Tekkonkinkreet

a world worth visiting

Dear Friends,

I’m coming towards the end of a short writing pause, but I wanted to depart from my usual recommendations to highlight the nationwide re-release today (Sunday, May 31) and tomorrow of a remarkable Japanese anime film that premiered twenty years ago and combines almost entirely hand-drawn (incredible!) animated beauty with ever-relevant thematic storytelling. Based on a classic manga from renowned author Taiyō Matsumoto and originally serialized in 1993 and 1994, the film and manga are called Tekkonkinkreet.

Although produced in Japan, it was directed by Michael Arias, who spent the better part of a decade getting the film made, and written by his friend and colleague Anthony Weintraub, both of whom are from the U.S. and packed the movie with multi-cultural cinematic references. Set in a surreal cosmopolitan city with various competing real estate developers, crime syndicates, and outmatched or corrupt cops, the story focuses on two orphans who live in a car and roam the streets and alleys both of the city and their imaginations.

Over the past two decades the film has built a significant following, and having now seen it I understand why. I know little about anime beyond the occasional Studio Ghibli film, which I’ve always watched on TV. If you’re a manga or anime fan, seeing this gorgeous 4K restoration on the big screen is an absolute must. If you’re not familiar with the style, take this opportunity to enjoy a glorious work of art that is a mind-expanding departure from the movies you typically see.

To the pleasure of films and the discussions they spark,

Josh

P.S. I watched it with our 14-year-old son who loved it. I’d say it’s most suitable for ages 11 and up.