![]() One thing I did back in the day was about seaweed farming and I had never thought about seaweed farming at all. I’m always surprised by things from Japanese history, mythology, and culture. Īcross the research you’ve done for the comic, what Japanese cultural elements have personally surprised you the most? They did a lot more research than I thought they would and I’m very happy with it even just the fact that they have the yokai in it because I love that portion of Japanese folklore. Japan has such a strong tradition of yokai as the monsters that shape its mythology and not only have the more horrific, like the tengu, but also the really goofy ones. The themes of honor and loyalty are in the series as well as the Samurai Rabbit series, but they also brought in all the mythological elements of the folklore, like the yokai, which is great. With all the research into Japanese history and culture that you’ve done for the Usagi Yojimbo comic, what are you personally glad to see has translated over to the animated series? I should say that Samurai Rabbit has been doing great, within the Top 10 around the world, #3 in the US, and #1 in several other countries so we’re very happy with that. That’s actually a little older than what most animation is geared for because I was told, by the time a child turns six, they’ve already moved on to video games. There’s always been a separation and the animation is geared for a much younger audience, the demographics are from six to twelve years old. ![]() Has being a big part in the production of Samurai Rabbit influenced how you’ve approached making the Usagi Yojimbo comics or has there always been a separation? I wasn’t aware of the level of detail getting in animation and it was neat. I had to approve things like the look of broccoli because Usagi’s aunt has a farm where she grows broccoli so I had to approve the broccoli designs and the rocks around it. The story came together nicely and I’ve interacted every step of the way with the talent, whether it be story or talent or even props, I was very much involved with everything. Khang Le, who did the production artwork and design, is just phenomenal. ![]() With Gaumont, Gaumont is the oldest film in the world and we’ve got them and their US division behind us. Now, we’ve got streaming services and that was something we did not have when we were looking for an Usagi TV series or a movie, that’s a big thing. What was it about this particular production that made this project special?Įverything just came together. ![]() It feels great, I’ve come so close so many times to have a TV series or feature film about Usagi and some of the people involved were A-listers in Hollywood, however, it never made it to this point so it was great to see him on the screen. Stan Sakai: Well, my Usagi isn’t the star, it’s his descendant that stars, however, my Usagi does make frequent appearances. Popverse: Stan, after all these years, how is it finally seeing Usagi Yojimbo star in Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles on Netflix? In an interview with PopVerse, Sakai shares his involvement in helping bring Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles to life, reflects on Usagi Yojimbo’s extensive comic book history, and teases where the ronin rabbit is up to next in his continuing adventures. Created by Sakai in 1984, the comic is set in a feudal Japan populated by anthropomorphized animals, with the honorable swordsman Miyamoto Usagi wandering the country and defending the oppressed.Īs Sakai crafts new tales for the character, with the classic Usagi Yojimbo stories receiving full color volumes from IDW Publishing, the series has been adapted into an original animated series on Netflix, Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, following the adventures of Usagi’s distant descendant Yuichi Usagi and his friends. ![]() For nearly 40 years, Eisner Award-winning comic book creator Stan Sakai has written and illustrated acclaimed samurai stories in his comic book series Usagi Yojimbo. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |