Usagi Yojimbo in Anime?

goandal · Post by **goandal** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 15:05 -0700

Hey Stan, have you ever thought of a UY in an anime version? That'd be interesting.

I was just thinking about it, since I was really impacted by Animatrix...my first anime movie...well second to Akira.

Peace.

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 17:28 -0700

Animatrix rocked!!! Too bad it was "just" anime... the background story on how the machines rose up and took over mankind was very striking....would have made a great prequel movie, or even a set of movies.

As far as Usagi anime goes, that's been a request/dream/demand for as long as UY has been around (20 years in 2004!!!). Unfortunately, no current plans exist. There was a CGI series discussed and animation done, but that fell through. The key is to sell the idea to a production studio (the idea, not Usagi himself -- Stan would need to maintain creative rights). Scary Godmother is scheduled to have some animation done -- could UY be far behind?

Has anyone seen the new Spider-Man animated series on MTV? That is easily some of the best "2-D-style" animation I've seen...that's the type of animation that would do UY justice! You'd be able to incorporate the look and character designs of the original comic without having to sacrifice it on CGI.... not that I don't like CGI, but it might be too extreme for UY.

Glennosuke · Post by **Glennosuke** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 21:17 -0700

Hmm...I was kinda hoping that Cartoon Network would take a serious look at Usagi as a featured piece. Unfortunately, they may look at it as too derivative from "Samurai Jack". One can hope for the best!!

goandal · Post by **goandal** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 9:17 -0700

Wow, Usagi in CGI? That'll be incredible, I can just picture him doing those intense samurai moves epecially those charging scenes!

I guess we'll just hope for the best.

takematsu · Post by **takematsu** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 9:59 -0700

I would want anyone plotting an animated Usagi to think REEEEEEALLY hard about going the CGI route. Why? Well, consider what Homer Simpson looked like in 3D-ish CGI (that Hallowe'en episode); 300% goofier. Fine for Homer, that's what he's there for. Usagi? Eurrr.... Perhaps a "cel-mapped" effect like the games "Hulk" and "Fear Effect" would be ok, but then why not do it the traditional way?

goandal · Post by **goandal** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 11:19 -0700

I like that quote from Huxley.

ziritrion · Post by **ziritrion** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 0:25 -0700

There are some good and bad things about both ways of animation. 3D animation allows for more realistic animation and detail, although if it's meant to be used on a series, due to the tigh schedules probably the animators wouldn't have time to animate the characters right, and they would look "choppy" (have you seen that Starship Troopers animation series? That's what I'm talking about). Also, fluids and flexible objects (clothing, tree leaves, etc...) require a lot of time to make them look right. Anyway, if it was to be done in 3D, it would HAVE to be done in cel-mapping, cel-shadding, or whatever you want to call it (rendering 3D images in 2D with a black outline around all objects).
2D animation would have to be done right. There are way too many shows with awfully bad animation. Outside Japan, the best animators I know probably are Hanna-Barbera, but I don't know if Usagi matches his current cartoon style (thick lines, flat characters...). Disney would be another choice, but I'd mean having to sacrifice UY for a really lame fighting rabbit with some really lame one-liners (I'm not saying that I hate Disney, some of their movies are good, but all their series seriously suck). There's also Aardman (Chicken Run), but these guys work with clay

. Having UY in stop-motion would be kinda cool

.

I loved the Animatrix! My favourite was #7, "Beyond". There's something really special about that one, although I don't know how to explain it

.

goandal · Post by **goandal** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 11:11 -0700

Wow this is more than I bargained for.

CGI, 2D, 3D, cells...decisions, decisions...I'm picturing Usagi in all those forms.

Thanks

Qion · Post by **Qion** » Thu Jul 24, 2003 12:04 -0700

My first post!

Well, I think that if Usagi is ever gonna be turned into an animated movie/series, it would be the best in 2D, just like the master *GONG! bows* Sakai did it. (Then again, it's hard to draw in 3D

)
If someone tried to make any innovations, it would probably just make the things worse...

goandal · Post by **goandal** » Thu Jul 24, 2003 12:06 -0700

Welcome Qion!