Now, the embargo of critical reviews has been lifted for the new Ghost in the Shell, and... early reception is mixed. Rotten Tomatoes currently sits at 71% for the time being, in comparison to the 95% rating the original film has. I'm not going to do a review roundup until more come in; but I am going to offer one more rebuttal to one of the last-ditch attempts to defend the film's casting: some of the comparisons Mamoru Oshii drew were towards Darth Vader and John Wayne as Genghis Khan in the film "The Conqueror." In the former case, James Earl Jones and David Prowse were African-American and Scottish respectively; and the latter, the film became one of the worst ones of all time, and it was filmed near a former site for testing atomic bombs, which contributed to many of the cast, Wayne included developing cancer that would prove fatal. Not exactly a convincing argument when you try to defend an already polarizing adaptation with a film that arguably helped rob the world of the star of "The Searchers" and "Sands of Iwo Jima." I mean, a movie like The Eye Creatures sucked; but I don't think it killed anyone. As someone who has spoken about film before and since starting this blog, I could smell the analogy backfire coming from Melemele Island.
So, rather than contribute further towards this growing dumpster fire; I will instead offer some alternatives coming out in the near future in the neighborhood of live-action anime and manga adaptations.
Full Metal Alchemist
As a fan of the series from the 2003 anime, as well as an increasing fascination with the manga and Brotherhood; I can honestly say I'm very excited for this film given the fantastic-looking special effects (especially on Alphonse's armor), the all-Japanese cast and the fact that original author Hiromu Arakawa's influence is very clear compared to other adaptations of anime and manga, it will definitely be a film to enjoy when it releases this Christmas, with the original release on December 1.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Based on the fourth arc of the long-running anime and manga series, the film looks to expand on the situations presented by the original story into a new medium. The film will be directed by Takashi Miike, whose unique style of filmmaking will be more than a match for the mindbending scenarios and creative action sequences that the acclaimed and bestselling Shonen Jump series has been well-known for. The film will be released in Japanese theaters this summer.
Gintama
Despite being unfamiliar with the source material, I am well aware of how big the series is in its native Japan. As with the above two films, it will be released this year with Warner Bros. Pictures helping with distribution; and I am also seriously considering starting it with this on the table. The series is available to stream on Crunchyroll, and I might look into it when I'm done with My Hero Academia (binge-watching the first season before the second one starts on April Fool's day. No joke- I love it, and I will give some of it a positive recap when my main computer is fixed).
As if the new film's prospect wasn't depressing enough, I also feel the need to bookend this post with another sad piece of anime news: Daisuke Sato, creator of various manga series such as High School of the Dead has died of heart disease at age 52. I am also contemplating recapping some of the series in his honor around Halloween as a result, and I offer my condolences to his friends, family and co-workers. May he rest in peace. That will be all for now. Bang.
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