Latest news with #AstroBoy
a day ago
- Entertainment
Pasona Natureverse: Thank You, Life
The helix-shaped pavilion resembles an ancient ammonite, as a motif of life. Popular cartoon character Astro Boy, who acts as a navigator for visitors, sits atop the tip of the ammonite, pointing in the direction of Awaji Island, Hyōgo, where Pasona is headquartered. The pavilion's concept is 'Thank You, Life,' with exhibits spread over three zones: Body, Mind/Bonds, and History of Life. 'Tree of Life Evolution' is an exhibit expressing the potential of humans, the magnificence of nature, and the dynamics of evolution. An unmissable exhibit in the Body Zone features a real, beating heart crafted from induced pluripotent stem cells. The Pasona Natureverse is located in the West Gate Zone. ( See the official map for details.) The Pasona Natureverse. (© ) (© ) (© ) (Originally published in Japanese. Reporting and text by Uchiyama Ken'ichi and . Photographic assistance by Kuroiwa Masakazu of 96-Box. Banner photo © .)
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
From Takadanobaba to Shinjuku: Schools, Culture, and Wild Nightlife on Tokyo's West Side
A Walk around the Yamanote Line Walking from Takadanobaba to Shinjuku, youth is the name of the game, with youngsters attending the many local schools, hunting for bargains at Korean Town, or enjoying Kabukichō's bright lights. But don't forget that many traces of an older past are scattered all over the area. Takadanobaba is where I enter the home stretch of my walk around the Yamanote Line. From here to Shibuya, my final goal, this is my home turf, an area full of memories and personal connections. Yet, it hardly feels like a homecoming. Unfortunately, the district has changed so much that I hardly recognize it. Granted, when I get off the train, I'm still welcomed by the Astro Boy (known in Japan as Tetsuwan Atomu) theme song that's been used since 2003 as a departure melody for trains on these platforms. However, the atmosphere along Waseda-dōri, the station's main commercial street, is utterly different. The stations on the Yamanote line stations loop. (© Pixta) Located close to Waseda and Gakushūin universities and several other vocational and training schools, Takadanobaba is still a favorite student hangout. Over time, though, it has become a little trendier, a little pricier, and a lot blander. Thirty years ago, it had more character, starting with the tacky steel arcades on the north side of the street. There, one could find cheap diners and bars catering to penniless students, secondhand shops where I hunted for old books and video games, and two wonderful art theaters showing both Japanese and foreign films. Nearly all that is gone. Once the area's lone example of corporate shopping and dining, the Big Box commercial center is now surrounded by scores of chain stores. From mobile phone dealers to cafes and fast food joints, they are all over the place. Even the secondhand game shop I loved was replaced by Suit Select, which is happy to provide you with an order-made suit ready in 10 days for just ¥45,000! Big Box is one of Takadanobaba's oldest landmarks. (© Gianni Simone) Constantly changing, inexorably replacing the old with the new, the up-to-date, the money-making convenient, Tokyo is the best demonstration of Marcel Proust's dictum that you can never really get back time lost. To me, no other place drives home this painful fact with more bittersweet poignancy than Takadanobaba. Now, every visit I make becomes an incomplete, deeply unsatisfying stroll along memory lane, a missed chance to reconnect with my younger self. But I haven't lost all my hopes. The mom-and-pop ping pong joint is still there, hidden in an alley north of the station, and the Waseda Shōchiku cinema, which first opened in 1951, keeps showing cheap double-bills. Human traffic, as usual, is decidedly young, though near the station, hidden underground, there are bars and eateries targeting salarymen and other working people. It's like they don't want to attract the students' attention. By the way, if you are tired of the ubiquitous chain restaurants, Takadanobaba is home to several excellent Burmese diners providing simple, tasty, hearty dishes. Takadanobaba is famous for its many Burmese eateries. (© Gianni Simone) Speaking of Asian cuisine, our next stop has plenty of it. Nowadays, Shin-Ōkubo is mainly associated with Korean Town, and the hordes of Japanese youngsters and foreign