My thoughts on how to possibly get Usagi Yojimbo onto TV

SakuradaKaoru · Post by **SakuradaKaoru** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 23:44 -0700

I know this, you know this. An Usagi cartoon couldn't be made for kids, that's for certain. Too much killing. But it could possibly air late at night on Adult Swim or something.

A good way to start it off would be a 3-4 episode-length movie to get people's attention. But not with big-name Hollywood actors, preferably the voice actors would be people who could stick around for the actual TV series the movie would be broken down into origin episodes for. (God knows Leonard Nimoy from the 1986 Transformers movie made the better Galvatron, not Frank Welker from the TV series, so fans were probably disappointed when Nimoy didn't stick around. Don't want that to happen.)

The problem lies in getting people to watch a PG-13 cartoon movie where animals with swords kill each other. That part I haven't figured out.

shaxper · Post by **shaxper** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 17:03 -0700

It's a great idea, and it's certainly not unthinkable. After all, we had Samurai Jack on CN for a while. The real trick is in convincing a network that they're better off paying for the rights to do Usagi as opposed to creating their own original character who they would be free to use as they pleased. Still, there are enough people out there who know how special Usagi is; maybe such a thing could happen.

I really do like the idea of beginning with a feature length film, much like the 5 part "Samurai" storyline that launched Usagi's first series.

johnnyjagwani · Post by **johnnyjagwani** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 23:13 -0700

would it be unfit to choose various smaller stories, and animate - let's say 12 or 24 episodes, taking place over the entire UY storyline, thus far?

... Or maybe is it Mr. Sakai's wish to only be in comicbook format. If so, of course everything shuold stay as it is?

Lubidius · Post by **Lubidius** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:45 -0700

Considering that Warner Bros. is going to take on Elf Quest, I'm HOPING it will be successful enough to spawn motion picture companies to option Usagi. The director of Elf Quest is still in the process of deciding whether to go completely animated or a "300" style hybrid. I hope they do a hybrid. I myself love the older cel style japanimation, and not the rather odd combination of cel and 3d style anime, such as Robotech Shadow Chronicles and some other newer anime. I'd love to see a "300" style hybrid of anime style. And while I'd obviously love Stan to do all the story boards, it's a technique unto itself and would take a team of animators. I'd personally like them to stick with the existing Usagi storyline. It really will depend on the success of existing "option"d comic characters of this style. Again, the closest I'm aware of is ElfQuest. So, GO SEE IT.. and perhaps if enough do, other comic IP will be optioned.

shaxper · Post by **shaxper** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 13:16 -0700

Didn't know there was a forthcoming Elfquest film. That's absolutely awesome!

Kenshiroh · Post by **Kenshiroh** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 22:00 -0700

Lubidius wrote:Considering that Warner Bros. is going to take on Elf Quest, I'm HOPING it will be successful enough to spawn motion picture companies to option Usagi.

Actually...

http://www.earthsmightiest.com/fansites ... ws/?a=5598
Stan Sakai: Usagi’s been optioned a number of times for film and television. And, he’s under option right now for a TV series and a feature film. But, you know, everything gets optioned, so…don’t believe anything until you actually see it for yourself on the screen.

Lubidius · Post by **Lubidius** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 13:52 -0700

Understood. I'd quess 95%+ of optioned rights are not taken to film.

I think though in the case of Elfquest, the IP owners are actually in pre-production with the director. If you watch the following videos here of the ElfQuest comic con panel, it sounds like they are a beyond an option bid and moving towards production.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=e ... e&resnum=4#

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=e ... e&resnum=4#

From the above, I give it a 50/50 chance of hitting the big screen or higher. PRAY it does, and then it will open the path to similar material, as studios always catch wind of what someone else is doing, and put out two to three similar movies while the iron is hot.

Back on topic of Usagi, if you're talking US based tv animated series or short series, the best bet is to find a miss-placed japanimation studio artist who loves Usagi, who is willing to option it for a short run on cartoon network or similar channel. It would likely need to be straight to DVD, with airing on cartoon network after proving how many copies it sold.

IF movies like Elfquest see the light of day, I think it will be a big step towars similar indie graphic novels making the screen.

White Out is coming soon. A graphic novel. Jonas Hex. Many other comic based niche movies. I think it's HIGH TIME usagi sees the screen, but in a mature, well done, highly artistic (and true to Stan's work) fashion.

I would not want to see the same folks doing the current TMNT series for example do a kids run of Usagi. It just does not fit.

Gallennon · Post by **Gallennon** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:01 -0700

Funny how my question in the "how you found Usagi comic Thread" got expanded on. Actually I agree, and would rather see an animated show of Usagi aimed at Adult. But I said kids because I understand that Stan wanted and has always aimed his comic to all ages. Granted a kids show would mostly blasphemies the comic, an adult series would most likely excluded kids. But I am for an adult series because it would hopefully keep true to the comic and still have enough openings to appeal to and be appropriate for older kids.

Personally I feel the series shoudl not have a film, but maybe start out as a type of OVA/ mini series. Maybe even go as far as being original stories written or over seen by Mr. Sakai that are not in the comics but are other adventures of Usagi. Then if the crowed jumps on, back track and do the series based to the comics.

With something like this it does two things.

1) give fans something new to see in the story, so if the whole projected in the end failed, it still made money off the fans and gave them something new and fun to have in story and art.

2) if it succeeded it would give the fans something new and fun in story and art to have and introduce a whole new crowd to the character, comics and world. Might even work better if the show was original stories and just left the comic alone. Instead these episodes would help push on to new fans to go buy the GNs and comics for back story and more Usagi, thus upping comic sales.

So call me Stan, I'll be your business man for this, we'll do lunch. *is Joking*