Methid Man
Title: Spawn of Billy Mays
Joined: Nov 23 2010
Location: Hackensack, NJ
Posts: 540
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https://www.geek.com/television/theres-going-to-be-an-usagi-yojimbo-animated-series-1730111/
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If you look at the landscape of TV cartoon series today, you’ll notice that something’s missing. There is a distinct lack of samurai rabbits. How long has this oversight been allowed to go on? (OK, the answer is about a year, but still that’s too long!) Well, no more will today’s kids grow up without being taught of Japan’s anthropomorphic Edo period. Stan Sakai’s classic Usagi Yojimbo series of comics is being adapted for TV. Animation studio Gaumont is partnering with Dark Horse Entertainment, Aquaman-director James Wan’s Atomic Monster, Dark Horse Entertainment and Sakai himself to produce the series, according to a press release.
The samurai rabbit has appeared on TV before, but this will be the first time Miyamoto Usagi has starred in his own series. If you haven’t read the comics… well, go fix that right now, but you probably recognize the character from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Yojimbo has appeared in all three versions of the animated series, most recently in a three-episode arc last summer on the Nickelodeon cartoon. Now, with Usagi Yojimbo being made into its own series, the character can be more than just a cameo in someone else’s story. We’ll get to see the kinds of rich overarching plots featured in the comics with full animation and voices.
“Usagi Yojimbo has been much sought after for many years, and we are honored to work with Stan Sakai to translate his multi-generational stories into the first ever TV series,†said Gaumont President of Animation, Nicolas Atlan. “Usagi Yojimbo’s blend of history and mythology, a clever balance between action and comedy, and real-world touchpoints combined with the supernatural, together with the passionate fan base that Stan has already amassed, makes this an incredibly exciting property to develop with our partners Atomic Monster and Dark Horse Entertainment.â€
Sakai is also happy to see the series he’s been creating for more than 30 years be adapted for the screen. He also says it’s something his fans have been asking for for a while now. “We get fan mail from readers of all ages across the globe who have been asking to see Usagi Yojimbo in his own TV series,†he said.
Now, we’re finally getting it, and this series has some serious potential. Handled right, it could be the next Avatar. (And by that I mean The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra, not James Cameron’s blue people.) Structurally, Yojimbo stories are episodic and digestible, but there’s just enough serialization to allow Sakai to tell grandiose, complex stories when he wants to. Set in a fantasy version of 17th century Japan, where everyone is an anthropomorphic animal, Usagi Yojimbo is about a masterless swordsman, er rabbit, who travels between villages and castles, helping anyone in need. It’s heavily influenced by the films of Akira Kurosawa, particularly (if you couldn’t guess) Yojimbo. Sakai weaves Japanese history, legend, and fantasy together to tell stories that are, well there’s no better way to describe them than epic. No word on when or where this series will premiere, but we can’t wait to see it. It certainly has a good team behind it. If they pull this off, it could really be a special piece of animation. |
I wonder if there'll be Ninja Turtles cameos.
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 RIP Hacker |
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