tourists who clog its streets every day are mainly there to taste the latest colorful Korean snacks and buy Korean cosmetics. Food lovers converge on Shin-Ōkubo's Korean Town on a daily basis. (© Gianni Simone) However, on the west side of the Yamanote Line, a completely different kind of Asian experience awaits you, as the Korean places are easily overwhelmed by Vietnamese, Nepalese and other Asian shops and restaurants lining up on both sides of the street. It's a different world that looks and smells like no other place in Tokyo. So next time people tell you how homogeneous and monocultural Japan is, take them to Shin-Ōkubo. Walking around Shin-Ōkubo doesn't even feel like being in Japan. (© Gianni Simone) Now, the east side is a different story. You will need to walk some 15 to 20 minutes and get away from the Yamanote's acoustic footprints, but it's worth the trip, at least if you are interested in Tokyo's deep history. Tokyo has many danchi (public housing complexes), but Toyama Heights is arguably the only one located inside the loop. It is also one of the first and largest such projects in Tokyo. Initially constructed in 1948 on a former military site as a response to the postwar housing shortage, the original 1,062 structures were wooden, single-story houses. However, over the years, the area underwent significant redevelopment, and between 1968 and 1976, the complex was rebuilt into high-rise buildings made of reinforced concrete. Toyama Heights is one of the more successful examples of danchi in Tokyo. (© Gianni Simone) Coming from Takadanobaba, even before reaching the danchi, we find Toyama Park, a significant green area in the district. Once the residence of members of the Tokugawa clan whose garden was one of the best in Edo, even rivaling Koishikawa Kōrakuen, it was later used by the military, becoming a shooting range and the site of the Army Toyama School. Today, Toyama Park is a rare green oasis in the heart of Tokyo. The park has been left to gently go wild, creating just a few little rough touches here and there that add a certain charm you won't find in Yoyogi or other central Tokyo public parks. Toyama Park is a rare green oasis in the heart of Tokyo. (© Gianni Simone) Toyama Park is bisected by the major thoroughfare Meiji-dōri, and its inner, or eastern, half is a little jewel of unpretentious, quiet beauty. Although this area is more centrally located than the Yamanote stations, it has a suburban, almost rural feel. When I visited the park in the middle of a lazy weekday afternoon, the only people I crossed paths with were elementary school kids going home and pram-pushing moms. I sat on a bench to write down a few notes and the only sounds I could hear were small birds chirping, an impatient crow calling out his gang, and the subtle murmur of tree branches. If you are still hungry for unique landmarks, here you will find Hakone-yama, an artificial hill that, standing at 44.6 meters above sea level, is the highest nonstructural point within the Yamanote Line area. (Atagoyama, in Minato, remains the highest naturally occurring point.) However, to me, the district's most striking feature is Toyama Heights itself. While some of the buildings show their age and the whole complex looks rather dreary and lacks aesthetic charm, they are clean, with manicured lawns and walls unmarred by graffiti. In sharp contrast to the ominous atmosphere that pervades similar places in Europe and America, children play freely, the streets are immaculate, and gangs and drug dealers are nowhere to be seen. (Those things may be easier to find a little southward, in Shinjuku.) As one of Tokyo's main subcenters (it also features the world's most trafficked station), Shinjuku is many things all at once: a shopping Mecca, a sexual playground, and a cultural and intellectual enclave, so much so that one would need to write a whole book to do the place justice. Entering the district from the north, sex—or at least the titillating promise of it—is what you encounter. Welcome to Kabukichō, Japan's largest red-light district. In a city where streetwalkers are far from the norm, the area around Ōkubo Park has long been known as a spot where prostitutes solicit customers, many of them being very young runaways coming from around Japan. There is quite a lot of human traffic during the day, and after a while, you start wondering whether that blonde-dyed girl with the impossibly short miniskirt is just meeting her friends