Not waiting on the availability of an English dub, which was only just revealed recently as coming from GKIDS Films in North America, UK distributor Anime Limited has a November 14th, 2016 release planned for Miss Hokusai. THe set is getting a pretty sweet packaging presentation that’s reminiscent of some of the best sets of days long gone at this point.
On-Disc Details (Main film on Blu-ray & DVD Disc 1, Extras on DVD Disc 2):
- Miss Hokusai film
- 2 hours Making of featurette
- Exclusive Interview with Director Keiichi Hara
- Movie Trailer
Collector’s Edition Details:
- Ultimate Edition Box made with Wood with Clean Art
- Digipack to hold the Blu-ray disc and 2 DVD discs
- 80 page Booklet
- Delves into the history surrounding Miss Hokusai and world of the Edo period of Japan. This has been curated in coordination with Production I.G, who put a lot of time and effort into having as much historical fact and points of interest as possible. It makes for very interesting reading and provides lots of useful context about this time in Japanese history depicted in the film that chances are most people may not be familiar with.
The film is based on the manga by Hinako Sugiura, who passed away in 2005. The feature is directed by Keiichi Hara based on the screenplay by Miho Maruo and is animated by Production I.G.
Plot concept: The time: 1814. The place: Edo, now known as Tokyo. One of the highest populated cities in the world, teeming with peasants, samurai, townsmen, merchants, nobles, artists, courtesans, and perhaps even supernatural things. A much accomplished artist of his time and now in his mid-fifties, Tetsuzo can boast clients from all over Japan, and tirelessly works in the garbage-loaded chaos of his house-atelier. He spends his days creating astounding pieces of art, from a giant-size Bodhidharma portrayed on a 180 square meter-wide sheet of paper, to a pair of sparrows painted on a tiny rice grain. Short-tempered, utterly sarcastic, with no passion for sake or money, he would charge a fortune for any job he is not willing to undertake.
Third of Tetsuzo’s four daughters and born out of his second marriage, outspoken 23-year-old O-Ei has inherited her father’s talent and stubbornness, and very often she would paint instead of him, though uncredited. Her art is so powerful that sometimes leads to trouble. “We’re father and daughter; with two brushes and four chopsticks, I guess we can always manage, one way or another.”
Decades later, Europe was going to discover the immense talent of Tetsuzo. He was to become best known by one of his many names: Katsushika Hokusai. He would mesmerize Renoir and van Gogh, Monet and Klimt, Edmond de Goncourt and Debussy. However, very few today are even aware of the woman who assisted him all her life, and greatly contributed to his art while remaining uncredited. This is the untold story of O-Ei, Master Hokusai’s daughter: a lively portrayal of a free-spirited woman overshadowed by her larger-than-life father, unfolding through the changing seasons.
