Roujin Z

Roujin Z (老人Z, Rōjin Zetto, lit. "Old Man Z") is a 1991 Japanese animated science fiction action thriller directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo and written by Katsuhiro Otomo.

Plot

Roujin Z is set in early 21st century Japan. A group of scientists and hospital administrators, under the direction of the Ministry of Public Welfare, have developed the Z-001: a computerized hospital bed with robotic features.^[1][2] The Z-001 takes complete care of the patient: it can dispense food and medicine, remove excretory waste, bathe and exercise the patient lying within its frame. The bed is driven by its own built-in nuclear power reactor—and in the event of an atomic meltdown, the bed (including the patient lying within) would become automatically sealed in concrete.^[3] The first patient to be "volunteered" to test the bed is a dying widower named Kiyuro Takazawa. He is an invalid who is cared for by a young nursing student named Haruko.^[4] The electronic elements within the Z-001 somehow manage to transcribe Takazawa's thoughts through Haruko's office computer, and he uses the communication to cry for help.^[3] Although she objects to such treatment of elderly patients, Haruko begrudgingly seeks the aid of a group of computer hackers in the hospital's geriatric ward to create and install a vocal simulation of Takazawa's deceased wife in the Z-001.^[1][2] However, once Takazawa wishes to go to the beach, the Z-001 detaches itself from its moorings and escapes from the hospital with the man in its grasp.^[1][5] Haruko's fears are then justified, as it is discovered that the bed is actually a government-designed, experimental weapons robot.^[2][4]

Voice cast

Production

The animation for Roujin Z was produced by A.P.P.P. in association with other companies including Movic, Sony Music Entertainment Japan, Aniplex and TV Asahi.^[7][8][9] The film was directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo, who previously directed the "A Tale of Two Robots" segment in the APPP anthology film Robot Carnival.^[10] The story and screenplay were written by Katsuhiro Otomo, the director of Akira.^[1][4] The characters were designed by Hisashi Eguchi, the manga artist known for Stop!! Hibari-kun!.^[1][11] He used his now current wife as a model for Haruko.^[12] Eguchi also played part in some of the film's animation, such as its smoke effects, alongside key animator Takeshi Honda.^[13][14] Both Otomo and Mitsuo Iso were responsible for the mechanical designs.^[2] The late Satoshi Kon acted as the film's art director and set designer.^[1][15][16] Kon previously wrote the script for Otomo's live-action dark comedy World Apartment Horror,^[17] though Roujin Z was the first anime on which Kon worked.^[18][19][20] The musical score was composed by Bun Itakura.^[4][7] Anime localization pioneer Carl Macek was the film's sound design producer.^[21] The closing song "Hashire Jitensha" (走れ自転車, lit. "Run, Bicycle Run") is performed by Mishio Ogawa.

Soundtrack

Release and marketing

Roujin Z premiered theatrically in Japan on September 14, 1991.^[1] An English-dubbed version was directed by Michael Bakewell with a script adaptation by George Roubicek.^[3] The dub was produced by Manga Entertainment UK (a joint venture of Central Park Media and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment) in 1994, and was licensed by Kit Parker Films with a PG-13 rating in the United States.^[1][22] The film debuted in the US at an international film festival in Fort Lauderdale during November 1994.^[23][24] It was screened in more than 30 cities in the country^[25] such as New York City's Angelika Film Center on January 5, 1996.^[3][26] Manga Entertainment marketed the film in English-speaking regions as being "by the creator of Akira".^[1]

Roujin Z first saw VHS and Laserdisc releases in Japan in 1991, in Great Britain, Europe and Australia in 1994, in North America in 1995, and its first Japanese DVD release on August 21, 1999.^[27] An "HD Master Edition" DVD was released in the region on April 13, 2005.^[28] The English dub was initially released on VHS by Manga Entertainment in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand in 1994.^[29] Image Entertainment distributed the English version on DVD in the US on August 26, 1998.^[30] Central Park Media re-released the movie on DVD on April 9, 2002, then again on April 27, 2004 under the US Manga Corps label.^[31][32][33] The home video version is currently out-of-print in the US.^[22][34] The film has also been broadcast on numerous television networks worldwide, including the Sci-Fi Channel,^[35] ImaginAsian,^[36] the International Channel,^[37] and the Funimation Channel^[38][39] in the United States.

The Roujin Z Original Soundtrack was made available for sale in Japan by Epic Records on November 21, 1991.^[40] Roujin Z was adapted into a manga titled ZeD (ゼッド, Zeddo), featuring the story by Otomo and illustrated by Tai Okada. It was originally serialized in the Kodansha publication Mr. Magazine from March to December 1991. A single tankōbon bound volume was published in Japan on December 12, 1991.^[41] No official English version exists, but Glénat published a French edition on January 22, 1997.^[42][43]

Manga Entertainment UK will be re-releasing Roujin-Z on Blu-ray in June 2012 in conjunction with Kaze UK, the European subsidiary of Viz Media as Manga UK holds the rights to the English dub, which was dubbed by them in-house in 1994. It is currently unknown if Madman Entertainment will be re-releasing it in Australia on Blu-ray format under license from Manga.

Reception

Critical reaction was positive: Stephen Holden of The New York Times called it an "amusing futuristic morality tale," noting how it "takes sharp digs at yuppie medical students who welcome a device that will enable them to discard their aging parents and concentrate on their careers."^[3] Joey O'Bryan, reviewing Roujin Z for The Austin Chronicle, called the film "briskly paced, intelligent, exciting, and darkly funny."^[44]

Roger Ebert, writing in the Chicago Sun-Times, observed: "I cannot imagine this story being told in a conventional movie. Not only would the machine be impossibly expensive and complex to create with special effects, but the social criticism would be immediately blue-penciled by Hollywood executives."^[45] Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies called Roujin Z a "gripping movie - an action thriller whose star is even older than Bruce Willis". She stated that it is a "funny film that will keep you entertained and make you think", noting that it is also "one of the most original anime you'll ever see".^[46]

Roujin Z won the Mainichi Film Award for animation in 1991.^[47] In 2001, Wizard Entertainment listed the film at number 42 of its top 50 anime to be released in North America.^[48] The publisher's magazine Anime Insider listed Roujin Z as the seventh-best anime comedy in its January 2004 issue.^[49]

References

External links

• Roujin Z (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Roujin Z at the Internet Movie Database
• Entry in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction