the magazine 'Manga Piranha' in 1981, and a long story book published from Seirindo in 1984) is an adaptation of a picture-story show on the street 'Shoujo Tsubaki (A Girl Tsubaki)' drawn by a painter Seiun in the early Showa period (around the 1930-1940s). The story is about a girl Midori, who lost her parents, and tricked by the master of a freak show tent into servitude as a freak show performer. The original movie title is 'Chika Gentou Gekiga (means 'underground lantern-slide graphic novel'): Shoujo Tsubaki'. Animator Hiroshi Harada produced this anime version independently. He drew almost all the animations by himself. The story, scripts and scenes are quite faithful to the manga version. The planning and production by Kiryukan. The screenplay and direction by Hisaaki Etsu (alias of Hiroshi Harada). The music by J. A. Seazer. In Japan, screened in 1992 Tokyo International Fantastic Film Festival and several other theaters and events in Shinto shrines and basement. In Europe, screened in film festivals many times. Never released on video in Japan, but released on DVD from CineMalta, France in 2006.
Ninja Scroll 1993 A quite entertaining historical romance/ninja sction, like Japanese ninja novels by Futaro Yamada. Set in the Edo period of feudal Japan under the Tokugawa Shogunate regime. A stray Ninja, Jubei Kibagami and a female Ninja of the Koga clan (beneath Tokugawa), Kagero fights fierce battles against the "Eight Devils of Kimon", the anti-Tokugawan Ninja group with unusual arts, commanded by Gemma Himuro, Jubei's long time enemy and a deathless man. This film has enjoyed greater popularity outside Japan than within Japan. In the North American market, the video was released in 1995 and racked up cumulative sales of about 800 thousand. The original story, screenplay, character creation and direction by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Produced by Animate Film. Cooperated by Madhouse. There is also the "Ninja Scroll" TV anime series (13 episodes, aired in 2003).
Patlabor 2 the Movie 1993 See the paragraph about the Patlabor OAV series. The second movie version. A politico-military drama depicting the confrontations between terrorists, the police and the Self-Defense Force (the Japanese forces) in the near future Tokyo. Ex-members of the Special Vehicles Section 2 follow a terrorist (former Self-Defense Official) who tries simulating a war situation in Tokyo. The photorealistic images with using CGs, like live-action documentary footage, are worth seeing. The original works by Headgear. Directed by Mamoru Oshii. The animation production by Production I.G. There is also the novelized version, 'Tokyo War: Patlabor the Mobile Police', written by Oshii himself.
Sailor Moon R the Movie: The Promise of the Rose 1993 See the paragraph about the Sailor Moon TV series. The first movie version directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara, who was the series director of Sailor Moon R/Sailor Moon S/Sailor Moon SuperS TV series. The story of the Sailor Scouts' fight against an alien named Fiore, who is in the control of the flower monsters called Kisenian, and takes away Mamoru Chiba/Tuxedo Mask. More serious, dramatic and adult-oriented than the TV series. There are the five films of the Sailor Moon series in total, including the short films, and this is the greatest one among them. Produced by Toei Animation. Screened with co-feature: 'Make Up! Sailor Scouts' (a short film).
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Action Kamen vs. Haigure Maou 1993 'Crayon Shin-chan' is a popular comedy anime based on the manga (graphic novel) by Yoshito Usui. The leading character is Shinnosuke Nohara (nicknamed Shin-chan), a five-year-old, impertinent preschool boy. The original manga (started in 1990) is for adult readers, but the animated TV series started in 1992 has been adapted for children. This is the first of the 'super-laughable movie' versions, and the Sci-Fi story set in an alternate Earth (parallel world) where 'Action Kamen' (the hero of Shinnosuke's favorite TV show) really exists. Directed by Mitsuru Hongo. Produced by Shin'ei Doga. There are lots of other Crayon Shin-chan movies worth noting.
BonoBono 1993 The animated film version of 'BonoBono', Mikio Igarashi's best-selling manga (serialized since 1986). The original manga version is a series of four/eight-panel comic strips featuring anthropomorphized animal characters inhabiting the sea and woodland, and it's seemingly an idyllic and humorous fable, but it has profound subjects like philosophy. The story of a little sea otter named BonoBono, who had a question in his mind: "why does something fun end?". One day he and his friends (chipmunk and raccoon) went to see a huge creature coming that they had never seen before. Meanwhile, adults in the woods say: "every time that creature comes, something will change in the woods." The original story, screenplay and direction by Mikio Igarashi. The animation production by Group Tac. Music by Gontiti. There is also the TV anime series (1995-1996) and the second movie version "BonoBono: the Tree of Kumomo" (a totally CG movie, 2002).
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: The Legendary Super Saiyan 1993 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The eighth movie (72 minutes). A Saiyan named Paragus asked Vegeta to be the king of the New Planet Vegeta and to destroy the Legenday Super Saiyan. Vegeta went to the New Planet Vegeta with Son Gohan, Trunks, Kuririn, Kame-Sen'nin (the Master Muten) and Oolong, but Son Goku realized that Paragus' son Brolly was the Legenday Super Saiyan and Paragus plotted to conquer the universe by using Brolly. Goku, Gohan and Trunks try to fight against Brolly, but they are overwhelmed by Brolly's incredible fighting power. Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: Bojack Unbound 1993 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The ninth movie (50 minutes) is an original episode after the Cell Games Saga of the TV series. Son Goku is already dead and in the afterworld with Kaio, so the leading character is Son Gohan. Gohan and his friends entered a world martial-arts tournament held by a millionaire, Mr. Money. Gohan, Kuririn and Trunks advanced to the finals, but Kuririn and Trunks were defeated by Bojack and his gang (heinous fighters who once had sealed by four Kaios). Gohan battles against Bojack to save the Earth. Directed by Yoshihiro Ueda. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: Brolly Second Coming 1994 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The tenth movie (52 minutes). Son Goten (Son Gohan's younger brother), young Trunks and Videl (daughter of Mr. Satan. Gohan's schoolmate) visit the Natade Village looking for dragonballs. Then, Brolly (a legenday super Saiyan who was defeated by Son Goku seven years ago) awakes and attacks them, mistaking Goten to be Goku. Gohan also rushes to the scene and they fight back against Brolly, but Gohan, Goten and Trunks face a hard time against Brolly. Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: Bio-Brolly 1994 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The eleventh movie (47 minutes) is the last part of the Brolly trilogy. Android #18 and her husband Kuririn visit Mr. Satan for the payment of World Martial-Arts Tournament's prize money. Mr. Satan's childhood friend, Baron Jaguer Batta sends a challenge to Mr. Satan. #18, Son Goten and Trunks follow Mr. Satan to Jaguer's Castle of Mayqueen, and they fight against biotechnologically-resurrected Brolly (Bio-Brolly). Directed by Yoshihiro Ueda. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Street Fighter II 1994 The animated film version of the world-famous arcade game, Street Fighter II (1991-94, Capcom), which is the first big hit in man-to-man fighting game genre. The story of martial artists, Ryu and Ken Mansters, who fight with Chun-Li (a Chinese woman and narcotics agent in Interpol) and Guile (US Air Force Major) against Vega, the commander of the crime syndicate Shadowloo. Directed by Gisaburo Sugii. The animation production by Group Tac. There is also the TV anime series 'Street Fighter II V' (1995, 29 episodes) and Hollywood live-action version 'Street Fighter' (1994, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme).
Pompoko (Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko) 1994 A Studio Ghibli work. A humorous film featuring anthropomorphized Japanese raccoon dogs (animals like raccoons, called 'Tanuki'). The story of Tanuki living at Tama Hills in western Tokyo, who launch a movement against the housing development project of 'Tama New Town', which destroys the natural environment and their habitat. The highlights are the scenes where Tanuki change their shape into Japanese traditional monsters/specters (called 'Yokai') and trying to sabotage the housing construction. The original works, screenplay and direction by Isao Takahata. The No.1 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 1994.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Treasure of Buri Buri Kingdom 1994 See the paragraph about the Crayon Shin-chan the first movie. The second movie version is an action adventure film set in a southern island in the Indian Ocean. The evil secret society, "White Snake" abducted Shinnosuke and Prince Sunnokeshi of the Buri Buri kingdom, who looks very much like Shinnosuke, in order to get the kingdom's hidden treasure in the golden palace under the ground. Shinnosuke's parents, Hiroshi and Misae fight with Lulu, the major of the palace guard of the kingdom, against White Snake, trying to recapture Shinnosuke and the prince. The screenplay and storyboards by Mitsuru Hongo and Keiichi Hara. Directed by Mitsuru Hongo. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Slam Dunk the Movie 1 1994 See the paragraph about the 'Slam Dunk' TV series. The first movie of 'Slam Dunk'. A short anime film (30 minutes) screened in Toei Anime Fair in March 1994. Shohoku High School's basketball club (Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa were new to the club) plays a practice match against Takezono Academy High School. At Takezono Academy, Hanamichi meets again Yoko Shimamura, the girl who rejected him in his junior high school days, saying "I like Oda-kun of basketball club". In the practice match, Hanamichi shows his fighting spirit against Tatsumasa Oda, who is Yoko's boyfriend and a leading center player of Takezono team. Directed by Toshihiko Arisako. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Slam Dunk the Movie 2 1994 See the paragraph about the 'Slam Dunk' TV series. The second movie of 'Slam Dunk'. A short anime film (45 minutes) screened in Toei Anime Fair in July 1994. In fourth round of the regional preliminary for InterHigh (interhighschool) Championships, Shohoku take on Tsukubu High School. Tsukubu's captain, Tomokazu Godai is a former teammate of Takenori Akagi and Kiminobu Kogure in junior high school's basketball club. Hanamichi fights against Tsukubu's center player Koichiro Nango, who fell in love with Haruko Akagi at first sight. Directed by Toshihiko Arisako. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Whisper of the Heart 1995 A pure love story of boy and girl. Based on the girls' manga (graphic novel) by Aoi Hiiragi. The leading charecter, Shizuku Tsukishima is a junior high girl and book lover. She met a boy named Seiji Amazawa, who aimed to be a violinmaker, and was attracted by him. Directed by Yoshifumi Kondo. He had worked as an animator with Miyazaki and Takahata. Produced by Studio Ghibli. The No.1 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 1995. The original of the theme song 'Country Road' is 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' by John Denver. The setting of this film is modeled after the real apartment complex city, 'Tama New Town' in western Tokyo.
On Your Mark 1995 A short anime movie (6 minutes and 48 seconds) produced as the promotion film for the Japanese pop duo, Chage & Aska's song with the same title. An image film, like a Sci-Fi fantasy movie, with the song in the background and without any character voice. Set in a future city, where the ground is contaminated by radioactivity and the people live under the ground. An armed police force raided a religious cult compound, and two policemen found a winged girl shackled there. They try to set her free and get her back to the sky. It's too short film, but the elaborately-crafted image is full of imagination and worth seeing. The original story, screenplay and direction by Hayao Miyazaki. Produced by Studio Ghibli. Co-featured with the movie 'Whisper of the Heart'.
Memories 1995 An omnibus that consists of three short anime films with gorgeous images by the executive producer and supervising director Katsuhiro Otomo. 'Magnetic Rose' (the original works by Katsuhiro Otomo, directed by Koji Morimoto) is a serious science fiction set in outer space. 'Stink Bomb' (the original works, screenplay and original character design by Katsuhiro Otomo, directed by Tensai Okamura) is a slapstick action comedy, and the leading character is a guy who begins to give off an awful smell because of taking a new drug developed in strict secrecy. 'Cannon Fodder' (the original works, screenplay, direction, original character design and art by Katsuhiro Otomo) is a story of a mobile metropolis heavily armed with lots of cannons, and this is by one-shot/one-scene shooting through most of the film. The animation production by Studio 4°C ('Stink Bomb' was produced by Madhouse).
Ghost in the Shell 1995 An ultra realistic Sci-Fi cyberpunk action movie by full use of computer graphics and digital technology. Set in an Asian country of the highly-networked information society in the near future, 2029 AD. The story of a female cyborg named Motoko Kusanagi, who is the major of the Security Police Section 9 (also known as 'Kokaku Kidotai/Armed Riot Police'), fights against the cyber crime by an unidentified hacker called 'Puppet Master'. The theme is something like self-identity crisis in network society and cyberspace. Based on Masamune Shirow's manga (graphic novel). Directed by Mamoru Oshii. Topped the video sales chart in Billboard, the US music magazine. The animation produced by Production I.G. There are also the TV anime series 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex' (2002-2003, directed by Kenji Kamiyama), 'Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG' (2004-2005, directed by Kenji Kamiyama), and the sequel movie 'Innocence: Ghost in the Shell' (2004, screenplay and direction by Mamoru Oshii).
Macross Plus: Movie Edition 1995 See the paragraph about the 'Macross Plus' OAV series. The movie version (115 minutes) is a redigest of the OAV series with new (about 20 minutes) scenes and shots added. I redommend the OAV version to those who want to follow the detailed episodes, and this movie version to those who want to enjoy the footage quickly.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Intrigue of Unkokusai 1995 See the paragraph about the Crayon Shin-chan the first movie. The third movie version is a Sci-Fi action/historical drama depicting the fight against a time-travel criminal who goes back into the past and tries to change the history. The Nohara family time-traveled with Ring Snowstorm, a female time-patroller from the 30th century, into the Warring States Period of feudal Japan (the year 1570), in order to prevent the crime of a history nerd from the 30th century, Hierre Jocoman, who called himself 'Unkokusai'. Shinnosuke and a boy swordsman (girl in reality) Fubuki-maru beat down Unkokusai with the help of Ring Snowstorm, and the Nohara family returned to the 20th century, but it had been another modern Japan changed into a strange world by Hierre. An entertaining film with lots of highlights, such as full-scale sword-action scenes, Sci-Fi elements dealing with time paradox theme, and the great battle between two giant robots in the final climax. The screenplay by Mitsuru Hongo and Keiichi Hara. Directed by Mitsuru Hongo. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Slam Dunk the Movie 3 1995 See the paragraph about the 'Slam Dunk' TV series. The third movie of 'Slam Dunk'. A short anime film (40 minutes) screened in Toei Anime Fair in March 1995. After losing to Kainan High School in the first round of the preliminary finals for InterHigh (interhighschool) Championships, Hanamichi presumed they lost it because of his passing mistake, and he cropped his hair short. Team Shohoku challenges a practice game against the strong Ryoukufu High School basketball team led by the captain Michael Okita, who came home from studying in the United States. Directed by Hiroyuki Kakudo. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Slam Dunk the Movie 4 1995 See the paragraph about the 'Slam Dunk' TV series. The fourth movie of 'Slam Dunk'. A short anime film (40 minutes) screened in Toei Anime Fair in July 1995. Rukawa's junior in school, Ichiro Mizusawa was the captain of the Tomigaoka Junior High Schoot basketball team, and he admired Rukawa. His dream was to join the Shohoku basketball club and lead the team to a national tournament victory with Rukawa. But he was forced to give up playing basketball because of his illness (joint tuberculosis). He wants to play one last game with Rukawa. To fulfill his wish, the Shohoku team makes him participate in a practice game (intrasquad game). Directed by Masayuki Akehi. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: Fusion Reborn 1995 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The twelfth movie (51 minutes). The dead Son Goku fights against Paikuhan in the Underworld Martial-Arts Tournament. In the same time, in the Yemma world, an accident of the spirit-laundering (purification) machine releases all of the evil energy. As a result, a psyche ogre changes into a monster Janemba, and the dead souls bring back to life all over the world. Goku and Vegeta (he is also dead but he recaptured his body) fuse into 'Gogeta' and fight against Janemba. Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Dragon Ball Z the Movie: Wrath of the Dragon 1995 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball Z' TV series. The thirteenth movie (52 minutes) is an original story after the 'Majin Buu Saga' of the TV series. An old man named Hoi asks the Z Warriors to revive Tapion, a brave from the Planet Conuts. They revive Tapion, but a giant monster Hirudegarn had been sealed in Tapion's body, and Hirudegarn also comes back to life. Hirudegarn is too tough for Son Gohan, Videl and Supuer Gotenks (a fusion between Son Goten and Trunks). Son Goku becomes a super Saiyan 3 and fight against Hirudegarn. Directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Junkers, Come Here 1995 The first theatrical film directed by Junichi Sato, the first director of Sailor Moon series. A fantasy drama depicting carefully the daily life of an adolescent girl and her family. The leading character, Hiromi Nozawa is a sixth-grade school girl. She keeps a schnauzer dog named Junkers, who speaks human language. She faces the crisis of her parents' divorce, and Junkers says to her, 'I can work miracles only three times...' The original story and music by Naoto Kine. The animation production by Triangle Staff.
