This
site first encountered Masao Maruyama of Mad House at Anime Expo in
1998, when the animation studio's leader showed trailers of exotic,
unknown series such as Card Captor Sakura and Trigun. Anime fans have
accepted those series as part of their everyday lives, and Maruyama had
more series to offer when he appeared at Otakon in 2006. The clip that
drew surprised reaction from fans showed an intense man in an airborne
sword battle; the reaction came when the title "Highlander" appeared on
the screen at the end of the clip. Maruyama confirmed that it was the
latest installment in the series that started as a live-action movie
that grew to include several sequels and a couple of TV series, and
that the animated version was nearly finished. Yoshiaki Kawajiri,
Vampire Hunter D director, also directed the Highlander anime, he said.
Other action show clips that were shown included Kiba, a show financed
by Aniplex that's considered to be that company's follow-up to
Fullmetal Alchemist; Black Lagoon, full of explosions, military
operatives and weapons ("It's got guns, cute girls and action, my three
favorites. I'm fond of this work," he said.); and Red Line, an
over-the-top racing show that's been in production for a couple of
years and remains unfinished.
Quieter
shows from Mad House include Tales from the Land of Sion, a young
woman's adventures in the East that features Otakon guest Ayako
Kawasumi in the lead role; Nana, from a shoujo manga and from one of
Card Captor Sakura's directors, and a series about a high school girl
whose title translates into "The girl who leaps through time." It's a
theatrical feature that's getting rave reviews, Maruyama said, adding
that "I'm not certain how well it's known in the States. It's being
shown in one theater in Tokyo and it's getting standing room only
audiences." Maruyama predicts that the film's director is going to be
one of the leaders of the anime industry in the future...much like
Satoshi Kon is now. Kon's latest film, Paprika, is complete and is
expected to have a December or January release in Japan. However, the
highly-anticipated Paprika will first be entered in the Venice Film
Festival, an indication that Kon is taken very seriously as a filmmaker
whose works go beyond the standard reputation of Japanese animation.
This
site first encountered Masao Maruyama of Mad House at Anime Expo in
1998, when the animation studio's leader showed trailers of exotic,
unknown series such as Card Captor Sakura and Trigun. Anime fans have
accepted those series as part of their everyday lives, and Maruyama had
more series to offer when he appeared at Otakon in 2006. The clip that
drew surprised reaction from fans showed an intense man in an airborne
sword battle; the reaction came when the title "Highlander" appeared on
the screen at the end of the clip. Maruyama confirmed that it was the
latest installment in the series that started as a live-action movie
that grew to include several sequels and a couple of TV series, and
that the animated version was nearly finished. Yoshiaki Kawajiri,
Vampire Hunter D director, also directed the Highlander anime, he said.
Other action show clips that were shown included Kiba, a show financed
by Aniplex that's considered to be that company's follow-up to
Fullmetal Alchemist; Black Lagoon, full of explosions, military
operatives and weapons ("It's got guns, cute girls and action, my three
favorites. I'm fond of this work," he said.); and Red Line, an
over-the-top racing show that's been in production for a couple of
years and remains unfinished.
Quieter
shows from Mad House include Tales from the Land of Sion, a young
woman's adventures in the East that features Otakon guest Ayako
Kawasumi in the lead role; Nana, from a shoujo manga and from one of
Card Captor Sakura's directors, and a series about a high school girl
whose title translates into "The girl who leaps through time." It's a
theatrical feature that's getting rave reviews, Maruyama said, adding
that "I'm not certain how well it's known in the States. It's being
shown in one theater in Tokyo and it's getting standing room only
audiences." Maruyama predicts that the film's director is going to be
one of the leaders of the anime industry in the future...much like
Satoshi Kon is now. Kon's latest film, Paprika, is complete and is
expected to have a December or January release in Japan. However, the
highly-anticipated Paprika will first be entered in the Venice Film
Festival, an indication that Kon is taken very seriously as a filmmaker
whose works go beyond the standard reputation of Japanese animation.
