A Question About the Harlock CG Film Team and a Thought on Kei Yuki
Here’s a report from the animation festival at Annecy (in French, because Annecy is in France) on the Harlock project that’s coming out god knows when.
Footage is from the promo pilot, which we’ve already seen around but in worse quality… Anyway, let me present the crew working on the project (as stated in the articles here and here). All of this is old news, but I wanted to bring it up here because I know very little about these people so any information or thoughts about them would be much appreciated.
The Team
Director: Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed, Appleseed Ex Machina)
Producer: Yoshiyuki Ikezawa (Lovely Complex)
Producer: Joseph Cho (Halo Legends)
Screenwriter: Harutoshi Fukui (wrote Gundam Unicorn)
Character designer: Yutaka Minowa (Ninja Scroll movie, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Devil May Cry: The Animated Series)
Mechanical designer: Atsushi Takeuchi (Appleseed, Halo Legends, Ghost in the Shell)
Aramaki, Cho and Takeuchi have worked together on a number of Appleseed projects and on Halo Legends. Cho assisted in production of Appleseed Ex Machina and Aramaki was creative director for Halo Legends, which was produced by Cho.
Minowa, by the way, has also worked extensively as key animator and animation director. Takeuchi has worked on everything under the sun, from Evangelion to Cromartie High School.
I get the feeling I saw some Appleseed eons ago but I can’t remember it at all. Any thoughts on these men and how they may fare here?
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The footage we’ve seen so far presents a badass Kei Yuki (she’s the blonde in pink). The original Kei Yuki is not this badass I think. I am immediately reminded of the live-action Yamato, where they badassified Yuki Mori too. The leap isn’t as great here, since Kei Yuki is a already a combatant in the original and the 3rd ranking member of the Arcadia (and considering #2 Yattaran is often AWOL, she’s almost de facto second only to Harlock) but she simply isn’t oozing out self-confidence like she is in this footage. The concept worked for Mori (though they kind of botched the execution of it in the film) and I’m starting to think it will work well here too.
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P.S. There are reports from Annecy Leiji intends to do a new Harlock series after the film is done?!
Kritik der Animationskraft 
Just my opinion here. Aside from Megazone 23, I can’t say I’m a fan of Aramaki’s directing ability. The guy is MANLY man, for better or worse. Love the mechanical designs, power suits, veritechs, the Garland. In Appleseed, he made Shirow’s Landmates come to life. But I think the story also suffered in many ways. The banter between Bri and Deunan disappeared, probably because they didn’t want to deal with characterization in an action-oriented movie).
The problem and fear I have is when a MANLY man like Aramaki is put in charge of a work like Harlock, a character who IMO embodies the feminine side of the hero, who is really quite a fragile character. Written by Matsumoto, a man who spent a great deal of his early career dabbling in shoujo manga.
Enter in, like you mentioned, the “badassification” of Harlock and Yuki. It will certainly be different. But I’m looking forward to it.
Thanks!
Well, looking at the pilot everything you say makes sense. Harlock looks like he’s on 400% testosterone and Yuki is ready to whoop some serious butt. Then again, Matsumoto is very protective of his creations so he and Aramaki must have come to an understanding already. Now I am dying to know what the film crew for live-action Galaxy Express 999 will be like, and of course who’ll be starring.