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●ADVERTISEMENT+ANNOUNCEMENT● OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS vol.24

Advertisements for the upcoming publication of OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS Vol. 24: ANIMATION AKIRA LAYOUTS AND KEY FRAMES 2  started to appear in the latest issues of various magazines published by Kodansha. Nevertheless, the official tweeter account @Otomo_Zenshu has just informed that the publication date of the upcoming volume 24 will be postponed from April 3rd to around May 17th due to a accident during the production process of the book.

Here a list of the magazines in which the advertisement of Vol. 24 is printed:

YOUNG MAGAZINE (ヤングマガジン) No.15 | 3・27
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2023-III-13
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: -
Size: 25.8x18 cm
Retail price: ¥480

AVAILABILITY:
Amazon Japan: https://amzn.to/40rvGBp


YOUNG MAGAZINE  (ヤングマガジン) No.16 | 4・3
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2023-III-20
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: -
Size: 25.8x18 cm
Retail price: ¥480

AVAILABILITY:
Amazon Japan: https://amzn.to/42IOX2S



MONTHLY SHONEN SIRIUS (月刊少年シリウス) No.5
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2023-III-25
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 736
Size: 25.7 x 17.9 x 3 cm
Retail price: ¥780

AVAILABILITY:
Amazon Japan: https://amzn.to/42LUfKL


YOUNG MAGAZINE (ヤングマガジン) No.18 | 4・17
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2023-IV-3
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: -
Size: 25.8x18 cm
Retail price: ¥480

AVAILABILITY:

The official @Otomo_zenshu twitter account
apologized with regards of the announcement
made in this Young Magazine No.18 stating that
Otomo Complete Works Vol.24 is now on sale.
Due to the production progress of Young Magazine,
the postponed release date of Vol.24, set to around
May 17, 2023, couldn't be inserted in the printed ad.

YOUNG MAGAZINE  (ヤングマガジン) No.19 | 4・24
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2023-IV-10
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: -
Size: 25.8x18 cm
Retail price: ¥480

AVAILABILITY:
Amazon Japan: https://amzn.to/3L1MCJx

The ad was updated with Vol.24's new release date
and an apology note was included.


YOUNG MAGAZINE  (ヤングマガジン) No.20 | 5・1
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2023-IV-17
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: -
Size: 25.8x18 cm
Retail price: ¥480

AVAILABILITY:
Amazon Japan: https://amzn.to/43LuvyC


YOUNG MAGAZINE  (ヤングマガジン) No.28 | 6・26
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2023-VI-12
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: -
Size: 25.8x18 cm
Retail price: ¥480

AVAILABILITY:
Amazon Japan: https://amzn.to/40SScUT


Ad by AA&NN Ltd.

●SIGNATURE● CINE WIND

Katsuhiro Otomo attended  the 1st NIIGATA INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL (第1回新潟国際アニメーション映画祭) where a retrospective of some of his animations works is taking place and where the film NEZUMIKOZO JIROKICHI (鼠小僧次郎吉) in which he collaborated was premiered.

TWEETS by OTOMO (March 13~21, 2023)
■I'm going to the Niigata International Animation Film Festival. I am looking forward to going to Niigata for the first time. Please tell me something delicious

■(After some delicious culinary recommendations) Thank you. I want to go to Miyoshi.

■(After even more recommendations) I also like B-class gourmet, so it's okay.

■Niigata Miyoshiya's Chinese soba has arrived! Thank you to everyone who introduced us!! ︎

■I'm walking through the town of Niigata right now 

■(After a recommendation: A bar called Camarado (カマラード) in Furumachi (古町)). I visited the bar you introduced. On the way, director Kitakubo notices... is it safe? I was able to enter the bar!

■I finished all my plans for Niigata and am on the Shinkansen. Thank you to everyone who came to the venue. I'm sorry if you didn't receive your sticker.

■(After a compliment about not getting old) As you can see, I'm old.
Ad by AA&NN Ltd.

●SIGNATURE● KABA 2 signature


Signature in the back cover of KABA 2 book.
Ad by AA&NN Ltd.

●ANIMATION FILM● NEZUMIKOZO JIROKICHI (鼠小僧次郎吉)

Today it was premiered at the 1st NIIGATA INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL (第1回新潟国際アニメーション映画祭) in Niigata Civic Plaza (新潟市民プラザ), the latest project by  director Rintaro (りんたろう), titled NEZUMIKOZO JIROKICHI (鼠小僧次郎吉), a 25 minute long animated manga-movie tribute to Sadao Yamanaka (山中貞雄) a Japanese film director and screenwriter who directed 26 films between 1932 and 1938. Katsuhiro Otomo was involved as the character designer in the film.

INTRODUCTION

During the early days of Japanese cinema, spanning from the silent film era to the early days of talkies, director Sadao Yamanaka (山中 貞雄) rose to prominence before his untimely death at a young age. One of the works he left behind, NEZUMIKOZŌ JIROKICHI - EDO NO MAKI (鼠小僧次郎吉-江戸の巻) [The Life of Jirokichi the Rat – Edo Chapter], has now been reimagined as a silent animation by Rintaro, the renowned Japanese animation director known for GINGA TETSUDŌ 999 (銀河鉄道９９９) and GENMA TAISEN (幻魔大戦).

This unprecedented and unique visual project is supported by an impressive lineup: character design by Katsuhiro Otomo, celebrated worldwide for Domu and AKIRA, and Yoshinori Kanemori (兼森 義則), known for Yawara! and PLUTO. The music is composed by saxophonist and composer Toshiyuki Honda (本多 俊之), while the role of the benshi (silent film narrator) is performed by Mami Koyama (小山 茉美), the voice actress famous for her role as Arale Norimaki in Dr. Slump.

This marks the birth of a bold new challenge in animation.


STORY

When the eight hundred and eight districts of Edo are cloaked in the darkness of night, a certain figure stirs in the attic shadows. You know him well—the chivalrous thief Jirokichi the Rat, who steals from the wealthy and shares his bounty with the poor townsfolk.

In the bustling city lives Osuzu, a commoner who, after losing her husband, struggles through harsh days with her young child. But her hardships do not go unnoticed; Bonji Angorō and Chōgorō, schemers with their own agendas, aim to use her to unmask the true identity of Jirokichi.

And then there’s Kan’emon, a seasoned and intuitive police officer hailed as a master detective. His motto: “Hate the sin, not the sinner.”

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Edo, this poignant human drama unfolds—a tale of sorrow, hope and connection.


RINTARO'S COMMENTS
[Long, Long Ago]
With a long jaw, unkempt beard, a hand towel wrapped around his head, and thin geta sandals on his feet, film director Sadao Yamanaka made a striking figure as he raced through Japan’s silent and early talkie film eras, passing away at the young age of 29. I first came to know his name while working on the TV anime adaptation of Shotaro Ishinomori’s Sabu and Ichi’s Detective Tales.

As it was the first period drama anime, director Teiji Matsuda, who had been active since the silent era, supervised the post-recording sessions. Matsuda told me about the brilliance of Sadao Yamanaka, but years passed without me having a chance to watch any of his works. Then, one day, I encountered Yamanaka’s Humanity and Paper Balloons at a theater called Namiki-za, tucked away in the basement of a small building in Ginza.

The entire film was suffused with an oppressive sense of tragedy that weighed heavily on the viewer. I still vividly remember leaving the theater deeply moved, particularly by the ephemeral final scene, where a paper balloon—a symbolic motif—drifts softly down a gutter in a dimly lit alley.

Later, with the release of VHS and DVDs, I was able to watch Tange Sazen and the Pot Worth a Million Ryo and Kōchiyama Sōshun. I was in awe of Yamanaka’s skillful and modern touch in Tange Sazen, where he succinctly captured the story with lighthearted sophistication. Meanwhile, Kōchiyama Sōshun showcased his meticulous craftsmanship, modern cinematic style, and remarkable ability to shape characters, leaving me completely captivated.

When I learned about another side of Yamanaka—how he would draw flipbook animations or caricatures in the margins of his notebooks—and how his friends affectionately called him “Long, Long Ago” because of his long jaw, I grew even fonder of him as a person.

This short animated film we’ve created is a modest homage from our team to the late director Sadao Yamanaka. It is based on The Life of Jirokichi the Rat – Edo Chapter, a script he wrote. Yamanaka once wrote in a wartime journal, “It’s a bit sad if Humanity and Paper Balloons remains my final work.” If we could present this new work to him, even if just a little, it would make us happy.