The Diary of Anne Frank 1995 The anime movie based on 'The Diary of a Young Girl/The Diary of Anne Frank' (the original Dutch title is 'Het Achterhuis'. It means 'The House Behind') written by Anne Frank (1929-1945), the worldwide best-seller that described the life in hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, Netherlands in the last days of the World War II. The story of the Jewish Frank family (a 13-year-old girl Anne Frank, father Otto, mother Edith and elder sister Margot), who was obliged to live in a hiding place with other four Jews, to escape from the Nazi Holocaust against the Jews. The animattion is decorous and delicate, like the old 'World Masterpieces Theater' series produced by Nippon Animation. Directed by Akinori Nagaoka. The animation produced by Madhouse. Music by Michael Nyman.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Great Adventure in Hender Land 1996 See the paragraph about the Crayon Shin-chan the first movie. The fourth movie version is a modern horror style fantasy depicting a laughable adventure in 'Gunma Hender Land', the largest theme park in the north areas around Tokyo. Nohara family fight with Toppema Muppet (a talking doll from Magic World) against two gay 'witch' men Makao and Joma, who came from Another World and try to invade the Real World. Directed by Mitsuru Hongo. The animation production by Shin'ei Doga.
Dragon Ball the Movie: The Path to Power 1996 See the paragraph about the 'Dragon Ball' TV series. The seventeenth and last movie (80 minutes) of 'Dragon Ball/ Dragon Ball Z' series. Released in 1996 when the TV anime original 'Dragon Ball GT' was airing. A retelling of early 'Dragon Ball' episodes, such as the meeting of Son Goku, Bulma, and Kame-Sen'nin (the Master Muten) and the Red Ribbon Army story, with new character designs and new animations. The character designs and animations close to 'Dragon Ball GT'. Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Hell Teacher Nūbē the Movie 1996 The first movie (48 minutes) released when the TV anime series (1996-1997. 49 episodes) was airing. Based on a horror/school-comedy manga 'Hell Teacher Nūbē' (serialized in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump in 1993-1999) by Sho Makura (story) and Takeshi Okano (art), in which an elementary school teacher with psychic powers and "Demon's Hand", Meisuke Nueno (nicknamed 'Nūbē') exorcizes evil spirits and specters to protect his students. This movie has an original story in which Nūbē battles against an evil spirit from Tengu (Japanese long-nosed goblin) Mound, who attacks a girl in the class, named Kumiko Iijima (she is good at drawing but meek and weak-hearted). Directed by Junji Shimizu. The animation produced by Toei Animation. Screened with co-feature: 'GeGeGe no Kitaro'.
X: The Movie 1996 A fantasy action movie based on the popular manga (graphic novel) by CLAMP. A psychic battle set in central Tokyo of 1999. The story of a boy with psychic powers, Kamui Shirou, who as one of the seven psychics 'Dragons of the Heaven', fights against the 'Dragons of the Earth', another seven psychics trying to destroy the human race and to regenerate the Earth. The theme song was 'Forever Love' by X Japan. Directed by Taro Rin. The animation production by Madhouse. There is the TV series (2001) too.
Tenchi Muyo! in Love 1996 See the paragraph about the Tenchi Muyo OAV series. The first movie version and an extra episode in the storyline of the TV series. The story of Tenchi and his party's time warp into the past (the year 1970) to save Tenchi's mother, Achika Masaki, whose life is sought by a criminal named Cain. Directed by Hiroshi Negishi. Produced by AIC.
Black Jack: The Movie 1996 See the paragraph about the Black Jack OAV series. The movie version by the staff of the OAV series. The story of Black Jack's challenge to the mystery of an unknown infectious disease called 'Moira Syndrome'. The original works by Osamu Tezuka. Directed by Osamu Dezaki. The animation production by Tezuka Productions.
Mahoujin GuruGuru the Movie 1996 'Mahoujin GuruGuru' (Magical Circle GuruGuru) is Hiroyuki Eto's manga serialized in the magazine 'Monthly Shonen GanGan' since 1992. An easygoing slapstick fantasy/comedy based on the world-view of Japanese role-playing video games such as 'Dragon Quest'. The leading characters are Nike, a boy with the title of the Brave (hero), and Kukuri, a girl who uses a special magic called 'GuruGuru', and they have a journey to bring down the Satan. The movie version, which was released after the first TV anime series (aired in 1994-1995) ended, is a short film (30 minutes) depicting Nike and Kukuri's adventurous journey to Mt. Megalo in search of Megalodragon and the 'Pickle of Happiness', which can fulfill any wish. Directed by Nobuaki Nakanishi. The animation produced by Nippon Animation. There is also the second TV series 'Dokidoki Densetsu Mahoujin GuruGuru' (aired in 2000).
The End of Evangelion 1997 See the paragraph about the Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series. The completely new movie version that adapted the last two episodes of the TV series, which were incomplete, with incredibly high-quality images. Consists of two parts: the 25th episode 'Air' and the 26th one 'For You, My Heart and Soul'. When 'The Human Instrumentality Project'-as organic integration of all personalities-is being realized, the leading character Shinji Ikari refuses a luscious fusion with Rei Ayanami (a clone of his mother), and choses that he should be with Asuka Langley Soryu, the other he can never fuse into one with... This film is another ending with the variation on the theme presented ironically in the last part of the TV series. The planning and original works by GAINAX and Hideaki Anno. The screenplay and supervising direction by Hideaki Anno. Produced by Production I.G and GAINAX.
Princess Mononoke
(Mononoke Hime) 1997 A historical action/adventure film produced by Studio Ghibli. A fantastic story concerning conflicts between modernization and the force of nature in the medieval time of Japan. The story of Ashitaka, a boy of the Emishi Race in the Northeast, who went on a journey to the Western land, and there he met Lady Eboshi, the female leader of the iron-making community, and San (Princess Mononoke), a girl raised by the dog god. San had been fighting with the gods of the forest against Lady Eboshi who had cut down the forest. The original works, screenplay and direction by Hayao Miyazaki. The No.1 at the box-office of all movies released in Japan in 1997.
Perfect Blue 1997 The feature-length anime movie that adapted Yoshikazu Takeuchi's psycho horror novel. The story of Mima Kirigoe, who had been a member of the three-girl pop idol group Cham, but she left the group and begun to work as an actress. After that, the people involved with her are murdered one after another, and she falls into the world where there is no distinction between reality and delusion, like an endless nightmare. Directed by Satoshi Kon, a manga (graphic novel) artist who had participated in several anime works: 'Roujin-Z', 'Patlabor 2 the Movie' and 'Memories'. The original character designed by Hisashi Eguchi. The animation production by Madhouse.
Detective Conan the Movie: A Clockwork Skyscraper 1997 'Detective Conan' is a popular TV anime series (started in 1996) based on Gosho Aoyama's serious mystery manga (started in 1994) featuring Shin'ichi Kudo, who had been a 17-year-old high school boy and detective, but his body shrivelled up like a child after receiving a poison from a criminal organization called 'Black Organization', and since then he have acted as a 7-year-old grade-schooler and detective, Conan Edogawa. The first of the 'Detective Conan' movie versions which have been released in holiday period of April every year since 1997. Conan confronts the challenges of a mysterious bomber who blows up with plastic explosives the building structures designed by Teiji Moriya, an eminent architect. Directed by Kanetsugu Kodama. The animation production by Kyokuichi Tokyo Movie.
Cutey Honey F (Flash) the Movie 1997 The short film (38 minutes) of 'Cutey Honey F (Cutey Honey Flash)', the TV anime series (aired in 1997-1998, 39 episodes in total) produced by Toei Animation, which took over the time slot of 'Sailor Moon' series. The TV series is a remake/adaptation of 'Cutey Honey', the heroine action anime based on Go Nagai's manga (graphic novel). This series was more oriented to girls' manga (graphic novel) style than Go Nagai's original version, and it had a flavor like 'Sailor Moon' series, because it targeted the girls who watched 'Sailor Moon' series. The manga version was written and drawn by Yukako Iizuka. In this movie version, Honey Kisaragi (Cutey Honey) fights against the Panther Claw gang who attacked an archaeologist Robert Steiner (for he got a pupa of an ancient butterfly, which was said to be a key to the hidden treasure of an Ancient Kingdom) and kidnapped Honey's friend Natsuko Aki. Directed by Noriyo Sasaki.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Ankoku TamaTama Daitsuiseki 1997 See the paragraph about the Crayon Shin-chan the first movie. The fifth movie version is an action comedy film depicting the Nohara family who get caught in a fight between two clans, Tamayura and Tamayomi. Set in Tokyo and Aomori (northern end of Japan's main island). The Tamayomi clan had plotted to revive the evil genie "Jarke" and to conquer the world. To stop Tamayomi's plot, the three gay brothers (Rose, Lavender and Lemon) from Tamayura clan wrested "Jarke's ball", which was a key to revive Jarke, from the bar girl gang of Tamayomi clan, but Shinnosuke's younger sister Himawari swallowed down the ball. The Nohara family, with the three gay brothers and a female detective Yone Higashimatsuyama, fights a fierce battle against the Tamayomi gang chasing them. The screenplay, storyboards and direction by Keiichi Hara. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Tenchi Muyo! Manatsu no Eve
(Tenchi the Movie 2: The Daughter of Darkness) 1997 See the paragraph about the Tenchi Muyo OAV series. The second movie version and an original episode that is independent of the TV series and OAVs. The original Japanese title, 'Manatsu no Eve' means 'Eve in Midsummer'. The story of an artificial humanoid girl named Mayuka, who calls herself Tenchi's daughter. Directed by Satoshi Kimura. The animation production by AIC.
Slayers Great 1997 See the paragraph about the 'Slayers' first TV series. The third movie version. An original episode featuring Lina Inverse and Naga the Serpent, the main characters of 'Slayers Special', the novel version by Hajime Kanzaka. Two sorceresses, Lina and Naga came to the town of Stoner, which is famous for golem (dolls movable by magical power) production, and they get involved with the fight for hegemony between two castellans, Heisen and Granion, who try to decide by creating each one's giant golem and making them fight... Valued by fans as the greatest one among all the five 'Slayers' movie versions and a completely nonsense, laughable slapstick comedy. The original story and screenplay by Hajime Kanzaka. Directed by Hiroshi Watanabe. The animation production by J.C.STAFF.
Armitage III Poly-Matrix 1997 A Sci-Fi cyberpunk action anime aimed at the US market. The movie version re-edited from the OAV series 'Armitage III' (1995, 4 episodes) with new parts (about 10 minutes) added. The sound effects were re-produced by Hollywood staff. The scene is laid on Mars, in the 2179. Ross Sylibus, a lieutenant in MPD (Martian Police Dept.) who transferred from Chicago, Earth, and Naomi Armitage, a female detective in MPD who was a humanoid robot, hunt a murderer D'anclaude who killed ultra-advanced humanoid robots called "The Thirds". Directed by Hiroyuki Ochi. Produced by AIC. The voices are English only. The voice actors are: Elizabeth Berkley (Armitage), Kiefer Sutherland (Sylibus) and so on. The OAV 'Armitage III Dual-Matrix' (2002) was the sequel to this movie.
Noiseman Sound Insect 1997 A totally digital short film (15 minutes) by animator/director Koji Morimoto, who had participated in the OAV 'Robot Carnival', the movie 'AKIRA', and the movie 'Memories' as a core staff. High quality images with a sense of speed and stereoscopic effect by fusion of 2-D animation/3-D CG and free-flowing camera work. A story set in a town ruled by a sonic lifeform called Noiseman, who changes music into noise crystals. Directed by Koji Morimoto. The Character designers and supervising animators are Koji Morimoto and Masaaki Yuasa (setup designer of 'Crayon Shin-chan' movies). Music by Yoko Kanno. The animation production by Studio 4°C. Screened in the Tokyo International Fantastic Film Festival in 1997.
Rurouni Kenshin the Movie: Requiem for the Ishin Shishi 1997 'Rurouni Kenshin' is a TV anime series (aired in 1996-98, 94 episodes) based on the Japanese historical/samurai manga (graphic novel) by Nobuhiro Watsuki. This movie version is a romantic sword-play/samurai film set in Tokyo after the Meiji Restoration (the absolutism revolution in modern Japan), in 1878, and has the original story not told in the manga and the TV series. 'Ishin Shishi' means something like 'pro-Restoration warriors'. A swordman Kenshin Himura, who once had worked as an assassin to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate (Japan's feudal government) in the end of Edo Period, meets a man named Takimi Shigure, who tries to create a new restoration by overthrowing the Meiji government. Takimi was the man who once fought as a pro-Tokugawa loyalist against Kenshin's side, anti-Tokugawan forces. The character designer, animation supervisor and director is Hatsuki Tsuji. The animation production by Studio Gallop. There are also the OAV series.
Hell Teacher Nūbē the Movie 2 1997 See the paragraph about 'Hell Teacher Nūbē' the first movie. The second movie (45 minutes). A monster pierrot appears from darkness deep within the mind of Jun Kagami, a lonely boy who entered Nūbē's class, and attacks Nūbē. Directed by Yukio Kaizawa (the series director of 'Hell Teacher Nūbē' TV series). The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Pokemon the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back 1998 The animated film of 'Pokémon' (Pocket Monsters), a popular videogame on Game Boy and Nintendo 64. See the official site for Nintendo of America. Pokémon is strange creatures who fight each other by using their skills. The TV anime series has been aired since 1997 in Japan. This first feature-length anime movie version describes the story of Mewtwo, the world's strongest Pokémon created as a clone. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. The animation production by OLM. The No.2 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 1998. The No.24 at the box-office of in the United States in 1999.
Spriggan 1998 A Sci-Fi action movie based on the original story by Hiroshi Takashige and manga (graphic novel) by Ryoji Minagawa. The leading character is a 17-year-old high-school boy named Yuu Ominae, who is a 'Spriggan', the special agent of Arcam Corporation, that is an international secret organization aiming to seal off the dangerous legacy of an ultra-ancient scientific civilization. Directed by Hirotsugu Kawasaki. The supervising director is Katsuhiro Otomo. The animation production by Studio 4°C.
Nadesico the Movie: The Prince of Darkness 1998 See the paragraph about the Martian Successor Nadesico TV series. The completely new movie version. A sequel to the story of The TV series. The story of ex-Nadesico crew's attempts to crush a coup d'etat by 'Martian Successors'. Minute cutting of the scenes and high quality images. Directed by Tatsuo Sato. Produced by XEBEC.
Detective Conan the Movie: The Fourteenth Target 1998 See the paragraph about 'Detective Conan' the first movie. In the second movie version, Conan Edogawa challenges a serial murder case, in which an unidentified criminal tries to kill people in order whose names contain the playing-card numbers: from Thirteen (King) to One (Ace). The highlight is the sequence of criminal-hunting in a closed situation inside an undersea restaurant. Directed by Kanetsugu Kodama. The animation production by Tokyo Movie.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Dengeki! Buta no Hizume Daisakusen 1998 See the paragraph about the Crayon Shin-chan the first movie. The sixth movie version is a full-scale action film with tastes of the '007' series and Jackie Chan's movies. The story of the members of the secret organization for world peace 'SML', code-named 'Oiroke' (sexual attractiveness) and 'Kinniku' (muscle), who join hands with the Nohara family and 'Kasukabe Defense Forces' (Shinnosuke Nohara and his mates: Kazama-kun, Nene-chan, Masao-kun and Bo-chan), and fight against the evil organization 'Buta no Hizume' (Pig's Hoof), who tries to conquer the world by using a computer virus. An excellent action entertainment film among other 'Shin-chan' movies. The screenplay and direction by Keiichi Hara. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Pokemon 2000 the Movie (Revelation Lugia) 1999 See the paragraph about the Pokemon the first movie. The second of the Pokemon feature-length animated movies is an action/adventure film set in the southern Orange Islands. A collector, Girardin tried to capture the three Pokemons called the Titans of Fire, Ice, and Lightning, in order to get the legendary Pokemon, Lugia (the Titan of Sea), but that disturbed the ecosystem, and it caused a catastrophe on the Earth. In collaboration with Lugia, Flura (a girl in the island) and the Team Rocket, Satoshi (Ash) tries to stop the battle of the three Titans, in order to save the world. More children-oriented than the first movie 'Mewtwo Strikes Back' with a serious theme. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. The animation production by OLM. The No.1 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 1999. The No.59 at the box-office of in the United States in 2000.
My Neighbors the Yamadas 1999 A comedy movie depicting the episodes in the daily life of the Yamadas, a Japanese lazy family. The drawings in a watercolor style. Based on the four-panel comic strips by Hisaichi Ishii. The screenplay and direction by Isao Takahata. Produced by Studio Ghibli.
Tenchi Muyo! in Love 2
(Tenchi Forever) 1999 See the paragraph about the Tenchi Muyo OAV series. The third movie version and an extra episode in the story of the TV series. The story of Tenchi's friends' attempts to save Tenchi from another world ruled by the soul of Haruna Tsubaki, a woman who died young. Directed by Hiroshi Negishi. Produced by AIC.
You're Under Arrest: the Movie 1999 See the paragraph about the You're Under Arrest OAV series. The completely new movie version with the original story. An entertaining police-action movie set in downtown Tokyo (around the Sumida River). The strongest duo of policewomen, Natsumi Tsujimoto and Miyuki Kobayakawa chase the terrorists who attacked the Bokuto Police Station. Directed by Junji Nishimura. Produced by Studio DEEN.
Kochikame the Movie 1999 'Kochikame' (Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Koen-mae Hashutsujo/This is Police Box in front of Kameari Park in Katsushika Ward) is Osamu Akimoto's popular comedy manga (graphic novel) serialized in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump since 1976 for long periods. The leading character Kankichi Ryotsu (nicknamed 'Ryo-san') is an unconventional police officer working at a police box. The TV anime series has been aired since 1996. This first movie version by the same staff of the TV series is a slapstick action comedy set in downtown Tokyo. Ryotsu and a female FBI agent Risa Hoshino (who is a bomb disposal expert) confront a series of bomb attacks against a vicious company Shinatora Firm. The original works by Osamu Akimoto and Atelier Beedama. Directed by Shinji Takamatsu. The animation produced by Studio Gallop. The Japanese DVD carries the English subtitle.
The Animated Movie Card Captor Sakura 1999 See the paragraph about the Card Captor Sakura TV series. The first movie version. Sakura Kinomoto makes a trip to Hong Kong, China with her classmate Tomoyo Daidoji, her brother Toya Kinomoto and Toya's friend Yukito Tsukishiro, and there she fights against a sorceress who is former fortune-teller. The original works by CLAMP. The screenplay by Nanase Okawa of CLAMP. Directed by Morio Asaka. The animation production by Madhouse.
Clover 1999 A fully-digitized, very short anime movie (5 minutes) like a music video. Co-featured with 'The Animated Movie Card Captor Sakura'. Based on CLAMP's manga, "Clover" (serialized since 1997). A mysterious girl named Sue, she is the only 'Four-Leaf' Clover among children called 'Clovers' who can practice magic. She was imprisoned in a house like a cage, but an ex-military soldier Ryu Fay Kazuhiko is asked by his boss to escort her to an amusement park called 'Fairy Park'. Poetic and beautiful images. Directed by Kitaro Kosaka. The music by Ichiko Hashimoto. The animation produced by Madhouse.
Revolutionary Girl Utena the Movie: Adolescence of Utena 1999 See the paragraph about the Revolutionary Girl Utena TV series. The completely original movie version based on the motif of the TV series. Another Utena story with renewed settings and characters. A more splendid, aesthetic and avant-garde film than the TV series. The highlight is the strange car-chase scene of the last part. The planning and original works by Be-Papas. The original concept and direction by Kunihiko Ikuhara. Produced by J.C.STAFF. Screened with co-feature: 'Cyber Team in Akihabara The Movie: Summer Vacation of 2011'.
Cyber Team in Akihabara The Movie: Summer Vacation of 2011 1999 See the paragraph about the Cyber Team in Akihabara TV series. The completely new movie version and a sequel to the TV series. In 2011, the ex-members of Akihabara Cyber Team, who have enjoyed their summer vacation, gather again and go to space, in order to stop the artificial intelligence 'Abigor' (the main computer of 'Primm Mobile', an artificial satellite) running away and to save Akihabara. Better than the TV series in quality. Recommended to those whe like the TV series. Directed by Hiroaki Sakurai. Produced by Production I.G. Screened with co-feature: 'Revolutionary Girl Utena the Movie: Adolescence of Utena'.
Detective Conan the Movie: The Last Wizard of the Century 1999 See the paragraph about 'Detective Conan' the first movie. The third movie version is a mystery adventure story in which Conan Edogawa fights against Kid the Master Thief and an unidentified sniper 'Scorpion' over the secret of 'Imperial Easter Eggs', the hidden treasures of Nicholas II, who was the last emperor of the Romanov Dynasty in Imperialist Russia. Directed by Kanetsugu Kodama. The animation production by Tokyo Movie.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Bakuhatsu! Onsen Wakuwaku Daikessen 1999 See the paragraph about the Crayon Shin-chan the first movie. The seventh movie version is a spy action film about bath and 'Onsen' (Japanese hot spring). The Nohara family and 'Onsen G-Men' (the secret government agency maintaining all the hot springs in Japan) fight against 'Yuzame' (a bath-hating terrorist organization plotting to wipe out all the hot springs in Japan). The sequences in which Yuzame's giant robot attacks the Saitama cities are brilliant parodies of Japanese 'Tokusatsu' (special effects monster films), such as 'Godzilla'. The screenplay and direction by Keiichi Hara. Produced by Shin'ei Doga. Screened with co-feature: 'KureShin Paradise! Made in Saitama', an omnibus short film that consists of six episodes.
Pokemon 3 the Movie (Lord of the Unknown Tower) 2000 See the paragraph about the Pokemon the first movie. The third of the Pokemon feature-length animated movies is an action/adventure film set in a town crystallized by a mystery Pokemon. A little girl living in the town of Greenfield, Mie (Molly) missed her parents. One day she accidently releases a Pokemon called 'the Unknown' from ancient relics, who can make a person's wishes real. The Unknown creates a lion-like Pokemon Entei as a substitute for Mie's father, and Entei kidnaps Satoshi's (Ash's) mother as a substitute for Mie's mother. Satoshi (Ash) and his friends try to save Mie and his mom from the town covered with crystal by the power of the Unknown. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. The animation production by OLM. The No.1 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2000. Released in the US in 2001.
Detective Conan the Movie: Captured in Her Eyes 2000 See the paragraph about 'Detective Conan' the first movie. The fourth movie version. The story of Conan's challenge to solve a serial shooting murder for policemen. An important episode depicting the relationship between Shin'ichi Kudo/Conan Edogawa and Ran Mouri (Shin'ichi's girl friend since childhood and daughter of Kogoro Mouri, a private detective who keeps Conan). A good-quality film which can be enjoyed both as a detective drama and a wistful love story. Directed by Kanetsugu Kodama. The animation production by Tokyo Movie.
Jin-Roh/
The Wolf Brigade 2000 A politico-military action film set in an alternative past Japan, around the 1960. The leading character, Kazuki Fuse is a cop-soldier of the Capital Police's special panzer unit and a member of a counter-intelligence corps called the Wolf Brigade. He meets a young terrorist girl Kei Amamiya, and then gets involved in infighting of the police. The original works and screenplay by Mamoru Oshii. Directed by Hiroyuki Okiura, who was the character designer and animation director of 'Ghost in the Shell'. Produced by Production I.G.
Card Captor Sakura the Movie "Enchanted Cards" (The Sealed Card) 2000 See the paragraph about the Card Captor Sakura TV series. The second movie version and last program of the series. Sakura Kinomoto tries to make a declaration of love for Shao-Lang Li, a boy cardcaptor from Hong Kong, China, and challenges the last and strongest Clow Card 'Nothingness'. The original works by CLAMP. The screenplay by Nanase Okawa of CLAMP. Directed by Morio Asaka. The animation production by Madhouse.
Digimon Adventure: Children's War Game 2000 'Digimon Adventure' (1999-2000) is an animated TV series of 'Digimon (Digital Monster)', the popular video game series from Bandai. The second movie version. The story of a fight against a new variety of Digimon, who evolves and multiplies on the internet/cyberspace. The original concept by Akiyoshi Hongo. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda. Produced by Toei Animation.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Arashi wo Yobu Jungle 2000 See the paragraph about the Crayon Shin-chan the first movie. The eighth movie version is an laughable action adventure set in a south island. Shinnosuke with his parents and friends joined a tour with the preview of Action Kamen's new movie 'South Sea Millennium Wars' on a luxury liner, but a funky guy who names himself 'Paradise King' and his slave gang of gibbon monkeys took away adults to a south island. Gotaro Go, an actor playing the role of Action Kamen, with Shinnosuke, fights a martial-art battle and air battle against Paradise King. Relatively child-oriented and normal compared with other 'Shin-chan' movies. The screenplay and direction by Keiichi Hara. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Escaflowne 2000 See the paragraph about the Escaflowne TV series. The completely new movie version based on the storyline of the TV series. Produced by Japan-U.S.-Korea collaboration. A love romance/mecha action story set in another world called Gaea. Better than the TV series in drawing/animation quality. Directed by Kazuki Akane. Produced by Sunrise.
Blood: The Last Vampire 2000 An action/horror film set in the U.S. Air Force's Yokota Base in Tokyo, Japan in 1966. The story of a young girl named Saya, who kills vampires called the 'Chiropteran' with a sword. The full digital images by fusion of animation and 3-D CG. Directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo. Co-planning by Mamoru Oshii. Produced by Production I.G. and IG Plus.
Ah! My Goddess 2000 See the paragraph about the Ah! My Goddess OAV series. The completely new movie version based on the manga (graphic novel) by Kosuke Fujishima. A love story. Belldandy's former teacher and a rebel against the World Above, Celestine activated a virus in the system of the World Above through Belldandy in order to break the system, and Belldandy lost her memory about her life with Keiichi Morisato. Directed by Hiroaki Goda. The animation production by AIC.
Ojamajo Doremi # the Movie 2000 See the paragraph about the 'Ojamajo Doremi' TV series. The short movie version (27 minutes) of the second season of the TV series, 'Ojamajo Doremi # (Sharp)', and the first of the 'Ojamajo Doremi' movies. The story describing the relationship between Harukaze sisters, Doremi Harukaze and her younger sister Pop Harukaze, through the commotion made over 'Witchy Queen Heart', a magical flower brought from the Witch World. Directed by Takuya Igarashi. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Mon Colle Knights the Movie: Legend of the Fire Dragon 2000 'Mon Colle Knights' (Rokumon Tengai Mon Colle Knight) is a TV anime series (51 episodes, aired in 2000) based on 'Monster Collection', which is a trading card game developed by Group SNE. A fantasy adventure in which two elementary school children, Mondo Ooya and Rokuna Hiiragi (Mon Colle Knights) have an adventurous journey with a scientist Professor Hiiragi (Rokuna's father) in a different dimensional 'Rokumon World', where monsters exist. Also known as a slapstick comedy anime written by scriptwriter Satoru Akahori, featuring cute girl characters and parodies of past anime works such as 'Time Bokan' series. The movie version is a short film (32 minutes) with an original story. The original concept by Hitoshi Yasuda and Group SNE. The original story written by Satoru Akahori and Katsuki Hasegawa. Directed by Yasunao Aoki. The animation produced by Studio DEEN. Released in '2000 Summer Kadokawa Manga Daikoshin'.
Spirited Away/
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi 2001 A fantasy adventure movie produced by Studio Ghibli. The story of a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro Ogino, who strayed off into a hot-spring town for curing the Holy Spirits in another world where specters and monsters live. To rescue her parents (transformed into pigs) and go back to the original world, she starts to work at a hot-spring hotel operated by the greedy witch Yu-baba. This movie scored a big hit and broke the record for attendance of movie theaters in Japan, and won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, the US Academy Award (Oscar) for Animated Feature Film, and so on. The original works, screenplay and direction by Hayao Miyazaki.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: The Adult Empire Strikes Back 2001 See the paragraph about the Crayon Shin-chan the first movie. The ninth movie version noted as the outstanding masterpiece filled with laughter and tears. Adult people all over Japan had been captivated by '20th Century Expo', the theme parks that reenacted good old days of the 1970s (the last days of Japan's high economic growth), and one day they disappeared into the theme parks, leaving their children. That was a plot by 'Yesterday Once More', an organization who despaired of the 21st century and tries to bring Japan back to the 20th century with the dreams and hopes. Shinnosuke and his parents, Hiroshi and Misae fight against the plot of 'Yesterday Once More' in order to live together with family in the 21st century. The highlight is the detailed description of The Japan World Exposition (held in Osaka, Japan in 1970). A compelling movie that moved adult audience to tears. The screenplay and direction by Keiichi Hara. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Pokemon 4Ever (Celebi A Timeless Encounter) 2001 See the paragraph about the Pokemon the first movie. The fourth of the Pokemon feature-length animated movies is a fantasy adventure film set in a forest where many Pokemons live in. Satoshi (Ash) and his party met a boy named Yukinari and a Pokemon named Celebi (the protector god of the forest), who had been transported from the world 40 years before by Celebi's time-traveling power. One of the leaders of Team Rocket, Viscious captures Celebi, but Satoshi (Ash) and his party try to save Celebi, who is changed into an evil Pokemon 'Celebi Golem' by Viscious. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. The animation production by OLM. The No.8 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2001.
Detective Conan the Movie: Count Down to Heaven 2001 See the paragraph about 'Detective Conan' the first movie. The fifth movie version is a good suspense action set in a skyscraper. Conan Edogawa and Ai Haibara (she has a child's body like Conan, but she is a woman who was once a member of 'Black Organization'. The organization is seeking her life because she left them) with other members of 'Detective Boys' challenge a series of murders set in a twin-tower building in Nishitama City, Tokyo, owned by a computer software company 'Tokiwa'. The highlights are the action scenes like the US movies such as 'The Towering Inferno' and 'Die Hard'. Directed by Kanetsugu Kodama. The animation production by Tokyo Movie.
Gensomaden Saiyuki the Movie: Requiem 2001 'Gensomaden Saiyuki' is a TV anime series (aired in 2000-2001, 50 episodes) based on the manga 'Saiyuki' by female manga artist Kazuya Minekura (serialized in the magazine 'Monthly G Fantasy' in 1997-2002). The original manga is a fantasy adventure based on the setting of the Chinese classical fantasy novel 'Hsi Yu Chi/Journey to the West', and it gained popularity among girls for its cute boy characters. The movie version was released after the TV series ended. The priest Genjo Sanzo and his gang (three demons: Son Goku, Sa Gojo and Cho Hakkai), who had been on a journey to the west to stop the resurrection of the big demon Gyumao, save a girl named Houran attacked by demon birds, and she invites them to her big house. At the house, they fall into a trap by a mysterious enemy, being haunted by visions. The original story by Kazuya Minekura. The character designer and animation supervisor is Yuji Moriyama. Directed by Hayato Date. The animation produced by Studio Pierrot.
Avalon 2001 Not an anime, but a film produced by anime-like methods: digital process of live-action images (on-location filming in Poland) and CGs. In the near future, a woman called Ash, who is a player of a virtual-reality war game called 'Avalon', challenges the secret field of the game world, 'Special A', also known as 'class real'. The beautiful, European-style images with the color tones totally controlled. Directed by Mamoru Oshii. The leading actress is Malgorzata Foremniak. Recommended to those whe like Oshii's 'Ghost in the Shell' and Wachowski Brothers' 'The Matrix'.
Metropolis 2001 A retro-modern styled Sci-Fi movie based on Osamu Tezuka's manga (graphic novel), 'Metropolis' (1949), one of his 'early Sci-Fi trilogy'. The story of an android girl named Tima, who was born in Metropolis, the big city-state in the future. High-density images by fusion of classical animation and digital technology. Tezuka's characters are vividly animated. Directed by Taro Rin. The screenplay by Katsuhiro Otomo. The animation production by Madhouse.
Vampire Hunter D the Movie: Bloodlust 2001 A Gothic horror/action movie by Japan-U.S. collaboration. The movie version of the 3rd of the novel 'Vampire Hunter D' series by Hideyuki Kikuchi. In distant future world like the Middle Ages, a young vampire hunter named 'D', who himself is a dunpeal (half-human, half-vampire), tries getting a woman named Charlotte out of a vampire Meier Link. An artistic and beautiful film. Much better in quality than the OAV version (1985). Directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. The original character illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano. The animation production by Madhouse. The voices are English only.
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door 2001 See the paragraph about the Cowboy Bebop TV series. The completely original movie edition and an extra episode in the storyline of the TV series. The story of the Bebop crew's attempts to hunt a terrorist using a biochemical weapon in a crater city on Mars. Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe. The animation produced by Sunrise and Bones.
Princess Arete 2001 A Sci-Fi fantasy film based and adapted on the feminist fairy tale, 'The Clever Princess' by Diana Coles from England. Set in a world like medieval Europe, a millennia after the disappearance of the wizards using high technology. The leading character, princess Arete was determined to leave her castle and start on a journey looking for her own life. One day, a surviving wizard named Box confined her within a dungeon, and sealed off her will, but she tries to regain herself on her own. A full-digital anime with delicate color tones like paintings. An allegoric film with the universal theme, 'What on earth can I do with my own hands?' Recommended to late teens and adults. The screenplay and direction by Sunao Katabuchi. Produced by Studio 4°C.
Hamtaro the Movie: Adventures in Ham-Ham Land 2001 'Tottoko Hamtaro' is a popular TV anime series for young children (started in 2000. Aired in 36 countries of the world), based on the illustrated story/manga (serialized since 1997) by Ritsuko Kawai. The leading character is a golden hamster Hamtaro, who is kept by a fifth-grade girl Roko-chan (real name: Hiroko Haruna). The first movie version is a story of Hamtaro and his fellow hamsters' adventures to look for the 'magic sunflower seed' (if a hamster eats it, he will be able to speak human language) in Ham-Ham Land, the dreamland where only hamsters live. A fast-moving, musical comedy with songs and rap. Directed by Osamu Dezaki. The animation production by Tokyo Movie.
Mooto Ojamajo Doremi the Movie: The Secret of Frog Stone 2001 See the paragraph about the 'Ojamajo Doremi' TV series. The short movie version (26 minutes) of the third season of the TV series, 'Mooto Ojamajo Doremi' (More Ojamajo Doremi), and the second of the 'Ojamajo Doremi' movies, following the first 'Ojamajo Doremi # the Movie' released in 2000. The story of Doremi Harukaze and the members of Maho-Do (trainee witches), who visited Doremi's grandpa's house in Hida (in Gifu prefecture, the countryside in central Japan) on their summer vacation. Listening to Grandma's talk about the legend (a tragic love story between a peasant Zenjuro and a witch Mayuri) concerning the 'Frog Stone' on the 'Mt. No Return', they went to the mountain in search of the Frog Stone. The CG/special effect-driven images are worth seeing. Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within 2001 An entirely computer-generated Sci-Fi movie by the collaboration of Japanese videogame creators and Hollywood filmmakers. The original works, direction and production by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the producer of 'Final Fantasy', the role playing game series by Square. On the Earth in the 2065, a female scientist Aki Ross and members of the Deep Eyes military squadron confront the invasion by extra-terrestrial life called 'Phantom'. This film was a box-office failure, but worth seeing for its photorealistic 3-D CG images describing exquisitely human's detailed movements and skin textures.
Sakura Wars: The Movie 2001 'Sakura Wars' is a popular adventure video game series by Sega, and a steampunk Sci-Fi action set in an alternative past Japan of the 1920s. The leading character, Sakura Shinguji is a star member of the Imperial Opera Company consisted of only females, but it is also the secret corps who defends the metropolitan Tokyo against the attack of monsters called 'Kouma', by operating humanoid vehicles (robotic armors). This movie version has the original story of fights against the conspiracy of the Douglas Stewart Company from the US. The highlights are the high quality images by fusion of 2-D animation and 3-D CG. The original works by Oji Hiroi. The original characters designed by Kosuke Fujishima (the author of 'You're Under Arrest' and 'Ah! My Goddess'). Directed by Mitsuru Hongo. Produced by Production I.G. There are the OAV series and TV series too.
Di Gi Charat the Movie: A Trip to the Planet 2001 'Di Gi Charat' is a comedy anime for maniacs, starring a girl named Di Gi Charat (her real name is Chocolat, and nickname is Digiko. She is the Princess of the Planet Di Gi Charat), who works at 'Gamers', the game/anime goods store in Akihabara, Tokyo. 'Gamers' is a real store, and 'Di Gi Charat' is the store's mascot character. The first TV anime series (3 minutes per episode, 16 episodes in total) was aired in 1999. The theatrical version is a short film (20 minutes) depicting the commotion when Digiko returned to her homeland the Planet Di Gi Charat with her mates, Puchiko (Puchi Charat) and Usada (Rabi-en-Rose). The planning by Broccoli and Kadokawa Shoten Publishing. The original works by Koge Donbo. Directed by Hiroaki Sakurai. The animation production by Madhouse.
Azumanga-Daioh the Short Movie 2001 See the paragraph about the TV series of Azumanga-Daioh: The Animation. A very short anime movie (5 minutes) released before the TV anime series was aired. The main story is Ayumu Kasuga/Osaka's daydream in class about Chiyo Mihama's pigtails. Something like a pilot film of the TV series. Directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori. The animation produced by J.C.STAFF. Screened in 2001 'Kadokawa Anime Festival' with co-feature: 'Sakura Wars: The Movie', 'Slayers Premium' and 'Di Gi Charat the Movie: A Trip to the Planet'.
InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time 2001 'InuYasha' is Rumiko Takahashi's popular manga (graphic novel) serialized in the magazine 'Weekly Shonen Sunday' since 1996, and the TV anime series has been aired since 2000. It is a romantic saga with the hero InuYasha, who is a half human and half dog-demon boy living in the Warring States Period of medieval Japan, and the heroine Kagome Higurashi, a girl in the ninth grade who is time-warped into the Warring States Period. The first movie version is an original story different from the manga version and the TV series. InuYasha and his fellows fight against Meno-maru, the son of Hyoga, who was the leader of the Chinese demon troops that invaded Japan 200 years ago. Directed by Toshiya Shinohara. The animation produced by Sunrise.
eX-Driver the Movie 2002 The feature-length animated movie version of "éX-D (eX-Driver)", which is an original animation video series (relesed in 2000-2001, 6 episodes), and its planning, original story and original character design are done by the manga artist Kosuke Fujishima (the author of "Ah! My Goddess" and "You're Under Arrest"). Set in the near future world where the computer-controlled, fully-automatic electric vehicles called 'AI Car' gain widespread use. The story describes the skilled people called 'eX-Drivers', who drive gasoline-powered cars for stopping runaway AI cars. The movie version is set in California, the United States of America. The three Japanese high schoolers and eX-drivers, Souichi Sugano, Lorna Endou and Lisa Sakakino, visited the USA for entering the world-class race of eX-drivers, and battle against a crime behind the race. The car action sequences featuring 3D computer graphics have a sense of speed and are worth seeing. Directed by Akira Nishimori. The animation produced by Actas. Screened with co-feature: "eX-Driver: Nina & Rei Danger Zone" (a short film).
Pokemon Heroes: The Movie (Latias and Latios) 2002 See the paragraph about the Pokemon the first movie. The fifth of the Pokemon feature-length animated movies is an action/adventure set in a lagoon city Alto Mare, like Venice, Italy. Satoshi (Ash) meets an elder-brother/younger-sister pair of Pokemons, Latios and Latias, the legendary protector gods of the city, who are protecting a hidden treasure called the 'Droplet of the Heart'. A pair of sister thieves, Zanna and Lion steals the treasure and activates the ancient device for protecting the city by using it, but it goes out of control, and it brings the city to the crisis of being submerged. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. The animation production by OLM.
The Cat Returns/
Neko no Ongaeshi 2002 A heartwarming fantasy movie produced by Studio Ghibli. A companion volume to the movie 'Whisper of the Heart'. Based on the manga (graphic novel) 'The Cat Baron' by Aoi Hiiragi, the author of 'Whisper of the Heart'. The story of a 17-year-old high school girl named Haru Yoshioka. One day she rescued a cat who was nearly run over by a truck. That cat was the Prince Loon of the Cat Kingdom. The king of the Cat Kingdom took her away to his kingdom and tried to make her married with his son. The cat baron, Humbert von Sickingen and his fellow Muta, a fat cat, try to get her out of there. The planning by Hayao Miyazaki. Directed by Hiroyuki Morita, who had participated in the movie 'My Neighbors the Yamadas' as a key animator. The No.1 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2002. Screened with co-feature: 'Ghiblies Episode 2'.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Arashi wo Yobu Appare! Sengoku Daikassen 2002 See the paragraph about the Crayon Shin-chan the first movie. The tenth movie version is a full-scale historical drama set in the last days (the year 1574) of the Warring States Period of feudal Japan. The story of a laughable adventure of the Nohara family, who has been transferred into the Warring States Period by time warp, and a tragic love between a princess Ren Kasuga (a daughter of the feudal lord Kasuga at the Province of Musashi) and a samurai warrior Matabei Ijiri (a retainer of the Lord Kasuga). The highlight is the detailed description of the battle of the Warring States Period based on the studying historical evidence. Lots of quotations from Akira Kurosawa's samurai films. The screenplay and direction by Keiichi Hara. Produced by Shin'ei Doga. In Japan this film won various prizes such as the Animation Award of Cultural Affairs Agency's Media Art Festival.
Detective Conan the Movie: The Phantom of Baker Street 2002 See the paragraph about 'Detective Conan' the first movie. The sixth movie version is a mystery action set in a virtual-reality space modeled on London, England at the end of the 19th century (around 1888). The computer of a virtual simulation game 'Cocoon' was hacked by an artificial intelligence program called "Noah's Ark", and it transpired that all the game players (50 children) would die unless at least one player cleared the game. Inside the game world, Conan Edogawa and his mates selected a stage named 'old-time London', which re-created the world of the mystery novel 'Sherlock Holmes' series written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and there Conan confronts the well-known serial killer 'Jack the Ripper'. The screenplay by Hisashi Nozawa, known as a mystery writer and scenarist. Directed by Kanetsugu Kodama. The animation production by Tokyo Movie.
WXIII (Wasted Thirteen): Patlabor the Movie 3 2002 See the paragraph about the Patlabor OAV series. More an additional episode to the original series than the third movie version. The main characters of the original series (Special Vehicles Section 2 and Patlabors) only play supporting roles. A police drama/biological horror based on 'Waste No.13', the 9th episode of the manga (graphic novel) version by Masami Yuuki. The story of a young detective in the National Police Agency, Shin'ichiro Hata, who had investigated attacks against Labors on the coast of Tokyo Bay, and encounters a big, man-eating monster and a mysterious female scientist named Saeko Misaki. The general supervisor is Fumihiko Takayama. The animation production by Madhouse. Screened with co-feature: 'MiniPato' (screenplay by Mamoru Oshii, directed by Kenji Kamiyama).
MiniPato: Mobile Police Patlabor Minimum 2002 See the paragraph about the Patlabor OAV series. 3-D 'digital paper puppet' anime series using paper puppet theater-style materials. Screened with 'WXIII (Wasted Thirteen): Patlabor the Movie 3'. A comedy filled with Mamoru Oshii's erudite information, parodies and inside jokes based on the the worldview and character settings of 'Mobile Police Patlabor'. A series of three short films: the episode 1 "Cry of the Revolver Cannon!" (about 14 minutes), the episode 2 "Ah, the Glory of the '98 AV!" (about 12 minutes) and the episode 3 "The Secret of the Special Vehicle 2" (about 12 minutes). The screenplay by Mamoru Oshii. The character design and animation by Tetsuya Nishio. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama. The animation produced by Production I.G. A must-see for diehard Oshii/Patlabor fans. There is an English-dubbed version. There is also the videogame version 'Mobile Police Patlabor Comeback: MiniPato' for PlayStation Portable (2005).
Millennium Actress (Chiyoko Millennial Actress) 2002 The second film directed by Satoshi Kon, the director of Perfect Blue. The leading character is a Japanese actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, who was born in 1923 and was a movie queen during and after World War Two. She talks about a 'love story' through the kaleidoscope of her memories on her life and the days within the movies she appeared in (from the medieval time of war to future space age). The original works and direction by Satoshi Kon. A film in the Trompe L'oeil style, by introducing a play-within-a-play structure, like his Perfect Blue. The music by Susumu Hirasawa. Produced by Madhouse and GENCO. Distributed over the world by the DreamWorks Pictures (Hollywood movie studio).
TAMALA2010 a punk cat in space 2002 An artistic full-digital CG animated film (92 minutes) produced by t.o.L, a graphic artist/art director/musician duo of k. (Kazuhiro Saito) and kuno (Makiko Kuno). A space fantasy set in the 'Feline Galaxy' in 2010. The heroine is a cute and violent female cat Tamala (one year old), who lives in an apartment complex in Gonnosukezaka in Meguro-City, Tokyo on Cat Earth. She makes a crash landing with her spaceship on the violence-ridden 'Planet Q' en route to her birthplace, the Planet Edessa in Orion. She picks up a male cat Michelangelo and has fun with him, but Planet Q's city changes significantly because of Tamala, and Michelangelo approachs the hidden relationship between Tamala, a giant conglomerate 'CATTY & Co.', and 'Tatla', a giant cat robot who appears in kitties' dreams. Almost all of the images (2D/3D graphics) is created by using Adobe Systems Incorporated's softwares (Illustrator, Photoshop and After Effects). 2D graphics (characters and background) with Bézier curves have a cartoonish and retro style like Walt Disney's old animations or Osamu Tezuka's early manga works. The images are mainly black & white (partly colored). The giant robot Tatla and Meguro-City are drawn as 3D graphics. The direction and screenplay by t.o.L. The character design by Kentaro Nemoto and t.o.L. The art director is kuno (t.o.L). 2D animation by Kentaro Nemoto.
InuYasha the Movie: The Castle beyond the Looking Glass 2002 See the paragraph about the 'InuYasha' first movie. As with the first movie version 'InuYasha: Affections Touching Across Time' (2001), this second movie version has the original story different from the manga version and the TV series. InuYasha and his fellows fight against Kaguya, a female demon with the power to control time. Directed by Toshiya Shinohara. The animation produced by Sunrise.
A Tree of Palme 2002 A fantasy adventure based on the motif of 'The Adventures of Pinocchio/Le Avventure di Pinocchio', the Italian fairy tale written by Carlo Collodi. A supersensual and metaphysical film depicting 'a journey in the soul' of Palme, a wooden puppet who wants to be a human, set in another world consisted of the Roof (Touto), the Earth (Arcana) and the Below (Tamas). The settings and storyline are esoteric and hard to understand, but the beautiful images with fantastic description of another world and well-crafted animations are worth seeing. The original story, screenplay and direction by Takashi Nakamura (he had participated in 'Gold Lightan', 'Harmagedon', 'Urashiman', 'AKIRA' and 'Neo-Tokyo/Manie-Manie: Labyrinth Tales' as a key animator/animation director). The animation produced by Palm Studio. Produced by GENCO.
