The History of US Distribution of Anime Features.
Anime is absolutely pervasive in American culture now. You can catch movies on the Scifi Channel or that Encore Action! channel, if you get it. And as for anime TV shows, check out anything from Cartoon Network to your local network. Not to mention that Anime DVDs are coming out by the dozens each week, as are manga (Japanese comic books) -- with two manga graphic novels (Kenshin and Naruto) making the New York Times bestseller 250 in July. And now, having a straight-to-DVD anime prequel to your movie is starting to become commonplace (ANIMATRIX, RIDDICK: DARK FURY). But how did we get here? Where did it start? Well, I could go on all day explaining the history of anime in the US, but we'll stick to a brief look at the feature films (not including YU-GI-OH or POKEMON -- sorry! I know you're disappointed).

The anime film that really broke the barrier to American audiences was, of course, AKIRA. Although it didn't receive a theatrical run until it's rerelease in 2001, it did open up the US to the possibilities of anime. It was released in Japan in 1988, and took a few years to make its way to America. It premiered on the Scifi Channel in the mid-90s, but it had already caught on by then. And its popularity helped several films made before AKIRA get distribution after AKIRA hit the US. First, FIST OF THE NORTH STAR, the campy, ultra-violent cult favorite, was made in 1986 was released in 1991. WINGS OF HONNAMAISE, a decidedly subtler sci-fi film made in 1987, was released in 1995. And VAMPIRE HUNTER D, made and released straight-to-video in 1985, was released here in 1993. But none of these films made anywhere near as much of an impact as AKIRA, although VAMPIRE HUNTER D has a large following.

No film was able to break similar ground until several years later. Two films were released in 1996 that were able to get about as large a response as we'd seen since AKIRA, though not quite eclipsing its fame and importance. The first was GHOST IN THE SHELL. This movie was an altogether solid package, the kind we hadn't seen in theaters since AKIRA. It had top-notch animation, an interesting premise, an attempt to go beyond its surface meaning, rousing action, a unique and strong soundtrack, and a story that was good enough to satisfy. The other was NINJA SCROLL, which is known for its violence, and is one of the reasons for certain anime stereotypes that a lot of people have -- the idea of all anime featuring constant blood-spurting, people getting cut in half and whatnot, does stem from this film in particular. This is the stereotype that is furthered in KILL BILL. While not quite as good as GHOST IN THE SHELL, NINJA SCROLL has some good animation for the time and obviously struck a chord with some audiences.

No movie released since these two has had a significant impact on America's perception of anime. There's been no must-see movie since these films. But now, with 1996 being so long ago, they are no longer requisite viewing for today's anime fan like they used to be. If you were an anime fan before the New Millenium, there was almost a canon. Everyone who watched anime even a little had seen AKIRA and GHOST IN THE SHELL. But now, some anime fans haven't seen anything made before 1999.

There were some films, in more recent years, with US distribution that didn't shake the world or change the industry. I remember seeing JIN-ROH a couple years ago in the theater. It was good, but not ground-breaking. VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST was made in 2000 and released in the US in 2001, and was very well-accepted by anime fans -- most consider it better than the original. BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE was also released in 2001, easily on BLOODLUST's coattails. COWBOY BEBOP: KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR, a movie based on a very popular TV series, made $1 million in the US when it was released in 2002.

Although none of those films made the impact of AKIRA or GHOST IN THE SHELL, it seems we are now about to witness some sort of renaissance. Films like GHOST IN THE SHELL: INNOCENCE (the first anime movie to play at Cannes), APPLESEED, and STEAMBOY have all produced as much advance buzz as any of these other films ever did. Look for INNOCENCE on September 17th, released by Dreamworks. APPLESEED, release by Geneon Entertainment, is supposed to be released Early 2005. And STEAMBOY, from Sony, is supposedly "In Theaters 2004". We'll see if they live up to the hype, or gain as much popularity as some of their predecessors.

