Bright: Samurai Soul, an anime spin-off based on the world of the blockbuster Hollywood movie of the same name, is directed by Kyohei Ishiguro, who has helmed hit anime projects including Your Lie in April, Children of the Whales, and the recently released original feature Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop. Animation production was handled by ARECT, which has successfully crafted CG work for anime including the final season of Attack On Titan and Zombieland Saga Revenge.
To give fans an exciting glimpse behind-the-scenes, director Kyohei Ishiguro gives a look at the making-of process of Bright: Samurai Soul in a newly released clip.
Speaking about Kyoto city, the story’s initial setting, director Ishiguro said, “We’ve completely recreated the streets of Kyoto. It’s a lot like Akira Kurosawa, and how he put medicine in drawers (that will never be shown on screen). The fact that we could shoot from any angle showed me just how dedicated ARECT (production company) are to their craft.” Speaking on modeling the fully recreated Kyoto streets that surprised Ishiguro, Hideki Anbo, CG supervisor at ARECT said, “Because the animation was based on motion capture, we had to make the whole model as big as possible to allow the director more freedom in his shots. It was no easy task.”
About the significance of the setting and story of the movie, Ishiguro said, “Since Netflix makes productions for the entire world, the fact that we were making this movie in Japan never left our minds, so it just made sense to set it in historic Japan.” The behind-the-scenes clip features the process of bringing to life the detailed streets of Kyoto at night, the townspeople, the battles and pavilions.
In addition, Yuki Nomura, who voices Izou, and MIYAVI, who voices Kouketsu, both make their voice acting debuts in this movie, commented: “As humans and other beings coexist with one another, the movie makes you think about the place of the samurai in the Meiji Restoration,” says Nomura. MIYAVI says: “Kouketsu is a source of conflict. The way I see it, he’s lost himself in the pursuit of money and power. This movie is entertainment but it’s also a work of art. I hope everyone checks it out.”
About Bright: Samurai Soul
In the time between the fall of the Shogunate and the rise of the Meiji era, a powerful bright light emitted from a wand brings an end to the long Shogunate period to avoid further bloodshed as Japan begins to shift toward a new era. Amid these circumstances, a one-eyed wandering ronin named Izou, who has lost his reason to live, and Raiden, an orc who detests murder and hopes to leave a life of thievery behind, separately meet a young elf girl named Sonya around the same time. Together, they go on a journey along the Tokaido road to bring her and the wand she holds safely to the land of the elves in the north. Standing in their path is the mysterious organization Inferni, which aims to obtain the wand and revive the Dark Lord, who intends to rule all of creation. Inferni also uses the new Meiji government in its attempt to steal the wand from Izou, Raiden and Sonya. Traveling along the Tokaido road from Kyoto to Yokohama, Izou and Raiden begin their journey to protect the wand.