or on her way to some kind of naughty work. There are plenty of love hotels and host clubs here, but under the harsh glare of the midday sun, the place looks particularly drab, unremarkable, and unappealing. It's only when the sun goes down and the lights go up that Kabukichō turns into a riot of colors, a sleepless playground devoted to the neon god. At night the entrance to the Kabukichō district promises glitzy good times. (© Pixta) And to think that Shinjuku used to be a hotbed of student protests and political turmoil; a place where artists and intellectuals gathered to change the world, or at least Japanese culture. So, I leave behind the recent news stories and dive into deep time to look for traces of the past. Starting at the square in front of the station's east exit, we find a very old fountain, a gift from the city of London, where it once provided water for both people and horses. The round building just behind it is the station's parking lot. Both of them can be clearly seen in a rare color scene about halfway through Ōshima Nagisa's 1969 film Diary of a Shinjuku Thief. Not far from there, on Shinjuku-dōri, no history of local architecture would be complete without mentioning the Kinokuniya Bookstore main building (1964). Being squeezed between other lesser buildings, it's easy to overlook, but for more than 60 years it's been the heart of the local cultural scene. Shinjuku used to be full of jazz cafes and clubs, and one of the most famous was Fūgetsudō, where in the late sixties all the rebels and arty people used to gather. Here you could find poets such as Takiguchi Shūzō, Shiraishi Kazuko, and Tanikawa Shuntarō, actors like Mikuni Rentarō and Kishida Kyōko, and of course all-round creator and enfant terrible Terayama Shūji. Then, from the late 1960s onward, more and more hippies made their appearance, selling and doing marijuana and LSD. Unfortunately, the place was closed in 1973, so I find refuge and rest my feet at the retro-looking L'ambre, whose location is very close to the old Fūgetsudō. Here I can still enjoy a whiff of old-time café culture, albeit in a more domesticated, bourgeois atmosphere. L'ambre's retro atmosphere is a reminder of Shinjuku's roaring sixties. (© Gianni Simone) (Originally written in English. Banner photo: The Shin-Ōkubo district provides a Korean flavor to Tokyo travelers. © Pixta.)
Asahi Shimbun
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asahi Shimbun
Rintaro wins top prize at Tezuka Osamu manga awards
An illustration drawn by Rintaro to mark his winning of the Manga Grand Prix at the 29th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, left, and the cover illustration for his winning title, 'Ichi-byo Nijuyon-koma no Boku no Jinsei' (Provided by Rintaro and Kawade Shobo Shinsha Ltd.) 'Ichi-byo Nijuyon-koma no Boku no Jinsei' (My life at 24 frames per second), an autobiographical manga by famed anime director Rintaro, won the Manga Grand Prix at the 29th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. Sponsored by The Asahi Shimbun Co., the competition honors 'Astro Boy' creator Osamu Tezuka and the indelible mark he left on Japan's manga culture. The logo of the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize featuring Atom, the main character of 'Astro Boy' ((c) Tezuka Productions) The Originality Prize, given for fresh talent and novel modes of expression, went to Shiho Kido, who authored 'When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom.' The Short Story Prize was given to Shunji Enomoto's 'The Kinks.' The Asahi Special Prize went to the Yokote City Masuda Manga Art Foundation, a general incorporated association that operates the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum in Yokote, Akita Prefecture. The awards ceremony will be held at the leading daily's Tokyo head office in the Tsukiji area on June 5. Each winner will receive a bronze statuette. The winner of the Manga Grand Prix will also take home a 2-million-yen ($14,000) prize, while the Originality, Short Story and Asahi Special Prize winners will each receive 1 million yen. Manga titles published or released in Japan in 2024 were eligible for the awards. Rintaro is an anime director who has movies such as 'Galaxy Express 999,' 'Genma Taisen (Harmagedon)' and 'Metropolis' under his belt. After working on a Japan-France joint project, he was approached to make an autobiographical anime in the European country. After six years in the making, it came to fruition as a manga originally released by a publisher in the French-speaking world under the title of 'Ma Vie en 24 Images par Second' (My life at 24 frames per second). The Japanese edition was published by Kawade Shobo Shinsha Ltd. 'I decided to take on the project thinking that nothing could scare me, but when I started working on it, I remembered various scenes of my life like a revolving lantern of memories,' Rintaro said. 'It was a fun experience.' After starting out as an animator, Rintaro made a career switch to become a director while working on 'Astro Boy,' Japan's first animated TV series, which aired in 1963 and featured a robot boy named Atom. 'Mr. Tezuka was a great manga artist, but for me, he was the chief who worked together with staff members on 'Astro Boy' without sleep,' he recalled. 'When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom' is Kido's first series published by Kodansha Ltd. It portrays creators of 'art brut' (raw art), or art made outside the mainstream forms of expression, and their supporters through a peculiar relationship between two elementary school pupils, one being a model student and the other an eccentric one. Also released by Kodansha, 'The Kinks' is the first family-centered comedy series for Enomoto, whose works are filled with 'erotic, grotesque and nonsensical' elements. The Yokote City Masuda Manga Art Foundation is among the first to conserve manga manuscripts to pass down the manga culture to future generations. Opening in 1995, the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum currently houses more than 480,000 original drawings. (This story was written by Atsushi Ohara and Takumi Terui.)
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
SkySet entertainment announces Blu-ray release of Tezuka's 1983 anime 'A Time Slip of 10000 Years: Prime Rose' with english dub
SkySet Entertainment has announced that it will release a remastered edition of Osamu Tezuka 's 1983 anime special A Time Slip of 10000 Years: Prime Rose on Blu-ray Disc, complete with an English dub. Scheduled for release on June 14, 2025, this will mark the anime's first-ever North American release, making it a significant event for both Tezuka fans and anime enthusiasts in the region. A fresh look at Tezuka's timeless anime classic Based on Tezuka's Prime Rose manga serialized in Weekly Shōnen Champion from 1982 to 1983, A Time Slip of 10000 Years: Prime Rose is set in a dystopian future where powerful forces collide. A destructive entity known as Death Mask hurls Kujukuri City, Japan, and Dallas, Texas, 10,000 years into the future, transforming them into brutal battlegrounds. The story follows Gai Tanbara, a hero determined to defeat Death Mask and restore order to time itself. Along the way, Gai forms an alliance with Emiya, a fierce warrior committed to reclaiming her city. Together, they face the grim realities of a shattered world. A Time Slip of 10000 Years english dub cast For the Blu-ray release, SkySet Entertainment has assembled a talented English voice cast to bring the characters of A Time Slip of 10000 Years: Prime Rose to life. The cast includes: KyLeigh Zimmerer as Emiya Tachi Jacob Eiseman as Gai Tanbara Christina Costello as Bunretsu Tanbara David Wald as Pilar John Swasey as Jinba by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Additional cast members include Bryan Massey, Bradley Gareth, and others. The English dub will be directed by Phebe Fabacher, with Hayden Davis as the engineer. The adaptation was handled by Kym Rose, and Ralph Villegas oversaw the timecoding. Special Blu-ray features for fans The Blu-ray edition of A Time Slip of 10000 Years: Prime Rose will include a host of special features, providing fans with an in-depth look at the creation of the anime. These features include: English dub outtakes Interviews with the English voice cast Staff commentary Pre-production sketches from Tezuka Productions Trailer videos These bonus features will allow viewers to explore the making of the anime, offering insight into the production process and the challenges of adapting Tezuka's iconic work into an English-language version. Tezuka's influence on anime and manga Osamu Tezuka, widely known as the "God of Manga," revolutionized both the manga and anime industries with his iconic creations. His works, including Astro Boy, Black Jack, Jungle Emperor Leo, Princess Knight, Phoenix, and more, are considered foundational to the medium. In addition to his pioneering manga, Tezuka's studio, Mushi Production, was instrumental in the creation of Astro Boy, Japan's first animated series, which set the stage for the anime industry as we know it today. Release information: Where to watch and buy The Blu-ray release of A Time Slip of 10000 Years: Prime Rose will be available for purchase starting June 14, 2025. Fans can pre-order the Blu-ray from various North American retailers and streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video. This release offers a rare opportunity to experience a lesser-known gem from the masterful Osamu Tezuka, and with the English dub, it makes the anime accessible to a wider audience. For more information on A Time Slip of 10000 Years: Prime Rose and upcoming Tezuka releases, stay tuned to official announcements from SkySet Entertainment.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
15 Great Kids' Movies You Can Stream on Amazon Prime
Sometimes, it feels like deciding what to watch on family movie night takes longer than watching the actual film does — especially if you don't feel like paying to rent or buy something. To cut down on your decision-making, we sifted through all the family movies on Prime and found the best of the best that everyone will enjoy. Year: 2024Runtime: 1h 44minDirector: John KrasinskiA combination of live-action and animation, this movie tells the story of Bea, a young girl who realizes she can see forgotten imaginary friends and decides to reconnect them with their kids. Not only was it written and directed by John Krasinski, but there are also other A-listers involved too: Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carrell, Awkwafina, and Maya Rudolph, among many more. P.S.: In case you didn't put it together before, IF stands for 'imaginary friends.'Watch on Prime Video: IF Year: 2009Runtime: 1h 30minDirector: David BowersInspired by a manga series with the same name, this animated sci-fi movie is set in the 22nd-century, a time when humans and robots coexist. After his son Toby dies in an accident, Dr. Tenma builds a robot named Astro to replace him. Instead of becoming a member of the family, Astro is disowned because nothing can ever truly replace Tony. The robot ends up on a journey to discover who he truly is, and he even ends up teaming up with Dr. Tenma to take down the evil President on Prime Video: Astro Boy Year: 2000Runtime: 1h 15minDirector: Paul Demeyer, Stig BergqvistConsidering this movie is 25 years old, it's possible you watched it when you were a kid. But it's more than just a nostalgic watch — your family will enjoy experiencing Paris from babies' points of view, laughing at the slapstick comedy, and feeling all the feels over the heartwarming story of young Chuckie Finster trying to find his new on Prime Video: Rugrats in Paris: The Movie Year: 2023Runtime: 1h 29minDirector: Aaron Horvath, Michael JelenicIs there a more iconic duo out there than Mario and Luigi? Anyone who's seen this would disagree. Based on the Super Mario game series, the movie follows the Brooklyn brothers as they fix a water main and then magically end up in Mushroom Kingdom. What follows is an action-packed adventure that will leave your kids begging for the latest Nintendo on Prime Video: The Super Mario Bros. Movie Year: 2003Runtime: 1h 23minDirector: Kevin LimaWhat kid hasn't dreamt about living in a hotel and causing a ruckus? Yours can live vicariously through Eloise, a 6-year-old created by Kay Thompson who calls a penthouse in the Plaza Hotel home. Although her nanny is responsible for keeping her in line, when a prince comes to New York, she ends up playing matchmaker at a debutante on Prime Video: Eloise at the Plaza Year: 2017Runtime: 1h 31minDirector: Alberto RodríguezAn animated film showcasing loyalty and heart, it's named after the main character, Ozzy the beagle. When his owners go to a comic festival in Japan, he's left at a luxury dog spa — that's not actually a spa, but instead a prison. In order to reunite with his family, he forms an alliance with other prisoners and together they make a brave plan to on Prime Video: Ozzy Year: 2005Runtime: 1h 22minDirector: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrathAt Central Park Zoo, Alex the lion is the main attraction — which is exactly how he likes it. Thanks to Marty the zebra and some penguins, he and his other friends end up part of an adventure they never asked for on the island of (you guessed