Baku Yumemakura's novel "Mountains of the Gods" (Shueisha Bunko/Kadokawa Bunko) won the 11th Shibata Renzaburo Award in 1998. Taniguchi Jiro's manga adaptation of the same work, "Kamigami no Yamamine" (Shueisha Bunko), also won the Excellence Award in the Manga Division of the 5th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2001, and both are legendary works that continue to be loved today as representative works of the author. He was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. The manga version of "Mt. Gods" was made into an animated film after an enthusiastic offer from the French animation industry. Before his death, Mr. Taniguchi visited France twice to participate in the production. The big project to animate the Japanese manga masterpiece in France took seven years to complete and was officially screened at the 74th Cannes International Film Festival. The film tackles one of the greatest mysteries in mountaineering history: "Did the climber Mallory succeed in making the first ascent of Mount Everest? The film depicts a lone climber, Hanyu, and his cameraman, Fukamachi, as they attempt an oxygen-free solo ascent of the southwest face of Mount Everest in winter, which is considered impossible, while also approaching the greatest mystery in the history of mountaineering: "Did the climber Mallory succeed in reaching the summit of Mount Everest? The production team of the animated film "Wolf Walker" pursues the realism of the life-threatening climbing scenes. The film has been screened in over 300 theaters in France and has been a huge hit with over 130,000 viewers. Netflix has acquired the rights to distribute the film worldwide. In Japan, the film was released on a rare screen. Only in Japan, the country of the film's original release, will the film be screened in a dubbed version with a cast of splendid voice actors. The dubbed voice of Brad Pitt, as well as that of Fukamachi Makoto, will be played by Horiuchi Masao, known for his work in animated films such as "Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ" and "Pokémon". The lone climber Joji Hanyu will be voiced by Akio Otsuka, known from anime such as "Ghost in the Shell" and "Black Jack" as well as Snake from the world-famous "Metal Gear Solid" video game series. Ryota Osaka of "Oni no Kane" fame plays Buntaro, Hanyu's junior, and Asami Imai plays Ryoko, who holds a clue to Hanyu's whereabouts. The poster depicts Fukamachi and Hanyu biting down on a steep snow-covered mountain. The white breath from their mouths and the majestic white mountain range in the background suggest that they are on Mount Everest. The copy, "The Ultimate Adventure Mystery Begins," is a very uplifting touch to the film. The special feature begins with the words, "The greatest mystery in the history of mountaineering," as the mountaineer Mallory takes on the challenge of Everest. The film begins with the image of the mountaineer Mallory attempting to climb Mount Everest with the words, "The greatest mystery in the history of mountaineering," and the still unsolved mystery that Mallory may have made the first ascent of Mount Everest. When cameraman Fukamachi witnesses a lone climber, Hanyu, who is said to have disappeared years ago in Nepal, leave with Mallory's camera in hand, he decides to find him and find out the mystery. The last part of the film also offers a glimpse of the visual beauty of the extreme snowy mountain world on an overwhelming scale. Mountains of the Gods" will be released at Shinjuku Piccadilly, Human Trust Cinema Yurakucho, and other theaters nationwide from July 8, 2012. (C) Le Sommet des Dieux - 2021 / Julianne Films / Folivari / Melusine Productions / France 3 Cinema / Aura Cinema
【Background】
・Graduated from Kyoto University with a major in Japanese Culture Studies, Faculty of Letters
・After graduation, worked 4 years as editor and proofreader for a print magazine specializing in traditional performing arts and culture
・Became a freelance journalist in 2021 and launched japanculturean.com in 2022
【Expertise】
・Pop-Culture Fusion Analysis
Analytical commentary on how modern pop-culture media (anime, film, fashion) incorporates and reinterprets traditional Japanese motifs.
