Thursday, February 19, 2009

Black Jack

-Black Jack-
.
The Movie
1993
Manga by Osamu Tezuka
Directed by Osamu Dezaki
Manga by Osamu Tezuka
Script by Eto Mori
Design by Akio Sugino
Animation Directed by Akio Sugino
Music by Osamu Shoji & Kiyoshi Suzuki
Produced by Tezuka Productions
93 minutes
Black Jack - A scarfaced medical rebel, with apassion for Justice...
He became a favourite Tezuka character for young Japanese women who dreamt of a romance with a mysterious dark haired doctor.
His only real friend is "Pinoko", his surrogate daughter, who is an adult trapped within the body of a small child.

The original Manga was published in "Champian Magazine" from 1973 - 1978.
In 1977 a live-action film version "Stranger in Her Eyes" was released.
Between 1995 & 1996 a further three live-action films were produced.
In 2000 the animated version entitled "Tree of Life" was completed.


*All images are from the collection of Geoffrey Clifton*

ANIMATION UTOPIA

Sunday, February 15, 2009

手塚治虫の《ジャングル大帝》/ひげオヤジ(Dr.Moustache)

- Jungle Emperor Leo -
The Movie

ハム・エッグさん、ラムネさんと一緒に調査団の一員としてジャングルに至ったひげオヤジさん。彼の自然や生き物に対する深い愛情は、ジャングルの伝染病から動物たちを救い、レオの信頼を受けることになり二人は友情をそだてていく。 

Dr.Moustache accompanys Mr. Ham Egg and Mr. Lemonade
to find the moonnight stone.
He saves the animals of the Jungle from severe desease.
He has a deep love for the jungle wildlife.
Leo comes to trust him and they begin to build a close friendship.


ひげオヤジはラムネさんと一緒にレオの案内に沿って、
悪党のハム・エッグさんから月光石を守るため、危険なムーン山に向かうが...

Dr.Moustache heads off toward the dangerous and Mysterious Mount Moon with Mr Lemonade. They follow Leo's lead to the moonlight stone before Mr. Ham Egg finds it...
.
-All images shown are cels from Geoffrey Clifton's collection-
ANIMATION UTOPIA

Hayao Miyazaki

- Hayao Miyazaki ・宮崎駿 -

Kiki from "Kiki's Delivery Service/魔女の宅急便" (Below)

Hayao Miyazaki was born on January 5th 1941 in Tokyo, Japan.
He graduated from Gakushuin University in 1963, with majors in; *Political Science
*Economics


宮崎駿監督は、1941年1月5日東京で生まれて、

学習院大学の政治経済学部卒業しました。

As with Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki is a master animator who in many ways follows a tradition previously laid down by Walt Disney, in that his characters and stories are accessible by children and adults alike from almost every cultural background.
His great strenghth is that he is able to draft simplistic human figures, which he somehow manages to instil with accurate and emotionally motivated human movement (for example Chihiro's temper tantrum, in the begining of "Spirited Away").

He fastidiosly observes the human form and the way in which we move. He then uses these movements to fill the characters with believable life and emotion. Miyazaki's animation techniques allow his characters to appear to be acting which in my opinion is only equalled by the giants of animation such as Walt Disney.

Miyazaki's observations of the world surrounding him result in many of his family members and friends being cast as the basis for his animation characters. As a result Miyazaki's characters often appear similar from one film to another (as do Osamu Tezuka's).
This gift of observation also results in the creating of realistic looking animation landscapes which are infact combinations of elements gathered from countries which include Japan, Australia and France.

Cel (above) from "Laputa : Castle in the Sky/天空の城ラピュタ "  

Miyazaki's works often deal with the themes of puberty and the tradition from childhood to adult life. He has gained both praise and criticism for this choice of subject matter. Within his own studio he is regarded as a strong advocate of feminism.
Much of Miyazaki's work also explores the negative impact of humans upon nature.

Cel (above) from "Nausicaa/風の谷のナウシカ "
Miyazaki manages to create a nostalgic and sentimental atmosphere within his animation which is said to be very much based on his own childhood memories. In some ways the landscapes and stories in his works are his adult reflections of his childhood years and his coming to "grips" with a past that had its share of sadness. The hospitalised mother in "My neighbour Totoro" is based on Miyazaki's own experiences with his mothers hospitalisation in the late 1940's.

Miyazaki's works are truly a celebration of life and of the beauty of the world we exist within.

Advertising "flyer" for "Spirited Away/千と千尋の神隠し " (Japan)
The pastel colours, the softness and feelings contained within his stories all contribute to rendering Miyakaki's animation works as the great masterpieces that they are.
.

Above are some of the many Hayao Miyazaki film titles on video and DVD.

All images above ar from Geoffrey Clifton's collection


ANIMATION UTOPIA

Saturday, February 14, 2009

手塚治虫の《ジャングル大帝》/ ラムネさん(Mr.Lemonade)

- Jungle Emperor Leo -
The Movie
  
    自然と人間、そして動物を尊重する科学技術庁員のラムネさんは、
 厳しい環境の中でも全ての探検過程を記録する事として、彼の役を果たした。

Mr. Lemonade respects every living creature.
He goes to search for the moon stone as part of a scientific organization. In spite of the tough situation, he records everything in his journal.
These records will be very helpful in the future.

-All images are cels from Geoffrey Clifton's collection-
ANIMATION UTOPIA

手塚治虫の《ジャングル大帝》 / ハム・エッグさん (Mr.Ham Egg)

- Jungle Emperor Leo -
The Movie
ジャングル大帝の劇場版

欲張りで卑劣な悪党の典型を現すハム・エッグさん

Mr. Ham Egg is a typical greedy and mean villain

神秘な力を持っている月光石を探しに行く科学調査団の

団長になったハム・エッグさんの下心には月光石を独占しようとする陰謀が…


Mr. Ham Egg leads a scientific organization to the source of the moonlight stone, which has great power to save the world.
He plots however to monopolize the stone...

-All images shown are cels from the collection of Geoffrey Clifton-


ANIMATION UTOPIA

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Kimba

Osamu Tezuka's

- Jungle Emperor Leo -

(The Movie、1997、100min.)

   手塚治虫の《ジャングル大帝》の劇場版

Kimba the White Lion
- The little white lion that was loved by a generation comes to the silver screen -


Original story by Osamu Tezuka 原作:手塚治虫

Screenplay by Yoshio Takeuchi (Library Division of Tezuka Productions) 脚本:竹内啓雄、手塚プロダクション文芸部

Directed by Yoshio Takeuchi  監督:竹内啓雄

Music by Isao Tomita 音楽:冨田勲

Director of Photography by Yoshyuki Tamagawa 撮影監督:玉川芳行

Animation Production by Tezuka Productions, Shochiku

製作:手塚プロダクション、松竹

Executive Production by Takayuki Matsutani & Hajime Yuki

製作:松谷孝征、幸甫 

Production by Minoru Kubota, Sumio Udagawa, Chiharu Akiba

プロデューサー:久保田稔、宇田川純男、秋葉千晴

Character designs by Akio Sugino 作画監督:杉野昭夫



Leo / Kimba as an adult lion


At the foot of the mysterious Moon Mountain lives a white lion named Leo (Kimba), ruler of the jungle. He and his family live peacefully among the other animals in a lush habitat with which they have been blessed.


Humans have entered Leo's domain, shattering the peace in their relentless search for Moonlight stones, a source of exquisite wealth. Overwhelmed by greed, they have little regard for the living creatures of the jungle. The animals, disturbed by the occupation of their rightful home, must resist the intuders.

- The synopsis above was taken from the DVD cover of the film.

Tezuka's classic story has been reborn in this theatrical feature film.

Leo / Kimba
.

"Pagoola" (above)
.Leo's son "Lune"
.


Leo's daughter "Lukio"
.


"Lune" (above)
.
Pagoola's son "Bizo" (above)
.
Leo's wife "Liya" and daughter "Lukio"




"Uncle Rhino"

All images are taken from cels within the collection of Geoffrey Clifton.
ANIMATION UTOPIA

Kimba

The New Adventures of -
.
Kimba the White Lion
.
("Shinsaku Jungle Taitei・新作ジャングル大帝")
.
-1989-
by Osamu Tezuka.
.
This second series of Kimba was directed by Takashi Ui
(監督:宇井孝司)
.
All images are from Geoffrey Clifton's private collection

This second series follows Kimba from birth to maturity.

このシリーズには、Kimbaが生まれた時から大人になるまでの話が描かれている


ANIMATION UTOPIA