The point of this tale, is that in the past 15 years or so, very few anime films have received US distribution. (This list, and some I have yet to name, is really about all of them. I may have missed one or two, but really I am very thorough). While many films have gained popularity in the television and DVD markets, as certainly many television shows have, few have made it to the big screen.

Even more rare than an anime film getting distribution is a director who always gets distribution. Katsuhiro Otomo, director of AKIRA, is seemingly on this level. While he has directed no feature films since AKIRA, the feature films he has written have both received distribution (I specify 'feature' because he worked on a collection of shorts on a theme called MEMORIES that did not get distributed, more on this film later). First was ROUJIN Z, made in 1991, released in 1996 - although it probably didn't deserve US distribution, probably got it because it was the first anime feature with Otomo's name attached to it since AKIRA. And more recently was METROPOLIS, another film not entirely worthy of distribution, based on the comic by Osamu Tezuka (a man who has become unbelievably popular and influential in the US since his passing) and loosely related to Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS -- it had another Otomo screenplay. Otomo has at last directed his first feature since AKIRA, called STEAMBOY, which was released in Japan in July.

Someone who would seem worthy of automatic distribution is Mamoru Oshii, director of GHOST IN THE SHELL and GHOST IN THE SHELL:INNOCENCE. But Oshii's film AVALON, that he completed between GHOST IN THE SHELL I and II, though it did get distribution in many countries, didn't get distribution here. (I think Miramax actually has it and hasn't distributed it, but I'm not sure about that).

And of course, the other man who could sneeze and get US distribution is Hayao Miyazaki. He is the most famous and well-regarded of anime directors. You have probably seen or heard of one of his many features, such as PRINCESS MONONOKE(1997) and SPIRITED AWAY(2001). His new film, HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, is coming soon from Disney.

But all of these men (Otomo, Oshii, Miyazaki) have made a pinnacle film in the history of anime, a film that has great awareness among Americans. Satoshi Kon's three films do not have this level of recognition. But all three films have received US distribution, which is truly interesting. It says something about the strength of his craft that while never having a "hit" or international name recognition, each film is strong enough on its own merits to be picked up, each by a different distributor (Manga Entertainment, Dreamworks and Columbia/Tristar). He is certainly a talent to watch. And Miyazaki and Otomo are certainly good company to be in.

A Bit of Satoshi Kon History
Satoshi Kon started as any aspiring animator might, by going to art school, then writing and drawing his own manga. He was spotted by Otomo and his team and got to work on ROUJIN Z. He struck up a friendship with Otomo and then wrote a segment of Otomo's anthology film MEMORIES. Soon after that, he struck out on his own. His first film, PERFECT BLUE, was written by Sadayuki Murai (ASTRO BOY, COWBOY BEBOP), based on a novel by Yoshikazu Takeuchi. Next was MILLENIUM ACTRESS, which Kon co-wrote with Murai. And lastly, TOKYO GODFATHERS was co-written with Keiko Nobumoto (MACROSS PLUS, COWBOY BEBOP). Not only does Kon usually involve himself in writing, but he is usually credited with the character designs as well.

Satoshi Kon's schtick, if you will, is blurring the line between reality and fantasy. What Satoshi Kon does best, in my opinion, is challenge traditional narrative. While his stories are often told in chronological order, they are done so in a fashion that turns this practice on its ear. We get a sense of his interest in fantasy/reality-blending mysteries in MEMORIES (he wrote the first segment, entitled "Magnetic Rose"). But we can see the extent of that interest in both PERFECT BLUE and MILLENIUM ACTRESS -- with TOKYO GODFATHERS being slightly more traditional.

PERFECT BLUE
Mima is a mid-level pop idol in the girl trio Cham. At the advice of her manager, she decides to leave the group and pursue acting. Her first gig is a small-but-recurring role on the thriller TV show "Double Bind". In the interest of her career, she aims to please as much as she can, never saying no to anything they ask her to do, although she probably should. But the people who ask her to do these objectionable things start to get knocked off. And between hallucinations and memory loss, she's not entirely sure she didn't do it. She's haunted, quite literally, by a ghost of her pop-idol self. She's stressed and full of self doubt.