Welcome to Pia Carrot the Movie: Sayaka's Love Story 2002 The theatrical animated film (48 minutes) for all ages based on 'Welcome to Pia Carrot 3', the F&C FC02's ren'ai (bishoujo) video game forbidden for under 18s (for Windows/Dreamcast/PlayStation2) released in 2001. The original 'Welcome to Pia Carrot' is a popular series set in a family restaurant 'Pia Carrot' (released since 1996), and the OAVs also have been released. Sayaka Takai is a high school girl working part-time in Pia Carrot's main outlet. She loves a boy Akihiko Kannazuki, who is Sayaka's school friend and he also works in the main outlet, but she can never express her feelings to Akihiko. One day in the last summer vacation of her high school years, she happened to work in new 4th outlet opened on the Misaki seafront as a helper for a short time, without meeting Akihiko. Directed by Yuji Muto. The animation produced by Imove. Cooperated by Bones. Many OAVs based on the video games forbidden for under 18s have been produced, but this is the first one that released in the theaters. The theatrical version was bad in animation quality, so it is substantially redrawn on VHS/DVD version.
Pokemon: Jirachi Wish Maker 2003 See the paragraph about the Pokemon the first movie. The first movie of the TV series 'Pokemon Advance/Pocket Monster: Advanced Generation' (aired on TV since 2002). In the nights of Comet Millennia, which appears only seven days once a millennium, Satoshi, Takeshi, Haruka and Masato meet Butler, a magician of a traveling carnival 'Pokemon Park', and find a legendary Pokemon, Jirachi, who grants people's wish only once a millennium. Masato makes friends with Jirachi, but Butler tries to carry out an ambition, using Jirachi's power. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. The animation production by OLM. The No.2 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2003.
One Piece the Movie: The Dead End Adventure 2003 'One Piece' is Eiichiro Oda's popular manga (graphic novel) serialized in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump since 1997. A sea adventure/action story set in 'The Golden Age of Piracy'. The leading character, Monkey D. Luffy is a boy who got a rubber-like body that can be elastically stretched because of eating the 'Devil's Fruit'. Luffy aims to be the Pirate King, and makes an adventurous journey across the ocean, looking for a hidden treasure called 'One Piece', with his fellows. The members of the crew are: Roronoa Zoro (swordsman), Nami (navigator), Usopp (gunner), Sanji (cook), Tony Tony Chopper (reindeer/ship's doctor) and Nico Robin (archaeologist). The TV anime series has been aired since 1999. 'The Dead End Adventure' is the fourth movie version and the first feature-length film (90 minutes) of 'One Piece'. Luffy and his fellows enter a race called the 'Dead End', which is a ruleless, dangerous survival battle of the pirates. In the race, Luffy and a bounty hunter named Schreier Buskurd fight against 'General' Gasparde, an ex-navy pirate. Directed by Konosuke Uda (the director of the TV series). The animation production by Toei Animation.
Tokyo Godfathers 2003 The third film directed by Satoshi Kon, the director of 'Perfect Blue' and 'Millennium Actress'. A tragicomic human drama/slapstick starring a homeless trio living in Shinjuku (one of the central cities in Tokyo). The story of the trio, Gin (a middle-aged man and a self-proclaimed ex-cycle racer), Hana (a gay man and an ex-drag queen) and Miyuki (a girl who has run away from home), who took in an abandoned baby on Christmas night, and they struggle to find out the baby's parents. The highlights are the storyline full of 'miracles' such as happy accidents and fateful meetings, and the realistic scene description of the big city Tokyo. The original story and direction by Satoshi Kon. The animation produced by Madhouse. The music by Keiichi Suzuki of Moonriders.
Detective Conan the Movie: Crossroad in the Ancient Capital 2003 See the paragraph about 'Detective Conan' the first movie. The seventh movie version is a mystery action set in Kyoto, the ancient capital city in the western Japan. Conan Edogawa and Heiji Hattori, who is another high-school detective from Osaka, challenge the mystery of Buddhist-statue theft and a series of murders by a gang of art thieves. One motif in the storyline is Heiji's memory of his first love in Kyoto. A film full of traditional Japanese sentiment, as in the beautiful landscapes of Kyoto and Heiji's samurai sword battle against the thieves. Directed by Kanetsugu Kodama. The animation production by Tokyo Movie.
The Animatrix 2003 An omnibus that consists of nine short anime/CG films on the worldview of "The Matrix" trilogy, the live-action movies directed by Andy & Larry Wachowski. A collaboration between the producers of "The Matrix" and anime/CG creators from the US, Japan and South Korea. "The Final Flight of the Osiris" (directed by Andy Jones, written by Andy & Larry Wachowski, produced by Square USA) is an ultrarealistic, entire computer graphic film in the live-action style. The other works are high-quality footages fusing animation and CG in the Japanese anime style, with each creator's originality: "The Second Renaissance Part 1" and "Part 2" (directed by Mahiro Maeda, written by Andy & Larry Wachowski, produced by Studio 4°C, Japan), "Kid's Story" (directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, written by Andy & Larry Wachowski, produced by Studio 4°C), "Program" (written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, produced by Madhouse, Japan), "World Record" (directed by Takeshi Koike, written by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, produced by Madhouse), "Beyond" (written and directed by Koji Morimoto, produced by Studio 4°C), "Detective Story" (written and directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, produced by Studio 4°C), and "Matriculated" (written and directed by Peter Chung, produced by DNA, South Korea). The voice actors are Keanu Reeves (as Neo), Carrie-Anne Moss (as Trinity) and others. Recommended to those who like "The Matrix", its worldview and visual effects.
RahXephon: Pluralitas Concentio (Pluralistic Variation) 2003 See the paragraph about the RahXephon TV series. The movie version that reconstructed the 26 episodes of the TV series as another story with added scenes/shots (about 30 minutes) and newly dubbed voices. In the year 2027, Tokyo had been occupied by 'Mu', invaders from different dimension, and it has formed 'Tokyo Jupiter', a domed space isolated from the outside. A 29-year-old woman Haruka Shitow, who is an intelligence officer of counter-Mu strategic research institute 'Terra', tries to get her ex-classmate and boyfriend Ayato Kamina out of Tokyo Jupiter. The character settings and storyline are arranged from the perspective of love story between Ayato and Haruka, who are separated by the fault line in time and space. The original works by Bones and Yutaka Izubuchi. Directed by Tomoki Kyoda (the assistant director of the TV series). The supervising director is Yutaka Izubuchi. The animation produced by Bones.
Nasu: Summer in Andalusia 2003 A short anime film (47 minutes) on the bicycle road race in Spain. Based on an episode 'Summer in Andalusia' from Iou Kuroda's short manga series 'Nasu' (2000-2002). 'Nasu' is the Japanese word for 'eggplant'. The story of a bicycle racer Pepe Benengeli, who entered 'Vuelta a España' (one of the three grand tours of the world along with Tour de France and Giro d'Italia). At that time, in his native village in Andalusia, his older brother Angel and his ex-girlfriend Carmen had a wedding ceremony. The highlights are the realistic and powerful scenes of the bicycle race. The direction and screenplay by Kitaro Kosaka (animation director of 'Yawara!', 'Master Keaton', 'Whisper of the Heart', 'Princess Mononoke' and 'Spirited Away'). The animation production by Madhouse.
Dead Leaves 2003 A comical, funky and non-stop action anime. A 52 minutes long-short film with a whirl of crazy violent actions through most of the film. The story of the duo of Pandy and Retro, who try to escape from 'Dead Leaves', a prison on the moon. The planning and original story by Imaitoonz (illustrator/designer) and Production I.G. Directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi (the animation director of the OAV 'FLCL/Fooly Cooly'). The animation produced by Production I.G.
InuYasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler 2003 See the paragraph about the 'InuYasha' first movie. The third movie version is a sword/demon action film depicting the fight against the third sword 'Souunga' (Cloud-masses Fang), one of the three swords left by InuYasha's father, following InuYasha's 'Tetsusaiga' (Iron-Pulverising Fang) and InuYasha's elder brother, Sesshomaru's 'Tenseiga' (Heavenly-Life Fang). InuYasha and Sesshomaru fight against the demon-sword 'Souunga', which breaks the border between the land of the living and land of the dead. Directed by Toshiya Shinohara. The animation produced by Sunrise.
Kochikame the Movie 2 2003 See the paragraph about 'Kochikame' the first movie version. The second movie version is a hilarious spectacular action film depicting the commotion about a supergiant UFO that appeared over Hawaii and Tokyo. To meet again elementary school classmate Tappei Tanaka, Kankichi Ryotsu visited Hilo City in Big Island of Hawaii, and there he saw Tappei being abducted by an unidentified armed group operating a giant UFO. To rescue Tappei from the UFO, Ryotsu and a girl named Meena (Tappei's daughter) take an old-Japanese-Navy's fighter Zero and chase the UFO, which generates a fierce tornado and attacks Tokyo. The original works by Osamu Akimoto and Atelier Beedama. Directed by Shinji Takamatsu. The animation produced by Gallop.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Arashi wo Yobu Eikou no Yakiniku Road 2003 See the paragraph about the Crayon Shin-chan the first movie. The eleventh movie version is a slapstick action/comedy going back to the basic, 'laughable' style of the TV series. One day, the Nohara family was looking forward to having an ultrarich Yakiniku (beef barbecue) dinner, but they was put on the wanted list on suspicion of heinous crimes, because of a scheme of a mysterious organization named 'Sweet Boys'. The Nohara family run from Sweet Boys pursuit, but, to eat Yakiniku for dinner, they stop escaping and decide to meet the boss of Sweet Boys, who is based in Atami (a hot spring/resort city in Shizuoka Pref). The screenplay by Tsutomu Mizushima and Keiichi Hara. Directed by Tsutomu Mizushima. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Atashinchi the Movie 2003 'Atashinchi' (means 'My Home') is Eiko Kera's heartwarming, family-oriented comedy manga (serialized in the newspaper 'Yomiuri Shimbun' Sunday edition since 1994) that describes the daily life of a Japanese average family, the Tachibanas: Mikan Tachibama (a high-school girl), younger brother Yuzuhiko, mother and father. The TV anime series has been aired since 2002. This movie version is the first full-length drama of 'Atashinchi'. One rainy day, Mikan and her mother were hit by a stroke of lightning. At that moment their souls left their bodies, and then Mikan got her mother's body, and her mother got Mikan's body. Since then, they managed to do each other's daily duty (Mikan did the housework with her mother's body, and her mother went to high school with Mikan's body), but they confront the difficult challenge that Mikan's mother has to go to Kyoto (the ancient capital city in the western Japan) for the school trip with Mikan's body. The original story by Eiko Kera. Directed by Tetsuo Yasumi. Produced by Shin'ei Doga. The theme song written and sung by the singer-songwriter Akiko Yano.
Kill Bill Vol.1 2003 The live-action film written and directed by the US film director, Quentin Tarantino. The first part (vol.1) includes the anime part (about 10 minutes) produced by Production I.G. An unreal and violent action movie filled with quotations and parodies from Tarantino's favorites, such as Hong Kong's kung-fu movies, Italian spaghetti western movies, Japanese historical sword-play/yakuza (gangster) films and anime. The story of a woman called 'The Bride', who had once been an assassin. She was attacked at her wedding by her former boss, Bill and his followings. Her husband and baby in her body were Killed by them, and she herself was mortally wounded. After 4 years in a coma, she wakes up and tries to kill Bill and his followings, thirsting for revenge. Lots of bloody swordfight scenes with Japanese samurai swords cutting off arms, legs and heads. The leading actress is Uma Thurman. Several Japanese actors, such as Sonny Chiba (Shin'ichi Chiba) and Chiaki Kuriyama, also appear. The character designers of the anime part are Shou Tajima and Katsuhito Ishii. The animation directors are Kazuto Nakazawa and Toshihiko Nishikubo. Recommended to those who like Kinji Fukasaku's films and action anime such as 'A Kite' and 'Blood: The Last Vampire'.
Howl's Moving Castle 2004 A fantasy adventure directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. Based on the novel of the same title written by Diana Wynne Jones, the British fantasy and science fiction writer. Set in another world where magic coexists with scientific civilization. A love story between an 18-year-old girl named Sophie, who works as a hatter, and a young handsome wizard Howl. One day Sophie is cursed by the Witch of the Waste, and turns into an old woman's body. After meeting with Howl and his moving castle, she becomes a live-in housekeeper for the castle, and begins a strange life with Howl, Markl (a boy and Howl's apprentice), a fire demon Calcifer (a source of power to move the castle) and a turnip-headed scarecrow. The screenplay and direction by Hayao Miyazaki. Won the Golden Osella award for Technical Contribution at the 2004 Venice International Film Festival. The No.1 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2004.
Innocence: Ghost in the Shell 2004 See the paragraph about the previous work 'Ghost in the Shell'. A sequel to 'Ghost in the Shell'. Set in 2032, near-future where people live together with cyborgs and robots. The story of a cyborg detective of Public Security Section 9, Batou and his buddy Togusa, who investigate a murder case caused by girl-type pet-robots called 'gynoid'. An aesthetic and thematic film dealing with fundamental subjects such as body and soul, life and death, and love beyond anthropocentrism, with the motifs of surrealist Hans Bellmer's 'ball joint doll' and Chinese-style Gothic architecture. Absolutely gorgeous images by 2-D animation and photoreal 3-D CG. There's lots of lines quoted from classics, novels and so on. The original story by Shirow Masamune. The screenplay and direction by Mamoru Oshii. Produced by Production I.G. The novel version 'Innocence: After the Long Goodbye' written by Sci-Fi/mystery writer Masaki Yamada is another story of 'Innocence' and a previous story to the film version.
Steamboy 2004 A retro-styled steampunk Sci-Fi/action adventure film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, who had directed 'AKIRA' (1988) and 'Cannon Fodder' (the third episode of 'Memories', 1995). Set in England in the middle of the 19th century, the era of the Industrial Revolution. The leading character is a 13-year-old boy, James Ray Steam, whose father Edward and grandfather Lloyd are both inventors. One day, Ray found out his father and grandfather invented a sphere that contains extra-high pressure and high-density steam, called 'Steamball'. His father Eddie tries to use Steamball for weapons with the O'hara Foundation from the US. Against using science for military, Ray and his grandfather Lloyd fight over Steamball against his father Eddie. A totally digital processed anime film fusing hand-drawn 2-D animation and 3-D CG. The meticulous and picturesque images are worth seeing. The pilot film had been produced in 1995, but it took a very long time to finish the movie, because there were some difficulties, such as intermission of the production with changes of the investing/production companies. The original story and direction by Katsuhiro Otomo. The screenplay by Katsuhiro Otomo and Sadayuki Murai. The music by Steve Jablonsky. The animation produced by Sunrise.
Appleseed 2004 A Sci-Fi action based on the manga (graphic novel) 'Appleseed', Masamune Shirow's commercial debut (started to be published in 1985). A totally computer-generated 3-D anime movie. Set in a future city called Olympus, where human beings live together with human clones called 'bioroid', in the year 2131, after the 'non-nuclear world war'. The leading character is a female warrior Deunan Knute, who had survived the war as a soldier. The highlight is the innovative style of images, called '3-D live anime', which is the combination of the designs of Japanese traditional anime and photorealistic, stereoscopic 3-D animation by optical motion captures of human body and facial movements. The production by Digital Frontier. Directed by Shinji Aramaki. Produced by Fumihiko Sori, who had been a CG animator of the movie 'Titanic' (1997), directed by James Cameron, and the director of Japanese live-action movie 'Ping-Pong' (2002), based on Taiyo Matsumoto's manga.
Mind Game 2004 The animated feature film based on Robin Nishi's cult manga (graphic novel) "Mind Game" (serialized in monthly "Comic Are!" in 1995-96). A surrealistic and artistic film fusing 2D anime with CG, 3D animation and live-action materials. A young man named Nishi, who wanted to become a manga artist, met again Myon Uchida, his childhood friend and his first crush. Myon invited him to the bar-and-grill run by her and her elder sister Yon, and there Nishi was shot by a gangster who came to collect a debt from Myon's father. Nishi was once dead, but he came back to life again, gunned down the gangster, robbed the gangster's car and run away with Myon and Yon. The highlights are the kaleidoscopic changing images running through the 'good old past' and 'shining future', with a sense of speed. The original story by Robin Nishi. The screenplay and direction by Masaaki Yuasa (character design and animation supervising of 'Noiseman Sound Insect', setup design of 'Crayon Shin-chan' movies, screenplay and animation direction of 'Cat Soup/Nekojiru-so'). The animation produced by Studio 4°C. The music by Seiichi Yamamoto (Boredoms, Omoide Hatoba, Rashinban, ROVO).
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Arashi wo Yobu! Yuhi no Kasukabe Boys 2004 See the paragraph about the Crayon Shin-chan the first movie. The twelfth movie version is a fantasy action set in a world of Western films. One day the Nohara family, 'Kasukabe Defense Forces' (Shinnosuke Nohara and his mates: Kazama-kun, Nene-chan, Masao-kun and Bo-chan) and other people living in Kasukabe-city get lost in a world within a Western film, which is a city ruled by an evil governor named Justice. The time progress has been stopped there because the film is unfinished, and people are losing their memories about the past little by little. To go back to their former world, Kasukabe Defense Forces try to defeat Governor Justice and finish the film. The highlights are the last sequences of locomotive chase and fight against the giant wooden robot, "Justice Robo". The screenplay and direction by Tsutomu Mizushima. Produced by Shin'ei Doga.
Pokemon: Destiny Deoxys 2004 See the paragraph about the Pokemon the first movie. The second movie of the TV series 'Pokemon Advance/Pocket Monster: Advanced Generation' (aired on TV since 2002). One day a meteorite from space crashed to the earth, and a mystery humanoid pokemon 'Deoxys' appeared from it. Rekkuuza, a sky pokemon living in the ozone layer, fought against Deoxys and defeated it. A little boy Tooi was involved in the fight, and he became afraid of pokemon because of this traumatic experience. Four years later, Satoshi and the gang meet Tooi in the high-tech city Larousse, and Deoxys appears and fights against Rekkuuza again. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. The animation production by OLM. The No.4 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2004.
Detective Conan the Movie: Magician of the Silver Sky 2004 See the paragraph about 'Detective Conan' the first movie. The eighth movie version is an air panic/suspense film set in an airplane on the fly. A stage actress, Juri Maki received a notice from Kid the Master Thief (Conan Edogawa's archrival) that he would steal her star sapphire ring, called "The Jewel of Destiny". Conan and his party escorted her to protect her from Kid, but Kid appeared in front of them, in the disguise of Shin'ichi Kudo, who was Conan's original figure. Directed by Taiichiro Yamamoto. The animation production by Tokyo Movie.
The Place Promised in Our Early Days 2004 The first feature-length anime movie directed by the animation creator Makoto Shinkai, who created the short full-digital anime film, 'Hoshi no Koe/The Voices of a Distant Star'. A lyrical and sentimental film on youth's dreams, longing and wistful feeling. The brightly colored images emphasizing the contrast between light and shade are beautiful. Set in another postwar world, where Japan is divided into the north (Hokkaido Island) and south (mainland), and they are separately ruled by 'the Union' and U.S. forces. The story of two junior high boys living in Aomori (northern end of the mainland), Hiroki Fujisawa and Takuya Shirakawa, who had promised to fly to a big tower in Hokkaido by a handmade small plane with a girl classmate, Sayuri Sawatari. But after that she came down with a disease of unknown cause and slept on for years without awaking. Trying to save her from eternal sleep, Hiroki and Takuya approach the secret relationship between her and 'the tower'. The original story, screenplay and direction by Makoto Shinkai. The character design and animation direction by Ushio Tazawa. Produced by Makoto Shinkai and CoMix Wave.
Naruto the Movie 2004 'Naruto' is Masashi Kishimoto's popular ninja action manga (graphic novel) serialized in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump since 1999. The leading character, Naruto Uzumaki is a 12-year-old boy who with a 'Nine-tailed Fox Demon' sealed inside his body. He spends all his time doing ninja training and mission with his teammates Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, aiming to be 'Hokage', the No.1 ninja of his home village. The TV anime series has been aired since 2002. This is the first movie version, "Naruto: Daikatsugeki! Yukihime Ninpocho Dattebayo!!" (it means something like "Naruto: A Big Action Play! It's the Snow Princess' Ninja Art Book!!"). The Team Kakashi (the teacher Kakashi Hateke and his students: Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura) is assigned to escort the actress Yukie Fujikaze, who is playing the heroine of the popular movie "Snow Princess' Adventure" series, to the 'Snow Land' for location shooting, but somehow she adamantly refuses to go to the 'Snow Land', and the film crew is attacked by mysterious ninjas. The original story by Masashi Kishimoto. Directed by Tensai Okamura. The character design by Tetsuya Nishio. The animation supervisor is Hiroto Tanaka. The animation produced by Pierrot. The cofeature is the 11-minute short film "Naruto the Movie: Konoha no Sato no Dai Undoukai (The Big Athletic Meet in Konoha no Sato)".
InuYasha the Movie: Fire on the Mystic Island 2004 See the paragraph about the 'InuYasha' first movie. The fourth movie version released three months after the TV series ended in September, 2004. Set in an legendary island named 'Horai-jima', which appears once every 50 years. InuYasha fights against the four gods, the 'Shitoushin', who rule the island, to get the half-demon children out of the island. The drawings are more closer to the TV series than the previous three movies. The action scenes are pretty powerful. Directed by Toshiya Shinohara. The animation produced by Sunrise.
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie 2004 The feature-length movie version of the TV anime series 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' (aired on Japanese TV in 2000-2004. The original Japanese title is 'Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters') based on the card game manga 'Yu-Gi-Oh' (means 'King of Games') by Kazuki Takahashi (serialized in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump in 1996-2004). The leading character Yugi Muto is a high school boy who solved the ancient Egyptian 'Millennium Puzzle', and met his alter ego called 'Nameless Pharaoh'. He fights a fierce battle on card game against Anubis, the 'King of Devastation' who was revived from ancient Egypt and tries to destroy Yugi. Released in theaters all over the US in 2004. The No.100 at the box-office of in the United States in 2004. In Japan, this film was not released in theaters, but aired on TV and released on DVD in 2005. The original story by Kazuki Takahashi and Studio Dice. Directed by Hatsuki Tsuji. The animation produced by Studio Gallop.
The Prince of Tennis - Two Samurais: The First Game 2005 'The Prince of Tennis' is a TV anime series (aired in 2001-2005, 178 episodes) based on the popular tennis manga (serialized in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump since 1999) by Takeshi Konomi. The first original movie (65 minutes) created by the TV series' staff. An amusing sports anime featuring boys who play tennis with superhuman technique. The leading character, Ryoma Echizen is a young prodigy in the tennis club of Seishun Gakuen Junior Highschool, and he has won four consecutive junior championships in the United States. Sei-Gaku tennis club members are invited to exhibition games on a luxury liner, and play exciting games with their opposing team led by the captain Ryoga Echizen, who calls himself Ryoma's older brother. The original story by Takeshi Konomi. Directed by Takayuki Hamana. The animation produced by Production I.G. Screened with co-feature: "The Prince of Tennis: A Gift from Atobe" (a short film, 29 minutes). There are also the game (PlayStation/PlayStation2/GameBoy Advance/Nintendo DS) versions, musical, live-action movie and OAV series.
xxxHOLiC the Movie: A Midsummer Night's Dream 2005 A surreal, occultic mystery film (60 minutes) based on CLAMP's manga 'xxxHOLiC' (serialized in weekly 'Young Magazine' since 2003). A woman named Yuko Ichihara, who realizes customer's wish of any kind if she gets paid for it, receives an invitation to a mysterious auction held in a strange old mansion. Yuko visits the mansion, along with a high school boy Kimihiro Watanuki, who has the ability to see evil spirits, and Watanuki's classmate Shizuka Doumeki, and there she meets seven enthusiastic collectors invited. The high quality animation, art and direction are worth seeing. The original story by CLAMP. Directed by Tsutomu Mizushima. The character designer and animation supervisor is Kazuchika Kise. The animation produced by Production I.G. Co-featured with 'Tsubasa Chronicle the Movie: The Princess of the Land of the Birdcage'. There is also the 'xxxHOLiC' TV series (2006) produced by Production I.G.
Tsubasa Chronicle the Movie: The Princess of the Land of the Birdcage 2005 A short anime film (35 minutes) based on the manga 'Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-' by CLAMP (serialized in monthly 'Shonen Magazine' since 2003). The original manga is an all-star cast story featuring many characters from CLAMP's other works, such as 'Cardcaptor Sakura', 'Chobits' and 'Magic Knight Rayearth', and its story links to 'xxxHOLiC' too. The leading characters are the Princess Sakura of the Clow Kingdom, who lost all her memories, and a boy Syaoran, who travels in another worlds to find the feathers that are the fragments of Sakura's lost memory. In this movie, Syaoran ans Sakura visit 'Land of the Birdcage', and stand up against the scheming king to save the Princess Tomoyo and the citizens. Directed by Itsuro Kawasaki. The animation produced by Production I.G. Co-featured with 'xxxHOLiC the Movie: A Midsummer Night's Dream'. There are also the TV series 'Tsubasa Chronicle' (2005-) produced by Bee Train, aired in NHK Kyoiku (Education) TV.
One Piece the Movie: Omatsuri Danshaku to Himitsu no Shima (Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island) 2005 See the paragraph about 'One Piece' the fourth movie (the Dead End Adventure). The six movie version and the third of the feature-length films (90 minutes). Luffy's pirate team visited 'Omatsuri Island' ('Omatsuri' means 'festival'), and there they met a mystery man named 'Baron Omatsuri'. "I'll give you a a secret treasure, if you can a hellish ordeal", said Baron Omatsuri, and Luffy tries the 'ordeal' with his fellow crew members. An unique suspense/adventure film produced by the staff which is different from that of the TV series. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda, who directed 'Digimon Adventure: Children's War Game'. The character design and animation directed by Takaaki Yamashita, Sushio and Chikashi Kubota. Produced by Toei Animation. Hosoda's elaborate direction (image composition, scene cutting and camera work) is worth seeing.
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shambala 2005 See the paragraph about the 'Fullmetal Alchemist' TV series. The movie version is a sequel that describes the events two years after the last episode of the TV series. A serious political drama/fantasy action set in the two parallel worlds, another world where alchemy has evolved and the real world (interwar Germany). In the alchemical world Amestris, Alphonse Elric keeps on traveling in search for a way to reunite with his older brother, Edward (Ed). Meanwhile, being transferred from his alchemical world to the real world (Munich, Germany, 1923), Ed has been researching rocketry to find a way back home, but he is involved in the conspiracy of secret society, Thule-Gesellschaft, who regard the alchemical world as utopia 'Shambala' and try to open the gate to Shambala. The heavy drama with historical facts and real people against the backdrop of Munich Putsch in 1923 and the impressive action scenes are worth seeing. The original works by Hiromu Arakawa. The story and screenplay by Sho Aikawa. Directed by Seiji Mizushima. The animation produced by Bones.
Naruto the Movie 2 2005 See the paragraph about 'Naruto' the first movie. The second movie is a ninja action film full of overwhelming battle scenes, just like the first movie. One day Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sakura meet a mysterious young knight Temujin, who has traveled with his master Haido in a giant moving fortress for creating a warless, peaceful world, but Naruto challenges Haido, who has his wicked ambition. The original story by Masashi Kishimoto. Directed by Hirotsugu Kawasaki. The character design by Tetsuya Nishio. The animation produced by Studio Pierrot.
Air the Movie 2005 The feature-length anime movie based on VisualArt's/Key's love romance (dating-sim) game for Windows PC, "Air". The original game is known for its touching story about family's love. The TV anime series (aired in 2005, 12 episodes) is pretty faithful to the original game, but this movie version is different in plot and character settings from the original. The director Osamu Dezaki pruduced this as a film on pure love, with his own interpretation and direction. The story of a young man Yukito Kunisaki, who has traveled around, performing a puppet play on the streets. He met a sickly girl named Misuzu Kamio in a seaside town. The original story and supervising by VisualArt's/Key. Produced by Toei Animation.
Detective Conan the Movie: Strategy above the Depths 2005 See the paragraph about 'Detective Conan' the first movie. The ninth movie version is a mystery/action set in a luxury liner "Aphrodite" sailing on the Pacific Ocean. On the maiden voyage of "Aphrodite", Conan Edogawa, Ran Mouri, Kogoro Mouri and their fellows encounter a murder case. Conan and Kogoro attempt to find out the murderer, who tries to explode the liner. The highlights are the sudden reversal in the ending and the surprisingly outstanding performance of Kogoro Mouri. Directed by Taiichiro Yamamoto. The animation production by Tokyo Movie.
Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew 2005 See the paragraph about the Pokemon the first movie. The third movie of the TV series 'Pokemon Advance/Pocket Monster: Advanced Generation' (aired on TV in 2002-2006). At the Oldland Castle in the town of Lohta, a festival is thrown praising Aaron, the legendary Wave Leader Hero who stopped a war centuries ago by using the power of 'the Tree of the World's Origin'. Satoshi and Pikachu participate in a Pokemon battle to decide this year's hero and after their victory, they are chosen as the 'Wave Leader Hero'. But suddenly the phantom Pokemon Mew appears and takes Pikachu to 'the Tree of the World's Origin'. Soon afterwards, the Wave Leader Pokemon 'Lucario' is freed from his centuries-long seal by Satoshi's wave power. To rescue Pikachu, Satoshi and his gang go to 'the Tree of the World's Origin' with Lucario. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. The animation production by OLM. The No.2 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2005.
Pretty Cure Max Heart: The Movie 2005 The feature-length movie version of 'Pretty Cure Max Heart', the second season of the TV anime series 'Pretty Cure' (the original Japanese title is 'Futari wa PreCure'), produced by Toei Animation and aired on TV since 2004. A unique series aimed at girl children, which is a fantasy 'Magical Girl' anime filled with a girlish cuteness, but it is also a hero action story that features hand-to-hand battle scenes like 'Dragon Ball Z' (the director of the TV series is Daisuke Nishio, who also directed the TV series 'Dragon Ball Z'). The leading characters are two junior high girls at the Berrone Academy, Nagisa Misumi (good at all sports and boyish) and Honoka Yukishiro (good at school and graceful), who transform themselves into the Messengers of the Light called 'Pretty Cure' (PreCure), Cure Black and Cure White, by the powers of Mepple and Mipple (magical creatures from the 'Garden of Light'), and fight against evil enemies from the World of Darkness. This movie version is set in a fairy land called the 'Garden of Hope'. Nagisa, Honoka and another girl, Hikari Kujou (Shiny Luminous) fight with seven frog-like fairies against the Witch of the World of Darkness, who robbed the 'Diamond Line' (the source of shining energy) from the Garden of Hope. Directed by Junji Shimizu.
