Just when you thought there was never enough Samurai animations in the world Ghost in the Shell's lord and master Mamoru Oshii is developing a animated samurai film for Japanese animation powerhouse Production I.G.
This new film, slated for a Summer 2009 bow, will be based on the life of Japan's most celebrated Samuarai, Musashi Miyamoto. This new film will be called Miyamoto Musashi: Sōken ni Haseru Yume (Musashi Miyamoto: The Dream of Riding with Two Swords). Musashi created and perfected a two-sword kenjutsu technique called niten'ichi ("two heavens as one") or nitōichi ("two swords as one"). He was also the author of The Book of Five Rings, a book that is still studied today. Word is it rivals Sun Tzu's Art of War in regards to strategy and tactics.
Should be interesting. Oshii is gathering quite the talent together for this project. Mizuho Nishikubo, an animation director for Oshii's Ghost in the Shell films, Patlabor 2: The Movie, The Sky Crawlers, and the anime sequence in Kill Bill: Volume 1 will direct the project. Samurai Champloo and Kill Bill: Volume 1 animation director Kazuto Nakazawa, will design the characters in the Musashi Miyamoto film. Kazuchika Kise, an animation director and supervisor on Blood+, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, and the Ghost in the Shell films, will perform the same duties on this new work. Shuichi Hirata (Ghost in the Shell 2, Metropolis) will direct the art design, and Blood + and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex's 3D director Makoto Endo will handle the computer animation. That is some damn fine talent.
This should be really cool. I bought the Book of 5 Rings back in High School, but never got around to finishing it. I always thought the coolest part of Musashi's story was that after so many fights he got so good he started using a wooden sword.
Yum. Let's have Kawai Kenji channel Ennio Morricone's soundtrack from NHK's Musashi, since we're there.
AMAZING!
Wow, that's very good news.
But what's up with Mamoru Oshii these days?
He is almost getting prolific! Not that I'm complaining... ;-)
\o/ I can´t wait!!
I'm never fed up of Musashi movies.