Her fractured mind, and that of the serial killer in her midst are paralleled as they seek to find a serial killer on "Double Bind" as well. Further, an obsessed fan is keeping an in-depth blog of her life, relating things he couldn't possibly know. One day, she turns to it to see what she did that day, because she doesn't remember. The movie leaves you questioning what is real, wondering if anything is. It weaves in and out of fantasy and reality, and does so extremely well. Life and art are reflected by each other once, and then back again.

This movie is a great example of how this type of psychological thriller can be done. It's a good look at the psyche of a girl who doesn't quite know who she is or what she wants, but must become comfortable with herself to make it through this. The movie unfortunately chooses a very conventional ending, but is so enchanting up till that point that it doesn't really matter.

What's interesting about this movie is that it's boring for the first 20 minutes. I almost shut it off. It leaves you wondering if it's going anywhere. But then, all of a sudden, it all comes together in a way that just blows you away. It was all going somewhere, a surprise in itself, and that first 20 minutes was pivotal for the rest of the movie to play out. With my silly attention span, I didn't recognize that they were introducing elements and building toward something -- you can't always start with the bang. But once this film gets going, it doesn't stop; you just have to sit back and enjoy the really great ride.

Beware, there are definitely adult situations in this film. Not all cartoons are for kids, my friend!

MILLENIUM ACTRESS
Chiyoko Fujiwara was one of Japan's top actresses. Now, several years retired, a documentary crew has come to interview her, as the studio she worked for her whole life is being torn down. The crew consists of Genya, who it turns out is an ultimate fan of the actress; and Ida, who doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. She begins to tell the tale of her life -- how she was found and was asked to be in a film, and how she met a young revolutionary -- only for a moment, and then the story just takes off. She chases this man through her life, in and out of her movies. Her real life and her film life meld together into a definitive biography. To blur the lines further, Genya shows up as her hero in a number of films, and we even glimpse the real, young Genya as a production intern. We also follow a rival actress through the many years of their parallel careers. And Chiyoko's career is a time capsule of the whole of Japanese film history -- from Ozu-like dramas to spacebound epics with some Geishas and Godzillas along the way. It's easier to appreciate the film if you are familiar with Japanese film history. But it can easily be enjoyable either way.

But let me be blunt. Do you know what would have made an absolutely amazing short film? You guessed it -- this one. I was enraptured for the first half hour. Dazzled by how cool and interesting this film was. And then my interest began to fade and fade and fade.... If it was based on a real person, I think it would have been ultimately groundbreaking. But the gimmick grew cold for me about halfway through, and then the rest got a little tedious.

But this is in no way a thumbs down for this film. 'Cause what's good is really good. And the concept and ideas are fascinating. Someone with more of an attention span than me could be absolutely blown away. Well, I was absolutely blown away, I just lost interest a little bit. But I'd recommend this fascinating film in a second. I'd like to give it a second chance, to better appreciate the subtleties. PERFECT BLUE wasn't as boring on second watch because I was able to appreciate little aspects a bit more. It's just that the main story in MILLENIUM ACTRESS -- Chiyoko chasing after this guy -- isn't quite compelling enough to hold the vignettes together. But I think there's enough going on that it's too overwhelming to be fully immersed in the first time. Watching it again won't make the plot any better (the man she chases after gives her a key that is supposed to represent something -- her dreams, perhaps -- but she's really too passive to dream of anything except meeting the man again); but each vignette, about whatever movie she's making at the time, has it's own value.

Kon and his team's portrayal of different styles and time periods in Japanese film history is spot on. It's visually great, and can work as a primer on film history if you let it. Chiyoko comes off as a very nice person, but it's probably goofy Genya whom you most sympathize with. You get to experience the years through the eyes of both the fan and the actress, and if you've ever been a real fan (but not one of those weird fans like the guy in PERFECT BLUE), then this alone is also a treat. It's easily a better movie if you consider it to be a film about Genya's dreams, rather than Chiyoko's life.