Pretty Cure Max Heart: The Movie 2 2005 See the paragraph about the 'Pretty Cure Max Heart' first movie. The second movie. Nagisa Misumi, Honoka Yukishiro and Hikari Kujou visit a ski resort with friends during the winter holidays. Hikari finds a strange egg, and a little one hatched from the egg is a young Houou (phoenix) from the Garden of Cloud in the sky. Hikari names the little one 'Hinata' and makes friends with Hinata. Zakenna, the enemies from the dark world attacks and kidnaps Hinata. Nagisa and Honoka have quarrelled about trifles, but they join forces to fight against Zakenna to save Hinata. Directed by Junji Shimizu. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation -Heirs to the Stars- 2005 See the paragraph about the 'Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam' TV series. The first part of the movie version trilogy of 'Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam', produced 20 years after the TV series. A redigest of the TV series, from the 1st episode to the 14th one, with some new scenes added (about 1/3 of the total is new). To minimalize the incongruity between the old TV series images and the new degital images, all the images are treated with a digital processing called 'aging' (noise coordination, color correction and image adjustment), but the difference between them is quite obvious. The soundtrack is totally re-recorded in 5.1 channel surround sound, including the back-ground music and character voices. This first part starts with the sequence in which Kamille Bidan (a boy living in the space colony 'Green Noa 1') robbed the mobile suit 'Gundam Mk-II' from Earth Federation Space Force and joined A.E.U.G. (Anti Earth Union Government), and it ends with the scene in which Amuro Ray met Char Aznable again, who were enemies in 'the One Year War' depicted in the first TV series 'Mobile Suit Gundam'. The newly-drawn parts, especially mobile suit battle scenes are beautiful and worth seeing. The original story, screenplay, storyboards and supervising direction by Yoshiyuki Tomino. The Planning and production by Sunrise.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam II: A New Translation -Lovers- 2005 See the paragraphs about the 'Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam' TV series and the first part of the movies, 'Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation -Heirs to the Stars-'. The second part of the movie version trilogy. A redigest of the TV series, from the 15th episode to the 32nd one, with some new scenes added. Full of many fragmentary episodes, so it's hard for the people who have never seen the TV series to follow the storyline. The climax is the sequence of encounter and farewell between Kamille Bidan and Four Murasame, who is the fourth enhanced-person from Murasame Laboratory of Titans (the elite of the Earth Federal Forces) and the most popular heroine character of the series. In this second part, the voice actors of several important characters are changed from the original to new ones, such as Four Murasame (from Saeko Shimazu to Yukana) and Sarah Zabiarov (Yuuko Mizutani to Chizuru Ikewaki). In Japan this incomprehensible voice casting with an opaque selection process became a big problem among fans who love the original voice cast. The original story, screenplay, storyboards and supervising direction by Yoshiyuki Tomino. The Planning and production by Sunrise.
Arashi no Yoru ni (Stormy Night) 2005 The feature-length animated movie based on the long-selling picture book, 'Arashi no Yoru ni (Stormy Night)' series (the first book was published in 1994) written by Yuuichi Kimura (drawn by Hiroshi Abe). One a stormy night, a goat named Mei seeks refuge in a mountain lodge, and encounters a wolf named Gabu. They get along so well in the darkness, without knowing the other's identity, and promise to meet again on the next day. On the following day, each of them knows what the other is, but they strike up a 'secret friendship', beyond the predator-prey relationships between wolves and goats. Each group of goats and wolves realizes the forbidden friendship between Mei and Gabu, and they are forced to escape from each other's group. The original story and screenplay by Yuuichi Kimura. Directed by Gisaburo Sugii. The animation produced by Group Tac.
Mushiking the Movie: The Road to the Greatest Champion 2005 'Mushiking: King of the Beetles' is a trading-card style arcade game developed by Sega. The players battle with each other on the arcade machine with the scanned cards of beetles or stag beetles. This game has become very popular among younger (kindergarten and early elementary school) boys in Japan since the 2003. The game is also available on home-use game machines (GameBoy Advance and Nintendo DS). The TV anime series 'King of the Beetles Mushiking: Legend of the Forest People' (52 episodes) was aired in 2005-2006. This movie version (50 minutes) is an original story describing a mushi-battle between a dashing boy mushi-battler Kent Mirai with Mushiking and a mystery boy Shiro Mizorogi with Darkside Neptune Hercules Beetle. Based on the story of the home-use game software, and it has no relationship to the story of the TV series. Directed by Shunji Oga. The animation produced by TMS Entertainment.
Negadon: The Monster from Mars 2005 An entirely computer-generated (without using any live-action images) monster film (about 25 minutes) independently produced by CG (computer graphics) creator Jun Awazu, who loves Japanese Tokusatsu (special effects) monster films of the Showa (Japan's traditional era name. 1926-1988) era, including "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" (1954), and Heisei (1989-) "Gamera" trilogy. The story is set in Showa Year 100 (2025). A giant space monster from Mars, Negadon invades Tokyo. A middle age man and an authority on robotics, Ryuichi Narasaki rises up against Negadon, manipulating a giant, humanoid general-purpose robot named Miroku (MI-6) No.2. The images with realistic touches, which simulate the motif, film texture and color tone of Showa Tokusatsu, are impressive and worth seeing. The original story, screenplay and direction by Jun Awazu. The music and sound effect by Shingo Terasawa. Produced by Jun Awazu and CoMix Wave. Screened at the Tokyo International Fantastic Film Festival 2005.
Tales from Earthsea 2006 A fantasy adventure film (115 minutes) directed by Goro Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. Based on American novelist, Ursula K. Le Guin's fantasy novel 'Earthsea' (mainly the third of the series, 'The Farthest Shore') and Hayao Miyazaki's fantasy picture story book 'The Journey of Shuna'. Set in an archipelago world 'Earthsea'. On a quest to investigate the cause of world's abnormalities, a wizard (an archmage) named Sparrowhawk (Ged) meets a boy named Arren, who had killed hif father, the King, and run away from his land. Sparrowhawk travels on with Arren. They stay with Sparrowhawk's old female friend, Tenar, and Arren meets a mystery girl Therru, who lives with Tenar. Arren and Therru get involved in a fight between Sparrowhawk and Cob, a wizard who seeks eternal life. The direction and storyboards by Goro Miyazaki. The screenplay by Goro Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa. Goro Miyazaki is a son of Hayao Miyazaki and an amateur with no experience of animation prodution and direction. A poor imitation of the images from Hayao Mizazaki's past works. Not high in quality among the Ghibli films. The No.1 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2006.
Naruto the Movie 3 2006 See the paragraph about 'Naruto' the first movie. The third movie is a ninja action film set in Crescent Moon Island, which is a land of perpetual summer on a southern sea. The prince Michiru of the Moon Country on Crescent Moon Island, who is extremely wealthy and gluttonous, and his spoiled and selfish son Hikaru were traveling the world, and they were escorted back to his home by Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi Hatake, Sakura Haruno and Rock Lee. The prince Michiru bought an entire traveling circus on his way home and took them back his home island, but the king of the Moon Country is to be toppled in a coup by his close aides, and they are attacked by three mysterious ninjas. The battle action scenes are powerful, full of speed and worth seeing. The original story by Masashi Kishimoto. The screenplay and direction by Toshiyuki Tsuru. The character design by Tetsuya Nishio and Hirofumi Suzuki. The animation produced by Studio Pierrot.
Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea 2006 See the paragraph about the Pokemon the first movie. The fourth movie of the TV series 'Pokemon Advance/Pocket Monster: Advanced Generation' (aired on TV in 2002-2006) is a sea adventure/action story featuring a Pokemon ranger named Jack Walker and an aquatic Pokemon named Manaphy. A Pokemon ranger Jack Walker tries to send Manaphy to a legendary 'Sea Temple' in collaboration with Satoshi and his gang, and Marina Family, a troupe of aquatic Pokemon show, who are descendants of the People of the Water, but a pirate called 'The Phantom' follows them to get a hidden treasure 'Sea Crown' of the Sea Temple. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. The animation production by OLM. The No.7 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2006.
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Dinosaur 2006 2006 The first Doraemon movie after the change of the staff and cast for TV series in 2005, which is a remake (106 minutes) of the first Doraemon movie 'Nobita's Dinosaur' (released in 1980) with modern image technology including 3-D CG and the new voice cast for the TV series. The storyline adheres fairly closely to the original manga and old movie version. A visually appealing film with dynamic animation using animators' handwriting touch and beautiful background art, though it is different in visual image from the original manga and old movie version. The original story by Fujio F. Fujiko. The supervising diretor is Kozo Kusuba. The direction and storyboards by Ayumu Watanabe. The animation director is Konishi Ken'ichi from Studio Ghibli. The animation produced by Shin'ei Doga (cooperated by Vega Entertainment). The No.8 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2006.
Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 2006 See the paragraphs about the 'Sgt. Frog/Keroro Gunso' TV series (1st season). The first movie (60 minutes) of the TV anime series 'Sgt. Frog/Keroro Gunso' based on Mine Yoshizaki's manga. On the way home from buying a gunpla (Gundam plastic model) 'GM Sniper Custom', Keroro and Fuyuki found a strange shrine, and they unsealed an ancient Keronian ultimate weapon 'Kiruru' by breaking someting like a vase enshrined there. Kiruru grew people's negative emotional energy. Keroro and Fuyuki, Keronians and Earthians also nearly lose their relations of friendship and trust, but to save the Earth from destruction, the Keroro platoon (Keroro, Tamama, Giroro, Kururu, Dororo) and their friends (Fuyuki, Natsumi, Momoka, Saburo, Koyuki) join all forces to try to seal Kiruru. Directed by Nobuhiro Kondo. The supervising director is Jun'ichi Sato. The animation produced by Sunrise.
Gin-iro no Kami no Agito 2006 The first theatrical feature (95 minutes) produced by Gonzo, the anime production company known for their digital anime featuring 3-D computer graphics, such as 'Vandread' (2000), 'SaiKano' (2002), 'Kaleido Star' (2003) and 'GANTZ' (2004). The original Japanese title means 'Silver-haired Agito'. A fantasy adventure set in the future world 300 years after, in which the civilization was destroyed, because failure of genetic manipulation gave the plants their own will, and the forests attacked people and cities. A boy named Agito, who lives in the Neutral City which coexists with the forests, meets a girl named Toola, who awoke from deep sleep of 300 years. Agito falls in love with her at first sight, but, to revive the Earth's environment, she leaves him and she and Shunack, a young soldier of the military state Ragna, tries to activate 'Istok', which is an environmental rehabilitation (defragment) system developed by Dr. Sacl (Toola's father). Similar in world-view, storyline and theme to Hayao Miyazaki's 'Future Boy Conan' (1978) and 'Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind' (1984). The CGs and background art are beautiful and worth seeing, but the script is predictable. The original conception by Umanosuke Iida. Directed by Keiichi Sugiyama. The largest film distribution company in China, China Film Group Corporation (CFGC) released this movie in mainland China in June 2006. This is the first Japanese anime movie released in theaters in China.
Detective Conan the Movie: The Private Eyes' Requiem 2006 See the paragraph about 'Detective Conan' the first movie. The tenth movie produced as an all-star film featuring almost all the regular characters for commemorating its 10th anniversary. A mystery action set in Yokohama (Kanagawa Pref., near Tokyo). An unknown client invites Kogoro Mouri, Ran Mouri, Conan Edogawa and 'Detective Boys' members to 'Red Castle Hotel' next to the theme park 'Miracle Land' in Yokohama, and he asks Mouri and Conan to investigate a murder case. He sets watch-type bombs on all their wrists, and he says if it is not solved within 12 hours (by 10 p.m.), the bombs will explode. In collaboration with 'high-school detective of the west' Heiji Hattori, Conan tries to solve the case. Kid the Master Thief also plays an important role. Directed by Taiichiro Yamamoto. The animation production by Tokyo Movie.
Tachiguishi-Retsuden (Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters) 2006 A feature film (104 minutes) directed by Mamoru Oshii and based on his own novel of the same title. The 3D digital images created with a method called 'Superlivemation', which uses still photos of Oshii's acquaintances (Studio Ghibli's producer Toshio Suzuki, Production I.G's president Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, anime director/mecha designer Shoji Kawamori, special effects director Shinji Higuchi, composer Kenji Kawai, anime director Kenji Kamiyama and others) as materials for paper puppet theater-style animation, like 2002 short anime films 'Mobile Police Patlabor Minimum: Minipato' (screenplay by Mamoru Oshii, directed by Kenji Kamiyama, produced by Production I.G). A comical and ideological film which examines scientifically the legendary genealogy of 'Tachiguishi/Fast Food Grifters' (fictional outlaws who eat in fast-food restaurants such as standing-up-eating soba noodle, beef and rice bowl, curry and rice, frankfurter and hamburger, without paying) in Japan's postwar history. 'Tachiguishi' is an existence which has appeared many times in Oshii's past works. Diehard Oshii fans or people interested in the theme of this film will enjoy it, but the film itself is a kind of combination of radio drama which mainly consists of narration and digital picture-story show, so it lacks the common touch and generality as a movie. The original story, screenplay and direction by Mamoru Oshii. Produced by Production I.G.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam III: A New Translation -Love is the Pulse of the Stars- 2006 See the paragraphs about the 'Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam' TV series and the first part of the movies, 'Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation -Heirs to the Stars-'. The third and last part of the movie version trilogy. A redigest of the TV series, from the 33rd episode to the last 50th one, with some new scenes added. In the last stage of so-called 'Gryps Conflict', which is the three-cornered battle of Titans (the elite of the Earth Federal Forces), AEUG (Anti-Earth Union Group) and Axis (the remnants of Zeon), AEUG's Quattro Bajeena (Char Aznable), Axis' leader Haman Karn and Titans' Paptimus Scirocco fight with each other scrambling for the colony laser 'Gryps 2' (a giant laser cannon converted from a space colony). The highlight is the last scene different from the TV version's tragic finale in which the leading character Kamille Bidan became insane. This movie trilogy can be seen as a bridge between 'Mobile Suit Gundam' first series and the movie 'Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack' in a direct line, and it contains an intention to regard the first Gundam, Zeta Gundam and "Char's Counterattack" (except "Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ") as authentic history. The original story, screenplay, storyboards and supervising direction by Yoshiyuki Tomino. The Planning and production by Sunrise.
Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) 2006 The animated film based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's Sci-Fi juvenile novel 'Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo' (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time/The Little Girl Who Conquered Time) (serialized in 1965-1966). A masterpiece of refreshing young love romance/fantasy film. The original is a popular novel which has been made into TV dramas and live-action films many times, but this is the first time to be made into anime. This anime version is a sequel to the novel and it is set in the present day, about 20 years after the original story. A 17-year-old girl at a high school in Tokyo, Makoto Konno is a girl who prefers playing baseball with her two male classmates, Kousuke Tsuda and Chiaki Mamiya after school rather than having fun with her female classmates. One day, she gains the ability to leap backwards through time and do the things of her past again. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda (the director of "Digimon Adventure: Children's War Game" and "One Piece the Movie: Omatsuri Danshaku to Himitsu no Shima/Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island"). The character design by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (the character designer of "Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion"). The art director is Nizo Yamamoto (the art director of "Grave of the Fireflies" and "Princess Mononoke"). The animation produced by Madhouse.
Brave Story 2006 A huge feature-length animated movie (111 minutes) produced by Fuji TV and Gonzo as competition with NTV and Studio Ghibli. Based on Miyuki Miyabe's fantasy novel (2003) in the RPG (Japanese role-playing video game) style. The leading character is an eleven-year-old boy Wataru Mitsuya. One day his father gets a divorce from his mother and leaves home. To recover his family bond, Wataru travels to another world called 'the Vision', the world of sword and sorcery, as an 'apprentice Brave' with several comrades, and searches for the five gems, which can change people's fate (fulfill only one wish). At the same time, a beautiful boy Mitsuru Ashikawa, who transferred to the class next to his, also searches for the gems as a 'Mage' to change his fate. The original story by Miyuki Miyabe. Directed by Koichi Chigira (the director of 'Gate Keepers', 'Full Metal Panic!' and 'Last Exile'). The character designer and animation director is Yuriko Chiba. The animation produced by Gonzo. There are also the manga/video game (Nintendo DS/PlayStation2/PlayStation Portable) versions.
Atagoal: Cat's Magical Forest 2006 A 3-D CG anime movie (81 minutes) in the musical/puppet play-style, based on Hiroshi Masumura's long-selling fantasy manga 'Atagoal' series (serialized since 1976), which is set in an imaginary world where cats speak human language and walk with two legs. The story of this movie version is based on a side story of the series, 'Girudoma' (serialized in the manga mangazine 'Nemuki' in 1997-1999). One day, a fat cat named Hideyoshi, who is the number-one troublemaker in Atagoal, opens a sealed door and wakes Pirea, the plant queen who has an ambition to conquer the world, from thousands of years sleep. The original story by Hiroshi Masumura. The CG director is Youichi Mouri. Directed by Mizuho Nishikubo (Toshihiko Nishikubo). Produced by Digital Frontier. The music directed by Tatsuya Ishii (ex-Kome Kome Club).
