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●EXHIBITION● AKIRA The Architecture of Neo Tokyo



AKIRA: The Architecture of Neo Tokyo exhibition curated by Stefan Riekeles, Managing Director of the Riekeles Gallery and Hiroko Myokam (明貫 紘子) of Eizo Workshop, in collaboration with Nadejda Bartels, Director of Tchoban Foundation, presents 59 original production backgrounds, layout drawings, concept designs and image boards created for Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 animation film AKIRA.

The exhibition includes works by the film's art director Toshiharu Mizutani (水谷 利春) and background artist Katsufumi Hariu (針生 勝文), Norihiro Hiraki (平城 徳浩), Shinji Kimura (木村 真二), Satoshi Kuroda (黒田 聡), Hiromasa Ogura (小倉 宏昌), Hiroshi Ohno (大野広司), Hajime Soga (曽我 元), Tsutomu Uchida (内田 勉) and Takashi Watabe (渡部 隆) who was in charge of layouts.

The exhibition will take place from June 4 to September 4, 2022  in Tchoban Foundation Museum for Architectural Drawing in Berlin, Germany. Admission: 6€ (regular), 4€(reduced)

Follow Stefan Riekele's gallery on Instagram and Twitter

Hiroshi Ohno, Toshiharu Mizutani and Katsufumi Hariu at Studio Fuga, Tokyo, Japan in Dec. 2021. Photo by Yasuyuki Takagi.


Available products
Three high quality solegraphs and posters approved by Katsuhiro Otomo and licensed by Kodansha have been produced for the occasion. Solegraph is the name for Yamada Photo Process’ high-grade ink-jet art prints that tries to approximate the print to the original artwork as close as technically possible. For more information on the scanning and printing process check Riekeles Gallery's Solegraph page.


AKIRA production background, cut no. 1, solegraph
Artist: Toshiharu Mizutani (水谷 利春)
Edition of 100, numbered and signed by the artist
Print type: solegraph high-grade fine-art print
Paper: Radiant White 270 g/m²
Format: 100 × 70 cm
Artwork size: 92 × 52.5 cm
Price: 1.200€

Availability:




AKIRA production background, cut no. 182, solegraph
Artist: Toshiharu Mizutani (水谷 利春)
Edition of 25 copies, numbered, signed by the artist
Solegraph (high-grade fine-art print)
Format: 84.1 × 59.4 cm (A1)
Artwork: 55.0 × 43.0 cm
Price: 1.200€

Availability:







AKIRA production background, cut no. 207, solegraph
Artist: Hiroshi Ohno (大野広司)
Edition of 25 copies, numbered, signed by the artist
Solegraph (high-grade fine-art print)
Paper: Radiant White 270 g/m²
Format: 70 × 50 cm
Artwork: 42.3 x 36.0 cm
Price: 980€

Availability:


AKIRA production background, cut no. 1, poster
Artist: Toshiharu Mizutani (水谷 利春)
Edition: 1000 copies
Print type: lithograph (offset print)
Paper: Magno Volume 200 g/m²
Format: 70 × 50 cm
Price: 65€

Availability:






AKIRA production background, cut no. 182, poster
Artist: Toshiharu Mizutani (水谷 利春)
Edition: 500 copies
Print type: 7 color offset
Print size: 70 × 50 cm
Price: 65€

Availability:







AKIRA production background, cut no. 207, poster
Artist: Hiroshi Ohno (大野広司)
Edition: 500 copies
Print type: 7 color offset
Print size: 70.7 × 50.0 cm
Price: 65€

Availability:








More background reproduction solegraphs and posters of METROPOLIS for which Otomo wrote the screenplay and other anime productions such as GHOST IN THE SHELL and PATLABOR are available in the Riekeles Gallery store.

BOOKS
All these background illustrations and many more are also collected in the books ANIME ARCHITECTURE published by Thames & Hudson in 2020 and PROTO ANIME CUT ARCHIVE published by Kehrer in 2011. The author of both books is Stefan Riekeles the curator of this exhibition who stablished Riekeles Gallery in 2021 with the mission of offering high-end reproductions of anime artwork.
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●BOOK● OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS 3: HIGHWAY STAR (ハイウェイスター )


The third volume of OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS collects 12 short manga works created by Katsuhiro Otomo from 1976 to 1977 when he was 22 to 23 years old. Even though this book shares its title with the 1979 edition of HIGHWAY STAR (ハイウェイスター) published by Futabasha, its content differs greatly as this new volume collects Otomo's short stories in the chronological order in which they were published for the first time in various magazines back in the day.

In addition to the fore mentioned book, this volume collects stories from SHORT PEACE (ショート・ピース) published by Kisōtengaisha in 1979 and re-published by Futabasha in 1984 and also from GOOD WEATHER published by Kitansha in 1981. All this books have been out of print for a long time so finally this stories can now be enjoyed with a pristine printing quality. The manuscripts that had colors are also reproduced in color, as they were first published in magazines.


BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Publication date: 2022-V-18
Release date: 2022-V-20
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 320
Size: 248 x 172mm 
Retail price: ¥3,080
ISBN-10: 4065273188
ISBN-13: 978-4065273180

AVAILABILITY
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/40MB59h
※We earn a commission from your purchases through these links.

COLLECTED STORIES
●AME LINGO part 1 (アメリンゴ「前編」)
Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
4・8 | 1976-III-25 | 20 pages | B&W

●AME LINGO part 2 (アメリンゴ「後編」)
Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
4・15 | 1976-III-31 | 21 pages | B&W

●SHUSEI SANCHI NO YUKI CHAN (酒井さんちのユキエちゃん)
Bessatsu Manga Action (別冊漫画アクション)
7・16 | 1976-VII-2 | 24 pages | B&W

●OKASU (犯す) 
Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊)
8・9 | 1976-VII-19 | 25 pages | B&W

●HIGHWAY STAR (ハイウェイスター)
Manga Action extra Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊)
9・1 | 1976-VIII-9 | 24 pages | B&W

●CHUCK CHECK CHICKEN
Manga Action Zōkan ( 漫画アクション増刊 )
11・3 | 1976-X-12 | 29 pages | B&W + Limited Color

●SCHOOL-BOY ON GOOD TIME 
Bessatsu Manga Action ( 別冊漫画アクション)
12・3 | 1976-XI-18 | 24 pages | B&W 

●YUME NO SOOKYUU (夢の蒼穹)
Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊)
1・7 | 1976-XII-13 | 22 pages | B&W

●UCHUU PATROL SHIGEMA (宇宙パトロール・シゲマ)
Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊)
2・1 | 1976-XII-27 | 23 pages | B&W

●'ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT
Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊)
4・5 | 1977-III-14 | 23 pages | B&W

●NOTHING WILL BE AS IT WAS
Manga Action Zōkan  (漫画アクション増刊)
5・13 | 1977-IV-28 | 23 pages | B&W

●WISKY-GO-GO
Manga Action Zōkan  (漫画アクション増刊)
6・14 | 1977-V-27 | 23 pages | B&W

●SEISOO(星霜)
Bessatsu Manga Action ( 別冊漫画アクション)
7・1 | 1977-VI-16 | 20 pages | B&W



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●BOOK● OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS 4: SAYONARA NIPPON (さよならにっぽん)


The fourth volume of OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS collects the five episodes of Sayonara Nippon (さよならにっぽん) manga published originally in Futabasha's Manga Action magazine and eight short stories created before and after that from 1977 to 1978 when Otomo was 23 to 24 years old. 

Even though this book shares its title with the 1981 edition of SAYONARA NIPPON (さよならにっぽん) published by Futabasha, its content differs greatly as this new volume presents Otomo's short stories in the chronological order in which they were published for the first time in various magazines.

Apart from Sayonara Nippon, this book collects three stories previously collected in the book HIGHWAY STAR (ハイウェイスター) published by Futabasha in 1979, four stories from GOOD WEATHER published by Kitansha in 1981 and two more collected in KANOJO NO OMOIDE (彼女の想いで…) published by Kodansha in 1990. All the original color pages are reproduced in this edition.

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Publication date: 2022-V-18
Release date: 2022-V-20
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 320
Size: 248 x 172mm 
Retail price: ¥3,080
ISBN-10: 4065273129
ISBN-13: 978-4065273128

AVAILABILITY
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3OcL6oB
※We earn a commission from your purchases through these links.

COLLECTED STORIES
●SUZUME GA CHYUN (雀が中)
Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊)
7・12 | 1977-VI-25 | 16 pages | B&W

●TENMOO.....NISHITE MORASAZU(天網恢恢疎にして漏らさず)
Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊)
7・27 | 1977-VII-8 | 23 pages | B&W

Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
8・4 | 1977-VII-21 | 23 pages | B&W

●SAYONARA NIPPON 2 (さよならにっぽん II)
Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
9・8 | 1977-VIII-25 | 24 pages | B&W

●SAYONARA NIPPON 3 (さよならにっぽん III)
Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
10・20 | 1977-X-5 | 24 pages | B&W

●SAYONARA NIPPON 4 (さよならにっぽん IV)
Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
1・5 | 1977-XII-22 | 25 pages | B&W

●SAYONARA NIPPON 5 (さよならにっぽん V)
Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
2・23 | 1978-II-9 | 20 pages | B&W

●MINOR SWING 
Weekly Manga Action (漫画アクション増刊)
8・24 | 1977-VIII-5 | 23 pages | B&W 

●GOOD WEATHER part 1
Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊
9・21 | 1977-IX-2 | 23 pages | B&W

●GOOD WEATHER part 2
Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊 )
11・2 | 1977-X-14 | 24 pages | B&W

●SAYONARA NO OMIYAGE (さよならのおみやげ)
Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊)
1・10 | 1977-XII-25 | 25 pages | B&W

●TOKYOO CHANG PONG (トウキョウ　チャンポン)
Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊)
5・13 | 1978-IV-28 | 25 pages | B&W

●SO WHAT 
Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊 )
6・10 | 1978-V-26 | 28 pages | B&W



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●MANGA● ZENSHŪ-KUN GA IKU (全集くんが行く) part 2



ZENSHŪ-KUN GA IKU (全集くんが行く) part 2
Published in otomo-complete website
2022-V-1 | 1 strip | B&W

Read the 4 panel manga strip here: 

●ILLUSTRATION● PAIR GO MANGA EXHIBITION



Katsuhiro Otomo participated, together with other 19 manga artists, with an illustration in the PAIR GO MANGA EXHIBITION (ペア碁 漫画展), event co-sponsored by "Pair Go World Cup 2022 Japan". The exhibition took place in the Cerulean Tower Tokyo Hotel (セルリアンタワー東急ホテル) in Shibuya, Tokyo. The many illustration and short stories were on display for two days on March 20 and 21, the entrance was free and the visitors were gifted with a postcard with Otomo's illustration.



PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Tetsuya Chiba (ちばてつや), Baron Yoshimoto (バロン吉元), Seiji Iwami (いわみせいじ), Machiko Satonaka (里中満智子), Naomi Kimura (木村直巳), Goro Yamada (山田ゴロ), Chanyatsu (ちゃんやつ), mizo_re2, Chinyo (ちーにょ), Yoshimi Kurata (倉田よしみ), Mitsuru Miura (三浦みつる), Hinomoto Meguru (ひのもとめぐる), Akiko Nemoto (ねもと章子), Atsushi Sasaki (佐佐木あつし), Usako Yamada (山田うさこ), Reiko Kitagawa (北川玲子), Kino Sakura (喜乃さくら), Tochi Ueyama (うえやまとち), Yuna Takagi (高木ユーナ) and Katsuhiro Otomo (大友克洋)



●BOOK● OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS 22: Animation AKIRA Storyboards 2



This book is the second volume out of two, of a huge amount of storyboards drawn by Otomo himself during the production process of the anime version of AKIRA. Originally published also as two separate volumes by the editorial department of Young Magazine in 1988, both volumes AKIRA E-KONTE 1 (アキラ 絵コンテ集 1) and AKIRA E-KONTE 2 (アキラ 絵コンテ集 2) have been out of print for a long time and are difficult to obtain these days.

Divided in four parts A, B C and D, This volume 22 of OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS collects the parts C and D of the storyboards of the animation film AKIRA as well as new elements such as previously unpublished cuts and commentary pages by Otomo himself.

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Publication date: 2022-III-16
Release date: 2022-III-18
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 408
Size: 248 x 172mm 
Retail price: ¥4,400
ISBN-10: ‎ 4065273102
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-4065273104

AVAILABILITY
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●BOOK● OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS 2: BOOGIE WOOGIE WALTZ


This second volume of OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS collects 15 short manga works created by Katsuhiro Otomo from 1974 to 1976 when he was 20 to 22 years old. Most of the stories were previously collected in a book under the same title: BOOGIE WOOGIE WALTZ published by Kitansha in 1982. This books as well as GOOD WEATHER were distributed only by mail order at that time, and were rarely available at bookstores, so it was difficult to obtain them for a long time.

In this new edition however, the works ONE DOWN and KAGAMI JIGOKU (鏡地獄), a short story of Edogawa Ranpo (江戸川 乱歩) drawn by Otomo in the fore-mentioned period and that were not collected in the original book have been included in this one. In addition, a phantom last page of MEZAMEYO TO YOBU KOE ARI (目覚めよと呼ぶ声あり) that was omitted in both the original publication and the book was published for the first time in this book.

COLLECTED STORIES
Published in Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
4・25 1974-IV-11 | 23 pages | B&W

●BOOGIE WOOGIE WALTZ
Published in Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
5・23 1974-V-9 | 23 pages | B&W

Published in Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
7・4 | 1974-VI-20 | 23 pages | B&W

●MEZAMEYO TO YOBU KOE ARI (目覚めよと呼ぶ声あり)
Published in Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
8・15 | 1974-VIII-1 | 23 pages | B&W

●SHINJŪ - 74 AKI - (心中――'74秋──)
Published in Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
10・3 | 1974-IX-19 | 23 pages | B&W

●ANYA KŌRO [KIZU DARAKE NO TENSHI 1] (暗夜行路 [傷だらけの天使・1])
Published in Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
12・5 | 1974-XI-21 | 23 pages | B&W

●TANKYORI SŌSHA NO RENTAI [KIZU DARAKE NO TENSHI 3](短距離走者の連帯 [傷だらけの天使・3])
Published in Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
2・6 | 1975-I-23 | 23 pages | B&W

●SHŪAKU NO KISHIMI [KIZU DARAKE NO TENSHI 4] (醜悪の軋み [傷だらけの天使・4])
Published in Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
3・6 | 1975-II-20 | 23 pages | B&W

●CHUNPARABUGIUGICHUNPARABUGI [KIZU DARAKE NO TENSHI 5] (チュンパラブギウギチュンパラブギ [傷だらけの天使・5])
Published in Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
6・5 | 1975-V-22 | 21 pages | B&W

Published in Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
8・7 | 1975-VII-24 | 21 pages | B&W

●TSUJIGIRI (辻斬り)
Published in Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊)
8・23 | 1975-VIII-8 | 24 pages | B&W

●ROCK [KIZU DARAKE NO TENSHI 7] (ROCK [傷だらけの天使・7])
Published in Weekly Manga Action (週刊漫画アクション)
11・27 | 1975-XI-13 | 22 pages | B&W

●KAGAMI (鏡)
Published in Manga Action Zōkan (漫画アクション増刊)
1・3 | 1975-XII-15 | 20 pages | B&W

●KAGAMI JIGOKU (鏡地獄)
Published in Bessatsu Manga Action (別冊漫画アクション)
2・27 | 1976-III-12 | 20 pages | B&W


BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Publication date: 2022-III-16
Release date: 2022-III-18
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 364
Size: 248 x 172mm 
Retail price: ¥3,190
ISBN-10: ‎ 406527320X
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-4065273203

AVAILABILITY
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●MANGA● ZENSHŪ-KUN GA IKU (全集くんが行く) part 1



ZENSHŪ-KUN GA IKU (全集くんが行く) part 1
Published in otomo-complete website
2022-III-11 | 1 strip | B&W

Read the 4 panel manga strip here:
http://otomo-complete.com/news/details/2022-03-11.html

●SIGNATURE● DRAWING IN A BOTTLE "Zenshū-kun ga iku"



Katsuhiro Otomo has posted a new drawing in a bottle, this time in the OTOMO ZENSHU twitter account announcing that the serialization of ZENSHŪ-KUN GA IKU (全集くんが行く) will start in the OTOMO COMPLETE home page.

●VIDEO REPORT● OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS Making DŌMU 1st Distribution


This video showcasing the process of binding, covering, and bagging of the book OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS 8: DŌMU (童夢) is the first video  shared in the the new official YouTube channel KATSUHIRO OTOMO COMPLETE WORKS TEAM (大友克洋全集チーム).

●BOOK● OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS 8: DŌMU (童夢)



Kodansha has published today the first two volumes of Katsuhiro Otomo's Complete works collection. The title selected to inaugurate OTOMO THE COMPLE WORKS is DŌMU (童夢) with the number 8 in the collection.

Dōmu was first published in four parts in magazine format and later collected as a book that after 60 editions has been discontinued for over 20 years now. In this new edition, the image quality has been improved by the newly created version from the original artwork and the print quality has been significantly improved by the quality of the paper that has been carefully selected. In addition, the title page covers, which were not collected in the book, and the bi-tonal original images have been recovered. The illustrations that Otomo had envisioned for the book covers have also been reproduced and a new commentary by Otomo closes the book.

EPISODES
Action Deluxe (アクションデラックス) 
No.3
1・19 | 1980-I-5 | 45 pages | B&W

●DŌMU (童夢) PART 2
Action Deluxe (アクションデラックス) 
No.4
10・5 | 1980-IX-21 | 31 pages | B&W

●DŌMU (童夢) PART 3 
Action Deluxe (アクションデラックス) 
No.5
2・1 | 1981-I-18 | 30 pages | B&W + red

●DŌMU (童夢) PART 4 
Weekly Manga Action Special Edition Super Fiction
(週刊漫画アクション増刊 スーパー・フィクション)
7・6 | 1981-VI-19 | 31 pages | B&W 


BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Publication date: 2022-I-19
Release date: 2022-I-21
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 252
Size: 248 x 172mm
Retail price: ¥2,970
ISBN-10: 4065262631
ISBN-13: 978-4065262634

AVAILABILITY
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3oJBZ5D
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/4ezJVuh
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/41SPmkM
Amazon DE: https://amzn.to/41xX825
Amazon FR: https://amzn.to/3DpYeoI
Amazon IT: https://amzn.to/4bCgasK
Amazon ES: https://amzn.to/41AM8kz
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●BOOK● OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS 21: Animation AKIRA Storyboards 1



Kodansha has published today the first two volumes of Katsuhiro Otomo's Complete works collection. One of the two titles selected to inaugurate OTOMO THE COMPLE WORKS is Animation AKIRA Storyboards 1 with the number 21 in the collection. 

This book is the first volume out of two, of a huge amount of storyboards drawn by Otomo himself during the production process of the anime version of AKIRA. Originally published also as two separate volumes by the editorial department of Young Magazine in 1988, both volumes AKIRA E-KONTE 1 (アキラ 絵コンテ集 1) and AKIRA E-KONTE 2 (アキラ 絵コンテ集 2) have been out of print for a long time and are difficult to obtain these days.

Storyboards are often thought of as rough blueprints, but the precision of the AKIRA storyboards is something else. Otomo drew them around 1987 when he was in the middle of the serialization of the fifth volume of the manga AKIRA. Work that he had to interrupt for 17 months to fully focus on the production of the movie version.

AKIRA storyboards are drawn with the tension of the serialization period and the dynamic feeling of the characters are at a level comparable to the main story of the manga. This book collects the first half, parts A and B out of the four parts, A, B, C, and D that the movie is formed of. This large volume of nearly 500 pages is like reading the movie, the animation will be reproduced in the readers brain just by looking at it providing a unique insight to Otomo's animation production techniques.

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Publication date: 2022-I-19
Release date: 2022-I-21
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 488
Size: 248 x 172mm
Retail price: ¥4,400
ISBN-10: ‎406526264X
ISBN-13: ‎978-4065262641

AVAILABILITY
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●ADVERTISEMENT● OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS main visual


The main visual to promote THE COMPLETE WORKS of Katsuhiro Otomo, a collage made with multiple illustrations done by Otomo throughout the years,  was first published as a full page advertisement on the January 3rd issue of the Japanese newspaper ASASHI SHINBUM (朝日新聞). The official tweeter account @Otomo_Zenshu tweeted that the following manga magazines published during the first weeks of the year 2022 would also feature a full page advertisement with the main visual:


WEEKLY SHONEN MAGAZINE (週刊少年マガジン)
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2022-I-5
Language: Japanese
Number of pages:
Size: 25.8x18 cm
Retail price: ¥410

AVAILABILITY:
Amazon Japan: https://amzn.to/3td0OHe
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MORNING (モーニング)
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2022-I-6
Language: Japanese
Number of pages:
Size: 25.8x18 cm
Retail price: ¥400

AVAILABILITY:
Amazon Japan: https://amzn.to/3FaeFjM
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YOUNG MAGAZINE (ヤングマガジン)
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2022-I-8
Language: Japanese
Number of pages:
Size: 25.8x18 cm
Retail price: ¥450

AVAILABILITY:
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BIG COMIC (ビッグコミック)
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Shogakukan (小学館)
Release date: 2022-I-8
Language: Japanese
Number of pages:
Size: 25.8x18 cm
Retail price: ¥440

AVAILABILITY:
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MORNING (モーニング)
MAGAZINE DETAILS: 
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2022-I-13
Language: Japanese
Number of pages:
Size: 25.8x18 cm
Retail price: ¥400

AVAILABILITY:
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●UHD BLU-RAY● ROBOT CARNIVAL 4K UHD


Discotek Media has released in the US the first ever edition of ROBOT CARNIVAL (ロボットカーニバル) in 4K UHD Blu-ray format. Previously released on Blu-ray in the US, as a widescreen, high-definition presentation created from the original film materials, this new edition also includes the 4:3 version of the movie for the first time ever. Unfortunately the three wide screen presentations included in the previous Blu-ray, art galleries and standard definition content were left out due to the lack of compatibility with the UHD blu-ray format. Disckotek Media made a chart comparing both editions.



UHD BLU-RAY DETAILS
Publisher: Discotek Media
Release date: 2021-XII-28
Format: HEVC / H.265 / 4K (2160p)
Audio: Japanese & English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Subtitles: English
Running time: 91 minutes
Retail Price: $34.95

AVAILABILITY
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●ANNOUNCEMENT● OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS homepage renew


The official OTOMO-COMPLETE home page was renewed and a new OTOMO logo was introduced while more information about the third and fourth books to be published on March 18, 2022  as volumes 2 and 22 has been posted on the Amazon Japan pre-order page. 

Vol. 2: BOOGIE WOOGIE WALTZ
This book will collect 15 short manga works created by Katsuhiro Otomo from 1974 to 1976 when he was 20 to 22 years old. Most of the stories were previously collected in a book under the same title: BOOGIE WOOGIE WALTZ published by Kitansha in 1982. This books as well as GOOD WEATHER were distributed only by mail order at that time, and were rarely available at bookstores, so it was difficult to obtain them for a long time.

In this new edition however, the works ONE DOWN and KAGAMI JIGOKU (鏡地獄), a short story of Edogawa Ranpo (江戸川 乱歩) drawn by Otomo in the fore-mentioned period and that were not collected in the original book will be included in this one. In addition, a phantom last page of MEZAMEYO TO YOBU KOE ARI (目覚めよと呼ぶ声あり) that was omitted in both the original publication and the book will be published for the first time in this book.

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2022-III-18
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 364
Size: 248 x 172mm 
Retail price: ¥3,190
ISBN-10: ‎ 406527320X
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-4065273203

AVAILABILITY


Vol. 22: Animation AKIRA Storyboards 2
Divided in four parts A, B C and D, Volume 22 collects the parts C and D of the storyboards of the animation film AKIRA as well as new elements such as previously unpublished cuts and commentary pages by Otomo himself.

The storyboards of AKIRA were originally published by the editorial department of Young Magazine in 1988 and they ran out of print in a short period of time. This second volume: AKIRA E-KONTE 2 (アキラ 絵コンテ集 2) , which is the latter part, was and still is, particularly difficult to obtain.

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2022-III-18
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 408
Size: 248 x 172mm 
Retail price: ¥4,400
ISBN-10: ‎ 4065273102
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-4065273104

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●ANNOUNCEMENT● OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS Reservations Start!

Katsuhiro Otomo has announced  in the Otomo Zenshu twitter and instagram accounts and in the official OTOMO-COMPLETE website, accompanied with a new illustration, that the reservations of his upcoming COMPLETE WORKS started today nationwide in Japanese book stores.

Otomo himself previously tweeted that starting on January 21st, two books will be released every other month and that works will be printed in a B5 variant, 248 x 172mm size. The first printing will include a newly designed sticker.

The first two books to be published on January 21, 2022 by Kodansha will be volumes 8 and 21:

Vol. 8: DŌMU (童夢) 
The title selected to inaugurate OTOMO THE COMPLE WORK is DŌMU (童夢), a manga work that was first published in four parts in magazine format and later collected as a book that after 60 editions has been discontinued for over 20 years now.

In this new edition, the image quality has been improved by the newly created version from the original artwork and the print quality has been significantly improved by the quality of the paper that has been carefully selected. In addition, the title page covers, which were not collected in the book, and the bi-tonal original images have been recovered. The illustrations that Otomo had envisioned for the book covers have also been reproduced and a new commentary by Otomo closes the book. The format is a B5 variant size (248 x 172mm).

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2022-I-21
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 252
Size: 248 x 172mm 
Retail price: ¥2,970
ISBN-10: 4065262631
ISBN-13: 978-4065262634

AVAILABILITY
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Vol.21: Animation AKIRA Storyboards 1
This book is the first volume out of two, of a huge amount of storyboards drawn by Otomo himself during the production process of  the anime version o AKIRA. Originally published also as two separate volumes by the editorial department of Young Magazine in 1988, both volumes AKIRA E-KONTE 1 (アキラ 絵コンテ集 1) and AKIRA E-KONTE 2 (アキラ 絵コンテ集 2) have been out of print for a long time and are difficult to obtain these days.

Storyboards are often thought of as rough blueprints, but the precision of the AKIRA storyboards is something else. Otomo drew them around 1987 when he was in the middle of the serialization of the fifth volume of the manga AKIRA. Work that he had to interrupt for 17 months to fully focus on the production of the movie version.

AKIRA storyboards are drawn with the tension of the serialization period and the dynamic feeling of the characters are at a level comparable to the main story of the manga. This book collects the  first half, parts  A and B  out of the four parts, A, B, C, and D that the movie is formed of. This large volume of nearly 500 pages is like reading the movie, the animation will be reproduced in the readers brain just by looking at it providing a unique insight to Otomo's animation production techniques.

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2022-I-21
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 488
Size: 248 x 172mm 
Retail price: ¥4,400
ISBN-10: ‎406526264X
ISBN-13: ‎978-4065262641

AVAILABILITY
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●SIGNATURE● DRAWING IN A BOTTLE "Space Ace"


Katsuhiro Otomo has posted a new drawing in a bottle in the OYAJISHU (親父衆) twitter account.

●SIGNATURE● DRAWING IN A BOTTLE "August is over"


Katsuhiro Otomo has posted a new drawing in a bottle in the OYAJISHU (親父衆) twitter account.

●SIGNATURE● DRAWING IN A BOTTLE "End of War Memorial Bottle"



Katsuhiro Otomo has posted a new drawing in a bottle in the OYAJISHU (親父衆) twitter account with the quote: "End of War Memorial Bottle (Otomo)"

●SIGNATURE● DRAWING IN A BOTTLE "Next guest"


Katsuhiro Otomo has posted a new drawing in a bottle in the OYAJISHU (親父衆) twitter account with the quote: "Next guest (Otomo)"

●SIGNATURE● DRAWING IN A BOTTLE "Dobīn"



Katsuhiro Otomo has posted a new drawing in a bottle in the OYAJISHU (親父衆) twitter account with the quote: "Dobīn (Otomo)"

●LP● ROUJIN Z Soundtrack (老人Z サウンドトラック) 30th Anniversary Vinyl

 


ROUJIN Z (老人Z ) Soundtrack was released in analog vinyl for the first time with the latest remastering to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the animation film directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo (北久保 弘之)  with an original story and screenplay by Katsuhiro Otomo, who also worked as mecha designer. Otomo's friend manga artist Hisashi Eguchi (江口寿史) was in charge of character design and the cover art illustration. Released in September 1991, the film won the Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation Film (毎日映画コンクールアニメーション映画賞) that year.

In charge of the music was Bun Itakura (板倉文), the leader of bands such as CHAKRA (チャクラ) and KILLING TIME (キリング・タイム). The soundtrack that includes various genres such as industrial techno, ethnic, and contemporary music, is sometimes boldly edited, giving off a charm that is independent to the movie. The ending theme song is sung by Mishio Ogawa (小川美潮), a close friend from the CHAKRA days. 

The album is pressed as a transparent red vinyl and includes a booklet with interviews with Katsuhiro Otomo, Hisashi Eguchi, Hiroyuki Kitakubo and Bun Itakura. The album was also released as a Compact Disc compatible, new High Quality Blu-spec CD2 format.


TRACK LIST
SIDE A:
1. 宣誓 (0:07)
2. Z [Accepter] (2:59)
3. 挨拶 #1 (0:08)
4. Happy Circle [Opening Title] (2:18) 
5. Impressions of a MOMENTO (4:16)
6. Interlude~Hello Liddy (0:51)
7. Metabolism #1~#4 (3:34)
8. 挨拶 #2 (0:08)
9. Ornament Love (1:20)

SIDE B:
1. New Type (2:08)
2. Escapass (0:59)
3. Interlude~Hustle Muscle→A(W.T.D.)...Wild Today's Description (2:43)
4. Spring (1:55)
5. Stepping Smart [#1 Dark House, #2 Chase] (4:36)
6. Interlude~Hollow Dolly (1:36)
7. 夢の桟橋 [#2 Evening] (2:14)
8. 走れ自転車 [Ending Roll](歌・小川美潮) (4:39)


CREDITS
Composed By:
-Akihiko Kuriyama (栗山昭彦) (track: 13)
-BAnaNA-UG (tracks: 4,10)
-Bun Itakura (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9~12, 14~17)
-Ma-To (tracks: 5)
Computer, Synthesizer, Keyboards & Programmed By Ma-To [Masato Fujii (藤井将登)]
Drums: Jun Aoyama (青山 純)
Guitar, Synthesizer: Bun Itakura (板倉文)
Keyboards: Akihiko Kuriyama (栗山昭彦) , Tatsuro Kondo (近藤達郎)
Percussion: WHACHO [Tetsuaki Hoashi (帆足哲之進)]
Producer: Bun Itakura (板倉文)
Strings: Neko Saito (斎藤ネコ)
Synthesizer, Piano: BAnaNA-UG [Yuji Kawashima (川島裕二)]
Vocals: Mishio Ogawa (小川美潮)


ALBUM DETAILS
Label: Great Tracks
Release date: 2021-IV-24
Format: Vinyl | LP | Stereo
Duration: 36 min 41s
Reatil price: ¥4,400
Catalogue number: MHJL-179





AVAILABILITY
Amazon JP: https://amzn.to/3WPBRhD
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/45MzeRW
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/42SP3Gr
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3oNNfy3
Amazon DE: https://amzn.to/3WNxRhz
Amazon FR: https://amzn.to/3IUf1zR
Amazon IT: https://amzn.to/3N8O3XI
Amazon ES: https://amzn.to/3NaOTmN
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PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

●CD●ROUJIN Z Soundtrack (老人Z サウンドトラック) 30th Anniversary

ROUJIN Z (老人Z ) Soundtrack was released with the latest remastered sound source in High Quality Blu-spec CD2, a new format from SONY compatible with regular CD readers that delivers better performance. This release celebrates the 30th anniversary of the animation film directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo (北久保 弘之)  with an original story and screenplay by Katsuhiro Otomo, who also worked as mecha designer. Otomo's friend manga artist Hisashi Eguchi (江口寿史) was in charge of character design and the cover art illustration. Released in September 1991, the film won the Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation Film (毎日映画コンクールアニメーション映画賞) that year.

In charge of the music was Bun Itakura (板倉文), the leader of bands such as CHAKRA (チャクラ) and KILLING TIME (キリング・タイム). The soundtrack that includes various genres such as industrial techno, ethnic, and contemporary music, is sometimes boldly edited, giving off a charm that is independent to the movie. The ending theme song is sung by Mishio Ogawa (小川美潮), a close friend from the CHAKRA days. 

The album was also released for the first time in analog format,  pressed as a transparent red vinyl. The CD includes a miniature version of the booklet included in the LP with interviews with Katsuhiro Otomo, Hisashi Eguchi, Hiroyuki Kitakubo and Bun Itakura


TRACK LIST
1. 宣誓 (0:07)
2. Z [Accepter] (2:59)
3. 挨拶 #1 (0:08)
4. Happy Circle [Opening Title] (2:18)
5. Impressions of a MOMENTO (4:16)
6. Interlude~Hello Liddy (0:51)
7. Metabolism #1~#4 (3:34)
8. 挨拶 #2 (0:08)
9. Ornament Love (1:20)
10. New Type (2:08)
11. Escapass (0:59)
12. Interlude~Hustle Mustle→A(W.T.D.)...Wild Today's Description (2:43)
13. Spring (1:55)
14. Stepping Smart [#1 Dark House, #2 Chase] (4:36)
15. Interlude~Hollow Dolly (1:36)
16. 夢の桟橋 [#2 Evening] (2:14)
17. 走れ自転車 [Ending Roll] (4:39)


CREDITS
Composed By:
-Akihiko Kuriyama (栗山昭彦) (track: 13)
-BAnaNA-UG (tracks: 4,10)
-Bun Itakura (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9~12, 14~17)
-Ma-To (tracks: 5)
Computer, Synthesizer, Keyboards & Programmed By Ma-To [Masato Fujii (藤井将登)]
Drums: Jun Aoyama (青山 純)
Guitar, Synthesizer: Bun Itakura (板倉文)
Keyboards: Akihiko Kuriyama (栗山昭彦) , Tatsuro Kondo (近藤達郎)
Percussion: WHACHO [Tetsuaki Hoashi (帆足哲之進)]
Producer: Bun Itakura (板倉文)
Strings: Neko Saito (斎藤ネコ)
Synthesizer, Piano: BAnaNA-UG [Yuji Kawashima (川島裕二)]
Vocals: Mishio Ogawa (小川美潮)


ALBUM DETAILS
Label: Great Tracks
Release date: 2021-IV-24
Format: Blu-spec CD2
Duration: 36 min 41s
Reatil price: ¥2,750
Catalogue number: MHCL-30670





AVAILABILITY
Amazon JP: https://amzn.to/3qgzSXq
Amazon US: 
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3PTasfK
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3OT9op6
Amazon DE: https://amzn.to/3IVgc1E
Amazon FR: https://amzn.to/3MQcmYR
Amazon IT: https://amzn.to/43mxc9h
Amazon ES: https://amzn.to/43nTI3i
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●LP● DŌMU Soundtrack (童夢 サウンドトラック)

 


Dōmu's 1984 LP by King Records has been reissued as LP after the 2019 CD edition . The original soundtrack of Dōmu (童夢), a manga written by Katsuhiro Otomo in 1980, was re-released in CD format  35 years later to commemorate the anniversary. This LP release features the same cover illustration by Otomo and includes a talk between composer Kazuhiko Izu (伊豆一彦 ) and Otomo.


