Indie and offbeat, the little-known side of Japanese animation



Caro’s Choice: “On Gaku our rock” – 20 minutes

  • “On Gaku notre rock” is an adaptation of a manga by Hiroyuki Ohashi.
  • Director Kenji Iwaisawa created it almost on his own with the help of amateur artists and crowdfunding.
  • This original film won awards at the Ottawa and Annecy festivals.

On Gaku our rock, it’s animation that moves! A bunch of friends throw a band there and make the spectator want to dance with them. Eurozoom, which had released Lupine III The Third last October, once again demonstrates his very sure taste in Japanese anime with this excellent surprise rewarded at
Ottawa and in Annecy.

Seven years of work

For his first feature film, Kenji iwaisawa did not choose the easy way. The director decided to bring to the screen a self-published manga by
Hiroyuki ohashi deemed unsuitable. Like the mangaka who served as his model, the filmmaker made his film alone, only surrounded by a handful of amateur artists. Seven years of work were necessary to obtain the 40,000 illustrations that make up the film.

Simplicity and complexity

A clean design and complex decorations bring an original aesthetic to an atypical work. “I wanted to respect the very simple line of the manga,” specifies Iwaisawa-san in the press kit. But we got involved in more complex sets to counterbalance the rudimentary aspect of the characters, a story that the spectators never tire of. »Rotoscoping (a technique consisting of filming in real shots and then redrawing over it) brings an incredible vitality to this work full of humor.

An unknown Japan

On Gaku our rock benefited from a crowdfunding campaign that saw the light of day because the director had spent all his money on the project. With the support of the author of the manga, he brought together everything to benefit from total freedom to set in motion this quirky universe where red-crested punks, bald flute player and rock fans introduce an unknown Japan of the Westerners.

Anime for all tastes

Lovers of Japanese animation will be rubbing their hands and taking in their eyes when theaters reopen this Wednesday. Besides our favorite On-Gaku: Our rock, two other interesting works can fulfill their wishes. Violet Evergarden by Taichi Ishidate and Demon Slayer – Kimetsu No Yaiba – The Infinity Train by Haruo Sotazaki will also be available in cinemas throughout France. The first screened in special sessions, the second exclusively available in the CGR circuit. These two films from very popular franchises will delight fans delighted to find heroes who are dear to them on the big screen.



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