STARTING POINT: 1979-1996 TRACES THE FIRST HALF OF THE CAREER OF FAMED ANIMATION DIRECTOR HAYAO MIYAZAKI NEW FROM VIZ MEDIA
Comprehensive Edition Will Debut As Miyazaki’s Latest Animated Film Hits Theatres In North America This Summer
Starting Point 1979~1996© 1996 Nibariki
San Francisco, CA, July 17, 2009 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the publication of the first of a new collection of essays, interviews, memoirs and manga from legendary animation director, Hayao Miyazaki, titled STARTING POINT: 1979-1996. STARTING POINT: 1979-1996 has an estimated street date of August 4th and will carry an MSRP of $29.99 US and $34.99 Canada.
The book will cover the first-half of Miyazaki’s legendary career, during which he rose from humble beginnings to create some of the most seminal animated features ever made, including Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind, Castle In The Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Porco Rosso, as well as his launch of Studio Ghibli. A fitting introduction is offered by John Lasseter, the Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and Walt Disney. Ponyo is Miyazaki’s newest feature film and will be released by Walt Disney in North America this August.
Hayao Miyazaki is one of the world’s most beloved animation directors. In September 2005 he was awarded the Venice International Film Festival’s Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement, and his Studio Ghibli received the Festival’s Osella Award for overall achievement in 2004. His notable films include Spirited Away, winner of the 2002 Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film, as well as Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle, all of which have received tremendous acclaim in the U.S. Miyazaki’s other achievements include the highly regarded manga series NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND, which is also published domestically by VIZ Media (rated ‘T’ for Teens). VIZ Media also publishes many other Hayo Miyazaki books including the for CASTLE IN THE SKY, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, SPIRITED AWAY, PRINCESS MONONOKE and more. VIZ Media also publishes many of Hayo Miyazaki’s beautiful and engaging Art Books and Picture Books.
“Hayao Miyazaki is known and loved around the world for his imaginative films that continue to delight children and adults,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President, Sales & Marketing for VIZ Media. “STARTING POINT presents, in Miyazaki’s own words, his philosophies towards life, his work, the animation industry both in Japan and abroad, and his creative inspirations and motivations. He also offers lots of stories, many of them quite humorous, which show the extent of his complete dedication to animated film and the people with whom he works. We invite fans to enjoy this chronicle of the life of a man whose own dreams have come true.”
In the first two decades of his career, filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki laid the groundwork for his legendary movies. STARTING POINT is a collection of essays, interviews, and memoirs that go back to the roots of Miyazaki’s childhood, the formulation of his theories of animation, and the founding of Studio Ghibli.
Before directing such acclaimed films as Spirited Away, Miyazaki was just another salaried animator, but with a vision of his own. Follow him as he takes his first steps on the road to success, experience his frustrations with the manga and animation industries that often suffocate creativity, and realize the importance of bringing the childhood dreams of the world to life.
VIZ Media will also be releasing the PONYO PICTURE BOOK and THE ART OF PONYO, both due to release on August 4, 2009. Volumes 1 and 2 of THE PONYO FILM COMIC will be released on August 11th, with other volumes to follow.
For more information on any VIZ Media titles, please visit www.viz.com.
manga review: whistle
October 9, 2008 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
In a recent review of the manga “Whistle” for the Daily Yomiuri, Stephen Taylor wrote:
Like Captain Tsubasa, who inspired a generation of Japanese soccer players in the 1980s–including a certain Hidetoshi Nakata–and Roy of the Rovers, who was required reading for any teenage fan of the round-ball game in the ’70s, Daisuke Higuchi’s Whistle is sure to find a place in the hearts of a new generation of soccer players.
Originally published in 24 volumes in Japanese, with the 20th volume in English published last month, this story of how a young boy pursues his dream of becoming a professional soccer player is a good read, with good graphics and an engaging plot.
The story opens in 1998, with the Japanese national team preparing to make its debut at the soccer World Cup. Sho Kazamatsuri, a soccer-mad middle school student, has transferred to a new school, Josui Junior High School, from a prestigious private school, Musashinomori, simply because he was unable to command a regular place in the soccer team.
His move doesn’t turn out to be as smooth as he imagined, especially when his new schoolmates mistakenly assume he is going to bring some star quality to their first XI.
Higuchi takes readers through the trials and tribulations of Sho’s rigorous training schedule and introduces a range of characters who all impact on our young hero’s aspirations.
The star of the struggling Josui team is Tatsuya Mizuno, whose father is the coach of the Musashinomori team, and Sho and Tatsuya form the core of the team from the beginning. They are joined by a former professional soccer player, Soju Matsushita, who agrees to coach the team, and Ko Kazamatsuri, Sho’s elder brother.