MAIN CREDITS
CAST
Benshi:
Mami Koyama (小山 茉美)

STAFF
Screenplay:
Sadao Yamanaka  (山中 貞雄) 

Original story: 
Based on  Jirō Osaragi's (大佛 次郎)
"Nezumikozo Jirokichi Edo no Maki"

Director and Adaptation:
Rintaro (りんたろう)

Character design: 
Katsuhiro Otomo (大友克洋)
Yoshinori Kanemori (兼森 義則)

Music:
Toshiyuki Honda (本多 俊之)

Producers:
Masao Maruyama (丸山 正雄)
Taro Maki (真木 太郎)
Emmanuel-Alain Raynal
Pierre Baussaron

Animation production:

Production:
Miyu Productions

Japan-France co-production / 2023 / 23 min

●ILLUSTRATION+INTERVIEW● TŌKYŌ “HEN'AI”-RON


Katsuhiro Otomo drew the cover illustration for the new edition of the book TŌKYŌ “HEN'AI”-RON ANATA GA SHIRANAI TŌKYŌ NO MIRYOKU O KATARU (東京“偏愛”論　あなたが知らない東京の魅力を語る) edited by Hisao Taki (滝久雄) for which Otomo was also interviewed.

INTRODUCTION
Kengo Kuma (隈 研吾), a world-famous architect, Katsuhiro Otomo, author and manga artist of AKIRA who has enthusiastic fans all over the world, and Katsuhiko Hibino (日比野克彦), president of Tokyo University of the Arts and contemporary artist, present their unique perspectives on "the charm of Tokyo", and talk about “places to be favored”. The interviewer is Hirokazu Yanase (柳瀬博一), professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology.

"Tokyo is full of strange people. It was so funny I couldn't help it."- Otomo

TABLE OF CONTENTS
■INTRODUCTION: Let's love Tokyo one-sidedly
■CHAPTER 1: Let's talk about our 'favorite' Tokyo Round-table discussion
■CHAPTER 2: The charm of Tokyo is buried in inconspicuous places Kengo Kuma's "Partial Tokyo''
■CHAPTER 3: If you live in Tokyo, you can live freely in anonymity Katsuhiro Otomo's "Partial Tokyo"
■CHAPTER4: Hachioji, Shibuya, Roppongi, Ueno - Every day is interesting Katsuhiko Hibino's "Partial Tokyo"
■CHAPTER 5: It seems that the source of our "favoriteness" lies in something different from the stereotype.
■CHAPTER 6: You can't talk about Tokyo without 'Railway', 'Topography' and 'Food' Hisao Taki's 'Partial Tokyo'


BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Nikkei Publishing (日経BP)
Release date: 2022-III-18
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 192
Size: 188 x 128 mm
Retail price: ¥1,760
ISBN-10: 4296115707
ISBN-13: 978-4296115709





AVAILABILITY
Amazon US: 
Amazon CA: 
Amazon UK: 
Amazon DE: 
Amazon FR: 
Amazon IT: 
Amazon ES: 

●ILLUSTRATION● ADIDAS CONSORTIUM × KASINA × THE MASTER; WITH FRIENDS

South Korean boutique KASINA will held a special exhibition to honor the life and legacy of the late artist Kim Jung Gi and commemorate his collaboration with the sporting brand ADIDAS. From Japan, Takashi Murakami (村上 隆) , Katsuya Terada (寺田 克也) , Yasuhiro Naito (内藤 泰弘) and Katsuhiro Otomo provided each a pair of yellow Adidas Campus 80s shoes decorated by hand.

Official website: https://www.kasina.co.kr


<<EXHIBITION>> THE MASTER; WITH FRIENDS
2023. 03. 10 (Fri) - 2023. 03. 19 (Sun)
11:00 am to 7:00 pm
Casina Hannam, 4th floor, 266 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Admission to the exhibition is free of charge regardless of product purchase

PARTICIPATING FRIENDS
Junggi Kim, Takashi Murakami, Katsuhio Otomo, Karl Kopinski, Miss. Jisu, Dong Ho Kim, Viktor Kalvachev, uniquelab, Yasuhio Nightow, Terada Katsuya, Nicolas Nemiri, Jaekwang Park, Zipcy, Hans Olo, James Jean, Jin Kim, Andy Park, Jim Lee, Danny Kim

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