Paprika 2006 The animated film based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's Sci-Fi novel 'Paprika' (serialized in women's magazine 'marie claire' in 1991-1993). The leading character, Atsuko Chiba is a psychotherapist working at an institute for psychiatric treatment. She sometimes becomes a 'dream detective' code-named 'Paprika' and enters into clients' dreams to explore the secrets of their hearts, using s psychotherapy device. One day someone steals the latest model of the psychotherapy devices, 'DC Mini' (if people wear it, they will be able to share a same dream) from the institute. Because of the abuse of 'DC Mini', people's minds are invaded by bizarre dreams. Paprika dives into the crazy dreams in an attempt to discover who is the 'dream terrorist'. An entertaining psycho suspense film featuring the dreamy styles of both the original author Yasutaka Tsutsui and the director Satoshi Kon (director of 'Perfect Blue', 'Millennium Actress' and 'Paranoia Agent'). The character designer/animation director is Masashi Ando (animation director of 'Princess Mononoke' and 'Spirited Away'). The animation produced by Madhouse. The music by Susumu Hirasawa.
Tekkon Kinkreet (Black and White) 2006 The animated feature film (111 minutes) based on Taiyo Matsumoto's manga "Tekkon Kinkreet (English title: Black and White)" (serialized in weekly "Big Comic Spirits" in 1993-94). The leading characters are Kuro (black) and Shiro (white), a duo of homeless bad boys called 'Neko (cats)', who live in Takara, a town of loyalty, compassion and gangsters. A unique film which is both a hard-boiled violence action movie set in a chaotic and bawdy town, like Japan in Showa era or Asian cities such as Hong Kong, and a touching story describing pure friendship or brotherhood between two boys. The storyline is quite faithful to the original manga. The high-quality images created by fusion of hand-drawn 2-D anime and 3-D CG are worth seeing. Directed by Michael Arias (American visual effects/computer graphics creator/software developer. The producer of "The Animatrix"). Co-directed by Hiroaki Ando. The character designer/animation director is Shojiro Nishimi. The animation produced by Studio 4°C. The music by Plaid (English techno/electronica group). There is also a pilot film (1999) directed by Koji Morimoto.
Deep Imagination 2006 An anthology of five short anime films (each one is about ten minutes) created by up-and-coming creators of Studio 4°C. A new film "Garakuta no Machi (Junk Town)" (directed by Nobutake Ito) and four films of "Sweat Punch" series released on the DVD magazine "Grasshoppa!" in 2001-2002, "Pr. Dan Petory's Blues" (directed by Hidekazu Ohara), "End of the World" (directed by Osamu Kobayashi), "Comedy" (directed by Kazuto Nakazawa) and "Higan" (directed by Yasushi Muraki). Recommended to those who like Studio 4°C's works, such as "Memories", "The Animatrix", "Mind Game" and "Tekkon Kinkreet".
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de the Movie: Maihitoyo (In a Distant Spacetime the Movie: A Night of Dance) 2006 'Harukanaru Toki no Naka de' (means 'In a Distant Spacetime') is a Dating-sim/Visual-novel game series for women (released since 2000 on PlayStation/PlayStation2/PlayStation Portable/GameBoy Advance/Nintendo DS/Windows) developed by Ruby Party, Koei's videogame development team. A Japanese-style fantasy with similar setting as Yuu Watase's manga 'Fushigi Yuugi'. The leading character, Akane Motomiya is a high school girl who was summoned to another world 'Kyo' like Heian period's Kyoto. She became 'Ryujin no Miko' (a shrine maiden for God Dragon with power to seal off (sanctify) ghosts) who aims to bring peace to Kyo with the help of eight guardian men called 'Hachi-yo' (Eight Leaves). Following the OAV (2002-2003) and TV anime series (2004-2005), the movie version was released in 2006. An original story in which Akane meets Suefumi Oono (a new character) , a mysterious boy who lost his memory. The original manga by Tooko Mizuno. Directed by Toshiya Shinohara (director of 'InuYasha' movies). The animation produced by Yumeta Company.
Pretty Cure Splash Star the Movie: Tic-Tac Crisis Hanging by a Thin Thread! 2006 See the paragraph about the 'Pretty Cure Max Heart' first movie. The feature-length movie version of 'Pretty Cure Splash Star', the third season of the TV anime 'Pretty Cure/PreCure' series. Two junior high girls, Saki Hyuuga (Cure Bloom) and Mai Mishou (Cure Egret) entered a singing contest as a duo, but they quarrelled about trifles. On the stage, they forgot the lyrics and hoped the time stop, and then the time came to a sudden stop. Being taken by two spirits named Hours and Minutes, they went to 'the Land of Clock', and they found a mystery man named Sirloin stopped the time to get the world. Directed by Junji Shimizu. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl the Movie: Dialga vs. Palkia vs. Darkrai 2007 See the paragraph about the Pokemon the first movie. The first movie of the TV series 'Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl' (aired on TV since 2006) and a commemoration of 'Pokemon' movie 10th anniversary. Satoshi and his friends come to Alamos Town to participate in a Pokemon contest, and they meet a woman named Alice. In Alamos Town, an unidentified Pokemon called Darkrai appears and he makes people have nightmares. Meanwhile, two Pokemons called gods, Dialga and Palkia fight with each other over the town, shaking time and space, and the whole town is about to collapse. Satoshi and his friends try to save the town with the help of Alice and her childhood friend and a scientist Tonio. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. The animation production by OLM. The No.2 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2007.
Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 2: The Deep Sea Princess 2007 See the paragraphs about the 'Sgt. Frog/Keroro Gunso' TV series (1st season). The second movie and the first feature-length film (80 minutes) of 'Keroro Gunso'. An adventure/action story set in the depths of the sea. Two male and female aliens named Meru (princess) and Maru (servant) are descendants of Maronians, who had came once to invade the Earth from a watery planet Maron. Being determined to rebuild their world, they kidnap Natsumi Hinata as Meru's prospective princess to their secret deep-sea kingdom. The Keroro Platoon, Fuyuki Hinata, Momoka Nishizawa, Angol Mois and Koyuki Azumaya launch an operation to rescue Natsumi. The original story by Mine Yoshizaki. Directed by Susumu Yamaguchi. The supervising director is Jun'ichi Sato. The animation produced by Sunrise. Screened with co-feature: 'Chibi Kero: The Secret of Kero Ball!?' (a 3D-CG animated short film. 16 minutes).
Summer Days with Coo (Kappa no Coo to Natsuyasumi) 2007 A fantasy drama (138 minutes) based on children's literature series, "Kappa Oosawagi" (1978) and "Kappa Bikkuri-tabi" (1980) written by Masao Kogure. One day, an elementary school boy living in the suburb of Tokyo (Higashikurume City), Koichi Uehara found a baby kappa (Japanese legendary water creature) sleeping underground for the past 300 years. Koichi named it "Coo". Koichi and Coo become friends and starts living with his family. During summer vacation, Koichi and Coo take a trip to Tono (Iwate Pref.), which has a legend about kappa, to find Coo's fellows. A dramatic and impressive flim describing adolescent feelings and the friendship between a boy and a kappa coming back to modern society, including also social themes such as environmental problems, school bullying issue, family ties and media hoopla. The direction and screenplay by Keiichi Hara (the director of "Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: The Adult Empire Strikes Back"). The animation produced by Shin'ei Doga.
5 Centimeters Per Second: a chain of short stories about their distance. 2007 An anime film by Makoto Shinkai, who created 'Hoshi no Koe/The Voices of a Distant Star' and 'The Place Promised in Our Early Days'. A series (63 minutes) of three short episodes about a boy living in Japan from the late 1990s to the present. An elementary school boy living in Tokyo, Takaki Tono and a girl in his class, Akari Shinohara secretly love each other, but she transfers to Tochigi Pref., and since then they carry on a correspondence with each other. In the seventh grade, Takaki is being transferred to Kagoshima. On day he goes to meet Akari through the heavy snow. A lyrical and sentimental romance film depicting calf love in retrospection and change of heart in the everyday reality. The images created by using Adobe Photoshop are beautiful, especially the background art which draws lively the landscapes of the daily lives. The song used in the third episode is Masayoshi Yamazaki's "One More Time, One More Chance". The original story, screenplay and direction by Makoto Shinkai. The character design and animation direction by Takayo Nishimura.
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone 2007 See the paragraph about the Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series. The first (98 minutes) of 'Evangelion the New Movie' tetralogy, which consists of three parts 'rebuilt' from the original TV series (1995-1996) and an entirely new final part. The first part '1.0' follows the TV series story, from the first episode to the sixth one, and the highlight is 'Operation Yashima' (vs Ramiel) sequence of the sixth episode. Though the TV series' key/in-between animations and layouts are reused as materials, the images are totally redrawn and recreated by using CG and digital technology. Lots of scenes and shots are added. Worth seeing. The original story, screenplay and chief direction by Hideaki Anno. Directed by Masayuki and Kazuya Tsurumaki. The animation produced by Studio Khara.
Oshare Majo Love and Berry: Magic of Happiness 2007 'Oshare Majo Love and Berry' is a trading-card style arcade game developed by Sega as a girls version of 'Mushiking: King of the Beetles'. The players battle with each other on the arcade machine with the scanned cards, competing over their 'fashion power' and dance. This game has become very popular among younger (kindergarten and early elementary school) girls in Japan since the 2004. Also released on home-use game machine (Nintendo DS). This theatrical version (50 minutes) is an animated movie based on the game. An original story in which Love and Berry try to bring happiness to a shy girl named Yumi, who is aspiring to become a singer, by the power of Fashion Magic. The dance scenes are created with 3-D computer graphics, like the game, and others are created in the anime-drawing style. Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki. The animation produced by TMS Entertainment.
Detective Conan the Movie: Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure 2007 See the paragraph about 'Detective Conan' the first movie. The eleventh movie is a mystery adventure set in Koumi Island in the Pacific Ocean. Conan Edogawa and his group visited Koumi Island on vacation. The island was known for its seafloor palace, which was an ancient monument, and in the island there was a legend about a treasure left by two female pirates, Anne Bonnie and Mary Reed 300 years ago. They met treasure hunters seeking the treasure, and one of the hunters died suspiciously from shark bites. Conan tries to solve the mystery of the case, penetrating the code of treasure legend. Directed by Taiichiro Yamamoto. The animation production by Tokyo Movie.
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's New Great Adventure into the Underworld 2007 The second 'Doraemon' movie after the new TV series since 2005 (27th in all) is a remake (112 minutes) of the fifth Doraemon movie "Nobita's Great Adventure into the Underworld" (released in 1984). A fantasy adventure set in another world (a parallel world) where magic has evolved. The storyline of the original is adapted with the screenplay written by mystery writer Yuichi Shinpo. The dynamic animation with handwriting touch, like the previous film "Nobita's Dinosaur 2006", is worth seeing. The original story by Fujio F. Fujiko. The supervising diretor is Kozo Kusuba. The direction and storyboards by Yukiyo Teramoto. The animation director is Shizue Kaneko. The animation produced by Shin'ei Doga (cooperated by Vega Entertainment). The No.7 at the box-office of domestic movies in Japan in 2007. There are also the manga version (by Yasunori Okada) and videogame version (card battle RPG for Nintendo DS).
Yes! Precure 5 the Movie: Miracle Adventure in the Mirror Land 2007 The feature-length movie version of 'Yes! Precure 5', the fourth season of the TV anime 'Pretty Cure/PreCure' series. The Precure five members in L'École Cinq Lumières Middle School, Nozomi Yumehara (Cure Dream), Rin Natsuki (Cure Rouge), Urara Kasugano (Cure Lemonade), Komachi Akimoto (Cure Mint) and Karen Minatsuki (Cure Aqua) visit the theme park 'Princess Land' with three creatures from the Palmier Kingdom, Coco, Nuts and Milk. A villain with ambition to conquer the world, Shadow kidnap Coco and Nuts to the Mirror Land. The Precure members go to the Mirror Land to save Coco and Nuts, but 'Dark Precure 5' (created by Shadow by copying from Precure 5) attack them. Directed by Tatsuya Nagamine. The animation produced by Toei Animation.
Vexille 2007 A totally computer-generated 3-D anime movie directed by Fumihiko Sori (live-action movie 'Ping-Pong' director, anime movie 'Appleseed' producer). A Sci-Fi action set in the future Japan where biotechnology and robotics industry have developed rapidly. In 2077, ten years have passed since Japan closed off the whole country completely with high technology. A female commander named Vexille, who belongs to the United States Special Forces "SWORD", infiltrates Japan and there she sees the sight beyond her imagination. Like 'Appleseed', this movie is created by the technique of '3-D live anime', which is the combination of 3-D animation with motion captures and processing in 2-D anime style, but more live-action oriented in general and harder in character modelings and facial movements than 'Appleseed'. Produced by OXYBOT. The music by Paul Oakenfold. The soundtrack features Basement Jaxx, Boom Boom Satellites, DJ Shadow, Asian Dub Foundation, Carl Craig, The Prodigy, M.I.A., Dead Can Dance an others.
Naruto Shippuden the Movie 2007 See the paragraph about 'Naruto' the first movie. The first movie of the TV series second season 'Naruto: Shippuden' (aired since 2007). A demon called Mouryou comes back to life from underworld and targets Shion, a priestess from the country of demons. She has two special abilities, sealing the demon and predicting the deaths of humans. Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Neji Hyuga and Rock Lee are assigned to escort Shion, but Shion predicts the death of Naruto. The original story by Masashi Kishimoto. Directed by Hajime Kamegaki. The animation produced by Studio Pierrot.
Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 3: Keroro Vs. Keroro-Great Duel in the Sky 2008 See the paragraphs about the 'Sgt. Frog/Keroro Gunso' TV series (1st season). The third movie (96 minutes). The Keroro Platoon and Fuyuki Hinata visit Machu Picchu (the Inca Empire site called 'City in the Sky') and Fuyuki meets a mystery girl deep inside the site. After they go back to Tokyo, 'Dark Keroro' (looks just like Keroro, but a cruel invader) appears from a big city in the sky, and he starts the aggregation on the Earth. The Keroro Platoon, Fuyuki, Natsumi Hinata, Momoka Nishizawa, Angol Mois, Koyuki Azumaya and Saburo work together to resist the invasion. Keroro fans can enjoy this movie, because it has lots of action scenes, and almost every regular character plays an active role. The original story by Mine Yoshizaki. Directed by Susumu Yamaguchi. The supervising director is Jun'ichi Sato. The animation produced by Sunrise.
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea 2008 An animated feature film (101 minutes) produced by Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, four years after his "Howl's Moving Castle" (2004). A fairy story, like Andersen's "The Little Mermaid". Set in a small seaside town in Japan. The story is about the love between Ponyo, a little fish who wants to be a human, and Sosuke, a five-year-old boy living in a house on a cliff top. Though it has some attractive features such as totally hand-drawn animations without CGs and car chase scenes, this is a dreamy fantasy film without logical narrativity, so it seems to be love-it-or-hate-it among the people who liked Miyazaki's previous films. The original story, screenplay and direction by Hayao Miyazaki. The animation director is Katsuya Kondo (character designer and animation director of "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "I Can Hear the Sea/Ocean Waves", animation director of "Omoide Poroporo/Only Yesterday").
The Sky Crawlers 2008 An animated feature film (121 minutes) produced by Production I.G and directed by Mamoru Oshii, four years after his "Innocence: Ghost in the Shell" (2004). Based on the first book (published in 2001) of Hiroshi Mori's novel, "The Sky Crawlers" series. Set in a near-future world, where lasting peace had been realized, and war-contracting companies manage "a war as a show" (fighter air battle). The fighter pilots are young people called "Kildren", who live forever in adolescence unless they die in the sky. A wistful and sentimental love romance film full of sadness and resignation, set in an endless world repeated eternally. The air battle sequences using CGs are thrilling and worth seeing. The screenplay by Chihiro Ito (screenplay of live action films, "Socrates in Love" and "Spring Snow"). The sequence director is Toshihiko Nishikubo. The character designer and chief animation director is Tetsuya Nishio. There is also the flight shooter game "The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces" for Nintendo Wii.