it) Madagascar. It's a beloved animated film that still holds up 20 years after being released. Warning: Don't watch if you don't want 'I Like to Move It' stuck in your head for the next on Prime Video: Madagascar Year: 2016Runtime: 1h 30minDirector: Trevor Wall, Anthony BellA polar bear with the ability to talk to humans, Norm has always been the odd one out. When a real estate developer decides to build luxury condos in the Arctic, he has to use this unique ability to save his home. This movie tackles the theme of environmentalism as simply as it can, while also showing kids how to overcome on Prime Video: Norm of the North Year: 2007Runtime: 1h 17minDirector: Howard E. Baker, John Fox, Kyung Ho LeeIf you want to watch Finding Nemo or Shark Tale but don't feel like paying for either, try Shark Bait, which is basically a combination of the two. After losing his parents to a fishing boat in the Boston Harbor, Pi moves to a Caribbean reef with his aunt Pearl. There, he falls for an angelfish named Cordelia, who Tony the shark just so happens to have a thing for. After angering him, Pi starts training for a showdown in order to defend the entire reef from their on Prime Video: Shark Bait Year: 2017Runtime: 1h 33minDirector: Jayson ThiessenMy Little Pony came to life in 1983, and it's still just as relevant today. In the 2017 franchise film, alicorn Twilight Sparkle is on a mission to save Equestria from evil with five of her pony friends and her dragon friend/assistant. What is this evil, you may be wondering? Unicorn Tempest Shadow, voiced by Emily Blunt, and the Storm King, voiced by Liev Schreiber. Other big names include Kristin Chenoweth, Sia, Taye Diggs, and Uzo on Prime Video: My Little Pony: The Movie Year: 2022Runtime: 1h 42minDirector: Joel Crawford, Januel P. MercadoThey say cats have nine lives, but what happens when they're down to their last one? When you're Puss in Boots, you go on a hunt for the Last Wish of the fallen Wishing Star — alongside every other fairy tale character — to have them restored. Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Florence Pugh, and John Mulaney all lent their voices to the sixth installment of the Shrek on Prime Video: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Year: 2022Runtime: 1h 23minDirector: Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson, Jonathan del ValTaking place before the three Despicable Me films but after the first Minions, this comedy follows Gru as an 11-year-old in 1976. With big dreams to become a supervillain, he hires the Minions to be a part of his team and then receives an audition to join the Vicious 6, a supervillain team looking to replace their founder. What happens next is, unsurprisingly, chaos — which is exactly what we all love about the Despicable Me on Prime Video: Minions: The Rise of Gru Year: 2014Runtime: 1h 26minDirector: Eric Darnell, Simon J. SmithIf you thought the best part of the Madagascar series was the penguins, you're going to love this film. The villain is a Giant Pacific octopus named Dave, who has vowed to get revenge on all Adélie penguins after Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, and Private upstaged him at the Central Park Zoo. The foursome works with the North Wind intelligence agency to help prevent their capture and, naturally, all kinds of shenanigans ensue. Watch on Prime Video: Penguins of Madagascar Year: 2015Runtime: 1h 27minDirector: Alexs StandermannAfter Buzzlina Von Beena steals the Queen's royal jelly, which she needs to survive, Maya finds out and is subsequently banished from their hive. Her best friend Willy joins her, and when the hornets are falsely blamed for the theft, they join forces with a young hornet named Sting to get the jelly back and bring Buzzlina to on Prime Video: Maya the Bee Year: 2011Runtime: 1h 31minDirector: John SchultzFeeling nostalgic for the good old days? Consider going back in time with Judy Moody. She and her friends are competing to see who has the best summer, and because her parents left her with her younger brother Stink and aunt Opal, she's in dead last. Her luck starts to change when she joins Stink on a hunt for Bigfoot, however — even though they never find on Prime Video: Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer These 15 Kids' Storage Beds Have Hidden Depths I Tried 8 Baby Food and Kids' Meal Delivery Services — Here Are the Best of the Bunch The Best Zipper Sheets to Solve the Worst Bed-Making Task