LP DETAILS
DŌMU Limited Edition, Original Recording, Soundtrack
(童夢 限定版, オリジナルレコーディング, サウンドトラック)

Label: FUJI
Release date: 2021-IV-21
Duration: 42 min
Retail price: ¥3,900
Catalogue number: FJLP-153
JAN: 4988044063662



AVAILABILITY
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Amazon US: https://amzn.to/43GOSMJ
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3RDRN89
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/4uz2FTp
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Amazon FR: https://amzn.to/3Rok1nh
Amazon IT: 
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TRACK LIST
SIDE A:
A1. Act 1 Scene 7 (3:51)
A2. Act 2 Scene 26 (4:26)
A3. Act 3 Scene 8 (3:42)
A4. Act 4 Scene 14 (4:23)
A5. Act 5 Scene 10 (1:59)

SIDE B:
B1. Act 6 Scene 24 (5:12)
B2. Act 7 Scene 23 (4:14)
B3. Act 8 Scene 11 (4:43)
B4. Act 9 Scene 27 (4:20)


CREDITS
Producer, Music By Kazuhiko Izu (伊豆一彦)
Supervised By [Director]: Toshinori Takatsuka (高塚俊紀)
Mixed By: Ryoji Fukushima (福島良治)
Sequenced By [MC-4], Programmed By [Synthesizer]: Tatsuhiko Mori (森達彦)
Violin [Solo]: Toshihiro Nakanishi (中西俊博)
Bass [Wood]: Motohiko Hamase (浜瀬元彦)
Drums: Atsuo Okamoto (岡本郭男)
Electric Bass: Yuji Muto (武藤祐二)
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar: Kenji Kitajima (北島健二), Takayuki Hijikata (土方隆行)
Mandolin: Hideki Wachi (和智秀樹)
Percussion: Tatsuji Yokoyama (横山達嗣)
Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano, Synthesizer: Hirotaka Izumi (和泉宏隆), Kazuhiko Izu (伊豆一彦)
Saxophone, Flute: Ikuo Kataoka (片岡郁雄)

●VIDEO REPORT● The Making of ELEMENTS OF FUTURE

 



JPTCA Japan Traffic Culture Association has released a behind-the-scenes video of ELEMENTS OF FUTURE, the ceramic relief mural designed and supervision by Katsuhiro Otomo and created by CREARE Atami-Yugawara Studio that was installed last december at "Hisao & Hiroko Taki Plaza" on the Ookayama Campus of Tokyo Institute of Technology (東京工業大学 大岡山キャンパス).

Otomo's Comments
I came up with the concept of elements. They create things. The idea was to express them in a new, modern way. Fire, water, air you know the five elements, But today's new creative elements should be students, the city that surrounds them, science or IT. Those new elements will create new generations.

I didn't want to create a goal, hence the empty space at the center. So instead of saying, "This must be your goal" or "this is how things must be", I created something that was abstract, like space. I wanted to say, "The rest is up to you."

Jiro Tanimoto's (谷本二郎) comments
It's an incredibly complex drawing, but it's also exciting. It's going to be a challenge. Mr. Otomo's picking fights with everybody. Like he keeps saying, "Can you do it?" But of course nobody says no.

This mural is about 7 meters to the top, so we needed different tricks to show things that were way up there. Such as making the top parts larger or thicker. We did things like that and assembled the pieces into a mural. It's three dimensional, so it looks different depending on where you stand or if it's day or night. There are lots of ways to enjoy it.

Atsuo Suzumura's (鈴村 敦夫) comments
What I love about glazing is that... the result always exceeds my expectations.  The possibilities are infinite. It's like alchemy. We prepared 118 glazes for this single artwork. And each piece had 2 or 3 layers for complexity. Colors change depending on thickness, where they're placed in the kiln or if it's electric or gas. There are endless possibilities. Once the firing starts,I'm anxious until the pieces come out. It's the result of the balance between all the pieces. The overall result is good.That's the best aspect of this work.

●DIGITAL ART● COLORS OVER SCRAMBLE


Katsuhiro Otomo's original digital art "COLORS OVER SCRAMBLE" was presented at Shibuya Scramble Square (渋谷スクランブルスクエア) Urban Core Digital Signage in Tokyo.

NKB Co., Ltd. planned "COLORS OVER SCRAMBLE" entrusted by Shibuya Station District Development Planners (Tokyo Corporation, East Japan Railway Company, Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd.) and Scrambles Shibuya. This is the 548th public art by the Japan Traffic Culture Association, and with the motif of the transition of the Shibutani River and the transition of the four seasons, computer graphics are used to express changes in color from inorganic to organic in a one-minute video. 

The size of digital signage is 5.9 meters long and 1.3 meters wide and Otomo spent 6 months producing the work in which rocks and soil settle in the water and fruits and plants emerge to become full-grown trees while white flowers bloom along with gentle background sounds and chirping of birds that are pleasant to the ears

Purpose of the artwork
■ To promote the spread of public art through digital art works based on the original drawings of cartoonist and film director Katsuhiro Otomo
■ To create a space that soothes and encourages people's hearts by easily familiarizing themselves with art through public art.
■ To contribute to regional revitalization and tourism development through the works of famous artists Shibuya Scramble Square Urban Core Digital Signage.

Katsuhiro Otomo's comment:
"I wanted to add color to the place with digital art suitable for a new building. I hope that people who visit Shibuya Scramble Square and see the digital art will be able to understand the charm of the fusion of natural and pop music."

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