TOKYO GODFATHERS
This is the story of a non-traditional family made up of homeless folks. They're not actually related. But they have a drunken-old-man father, aptly named Gin; a drag queen mother, named Hana; and a 16 year old runaway daughter named Miyuki. They find a baby on Christmas who changes their life. Evidently the plot and title are a reference to John Wayne/John Ford's 3 GODFATHERS(1948) where three outlaws find a baby on Christmas Eve and try to raise it (thank you Roger Ebert for this info, cause I flat out didn't know this).

So this little family lives in a cardboard box (that is easily larger than my studio apt in hollywood) but after finding the baby they set out on a journey to find it's parents. Hana really wants to keep it, but they also want to know why the mother left it. Then they get enraptured in a mystery where the baby's story is not quite as straightforward as you would imagine. But this baby is really their Christmas angel, who has come to set things right for these drifters. Each has their reason for ending up as they have in the streets. Both Gin and Miyuki have relationships they left in limbo that they have been running from, and now, have to deal with.

Suprisingly, this film does not blend fantasy and reality in the same way as Satoshi Kon's other work. It is not written by Murai who worked on PERFECT BLUE and MILLENIUM ACTRESS. Although, who can fault Kon for trying something different. Yet, even in this more traditionally told story, there is also an aspect of fantasy versus reality, just not in the visuals. The mystery of this story is really based in lies. People will lie and then they'll lie again a little closer to the truth until all the layers are peeled away and the truth is revealed.

In the end this is real a heartwarming Christmas story. But it's also, to use an over used phrase, a "love letter" to Tokyo. In their journey they show many sides of the city. And it's never rich and glitzy, but it's the view from the ground. But it shows a very diverse city, full of sympathetic characters who have their own stories. Tokyo is known for being distancing, people don't relate to strangers on the street, but in this film there is connection between our characters and strangers. And there's a whole other world of Tokyo that you don't see when you're blinded by the skyscrapers and neon signs.

But something that may be disconnecting for the audience is the massive use of coincidence. Coincidence abounds in this film, especially in the later scenes. Most of the plot points that move the story along are by coincidence, not fueled by choices of the characters. It's acceptable in the realm of being a magical Christmas-time story. And I believe the implication is that the baby angel is sort of making these things happen. Still, whenever there are coincidences too great and too often it can be a little off putting. But the idea that someone is looking out for our characters is also ultimately comforting.

In the end, this film is too charming not to like but too fluffy to stick with you too long.

The Animation
I haven't said much about the animation. This is mostly because I'm just not an animation nazi. As long as it's 2-D it's alright with me. Some of my favorite anime shows have terrible animation styles and some shows are beautiful but bad. Satoshi Kon's animation is somewhere in the middle. He certain has his own style as you can gather from the stills. It's not the prettiest but it's certainly not bad and serves his stories very well. His movies don't have huge budgets so it's not the smoothest, best animated movie you've ever seen. Well, no movies are AKIRA in their precision or Disney movies in sheer money and manpower. But these films certainly aren't hard to watch (as some cheaply animated fair are), even if the motion gets a little weird sometimes. It will be interesting to see, if he continues to be as successful as he's been, how his animation grows as he is given more money to complete it.

What's Next?
PARANOIA AGENT will debut on DVD October 26 from Geneon Entertainment. It's a 13 episode series directed by Satoshi Kon that supposedly has the reality and fantasy blending elements once again in the package of a mystery thriller. He's never worked on a TV show before, so it'll be interesting to see him conquer this new, longer format. Sounds interesting enough for me.

IN TWO WEEKS: Because they're building a statue to him in Bosnia (I'm not even kidding), how can I not cover Bruce Lee! I'll take a look at his four and half real kung fu movies and talk about the huge legacy he left behind. That and Chuck Norris' back hair. Oh my.

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