imagine-nation - Season 5 / Year 2013

Main Feature: The Animation Movie "ONE PIECE film Z"

We delve into the allure of ONE PIECE, particularly ONE PIECE film Z, which premiered in Japanese cinemas on December 15th! It's the first feature-length anime based on this manga series in three years. 

ONE PIECE has been one of Japan's most spectacularly successful and well-known manga series, selling 360 million copies so far. The first editions of Vol. 64-66 each sold about 4 million copies, and Vol. 67 notched up a figure of 4.05 million! It has set new records in Japan. This manga has been translated and sold in some thirty countries, while animated editions have aired in more than forty. 

ONE PIECE film Z is the 12th feature-length anime based on this series. And what a lavish work it is! Eiichiro Oda, the creator of ONE PIECE, was in charge of overall production, while the director was Tatsuya Nagamine of TOEI Animation, who was trying his hand at the ONE PIECE series for the first time. The screenplay was by Osamu Suzuki, an avid fan of ONE PIECE, while Avril Lavigne provided the theme song.

We are one of the first to tell the world about ONE PIECE film Z, which is bound to be a huge hit! 

Creator's interview: Atsushi Takahashi Japanese Animation Director

Atsushi Takahashi spent time at Studio Ghibli before working as one of the producers of Hajime no Ippo. He has been involved in the production of numerous animated TV series, cinema productions, and direct-release videos, including NASU: SUMMER IN ANDALUCIA. Takahashi debuted as a director in the RIDEBACK television series. He earned acclaim for his attention to detail in the direction of Blue Exorcist, which was released in Japanese cinemas in December 2012.

Main Feature: Idol Simulation Game&Animation"Aikatsu!"

THE IDOLM@STER debuted in game arcades in 2005, and became phenomenally popular after it shifted over to Xbox 360® in 2007. It is a simulation game where the player sets about turning budding artists into idols of the entertainment industry. Not only the game but CDs featuring IDOLM@STER characters and other merchandise have generated huge sales, and have created a sensation, particularly among the young male "Akihabara" types. 
Namco Bandai Games, which is behind the phenomenal success of THE IDOLM@STER, has since rolled out Aikatsu! a simulation game for girls relying on collectible cards in its data carddass (DCD) series. It is a game where all entertainers rely on cards. The budding female artists in Aikatsu! use them to promote themselves for auditions. The game in many ways mirrors what is happening in the Japanese entertainment industry today. 
Could this blend of anime, game software, books, clothing, food products and other merchandise become an international hit? 


Creator's interview: Shigeru Okada Japanese Stop motion animator

Shigeru Okada is a stop motion animator who eschews computer graphics, relying instead on origami or the Japanese art of paper folding. What started off as a pastime has turned into a full-time job. He is responsible for many amazing productions. A single production can sometimes require more than 15 hours of work each day over a 3 month period. The interest in origami outside of Japan has helped generate a lot of foreign comment about Okada's online animated clips.