After the manga guest of honor and the music guest of honor, today we focus on a flagship license of Japanese animation. And not just any… A series that celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year: Cowboy Bebop !
Produced in 1998 by the Sunrise studio, Cowboy Bebop is a true jewel of Japanese animation. With a unique atmosphere, charismatic characters, a staging and a breathtaking soundtrack, it is a work in its own right that has marked the minds of those who have had the chance to see it. Combining western and science fiction, dark atmosphere and offbeat humor, this work is filled with cultural references that will touch both film lovers and lovers of Japanese animation.
Synopsis of the series
The future. Wars and pollution have made life too painful on a now overpopulated Earth. Humans abandoned their blue planet and spread throughout the solar system, in search of new frontiers. The time has come for humanity to colonize space. Thus was born a new Wild West in which modern pioneers created a very cosmopolitan society. A new era has begun. We are in the year 2071. Spike Spiegel and Jet Black, perpetually broke bounty hunters, wander in space according to their missions and in a rather "seventies" atmosphere. From planet to planet, they go after the most wanted criminals. No matter the danger, it's the amount of the premium that counts! Faye Valentine is a charm scammer. A little cheating and a little thief, she comes to spice up the lives of both men. (Source: Japan Expo)
And to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series, no less than 5 staff members will honor us with their presence Japan Expo 2018!
Toshihiro KAWAMOTO, the chara-designer of the series
Toshihiro KAWAMOTO is an animator and chara-designer, originally from Mie Prefecture. He made his debut as an intervallist on Urusei Yatsura in 1985.
He then became a key animator on Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ in 1986, then Venus Wars in 1989. He then became animation supervisor on Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket and did his first chara-design work on Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory in 1990.
In 1998, he participated in the foundation of the animation studio BONES INC. Since then he has mainly worked on projects of this studio. His most iconic works – among many others – are Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory and Cowboy Bebop.
Recently, he worked on Noragami ARAGOTO and Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond.
Masahiko MINAMI, the producer of the series
Masahiko MINAMI was born in 1961 and is also from Mie Prefecture. He joined the Sunrise studio in 1984 and worked as a producer on Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Vision d'Escaflowne, Cowboy Bebop and many other projects.
In 1998, he founded the animation studio BONES INC.where he participated in hits such as Wolf's Rain, Fullmetal Alchemist and Eureka Seven.
Keiko NOBUMOTO, the writer of the series
Keiko NOBUMOTO was born in Asahikawa, Hokkaido Prefecture in 1964. After winning Fuji TV's third Grand Prix for First Screenplay for Heart in Blue Vaccine, she made her debut as a screenwriter.
She writes for film, animation, TV series and theatre in a wide variety of genres. She is the screenwriter of Cowboy Bebop.
Shinichiro WATANABE, the director of the series
Shinichiro WATANABE is a Japanese music director, screenwriter and producer. He was born in Kyoto in 1965.
Shinichiro WATANABE worked at Sunrise where he led the production of episodes and storyboards for many anime produced by the studio. He made his directorial debut as co-director of Macross Plus. He is the director of Cowboy Bebop.
Kimitoshi YAMANE, the mecha-designer of the series
Kimitoshi YAMANE was born in 1966 in Shimane Prefecture where he lives today. After finishing his studies at a vocational school in Tokyo and earning his diploma, he made his debut as a mecha-designer.
He has worked on mecha-design for projects such as Casshern (OAV) and Gatchaman 94. He then became a freelancer and worked on iconic projects such as Cowboy Bebop, the film Escaflowne and Infinite RYVIUS, among many others.
They will all be present to participate in conferences during this 19th impact, but they will also do signings, masterclasses for some and live-drawing for others!
Source: Japan Expo
