Moviegoers in Japan may be a ways from the theatrical release of Sato Shinsuke’s latest feature, Kingdom, but they’re not being forgotten in the least. That the campaign just rolled out a brand new poster to further entice the already enticed stipulates this and given the ceremony of the film’s international reception per Sony’s acquisition, one hopes we’ll be obliged here stateside very soon. I know I, myself, want this. Peep it:
Toho is going hard with their latest sell for Sato Shinsuke’s latest, Kingdom. You can tell too, because now they’ve armed up with the sweet musicianship of One Ok Rock to elevate things, and they’re packing on with a fresh new trailer that will get your heart racing.
Anyone who’s been around the last twenty years with a keen eye on Japanese cinema is well aware of director Sato Shinsuke – an artist more than worthy of praise for his efforts in film and television.
You can pretty much call it a banner year for I Am A Hero director Sato Shinsuke now that he’s blown minds from Japan and throughout the relative fandom with his adaptations of Inuyashiki and Bleach. With fans in unison especially calling for a sequel to the latter following its wide platform rollout on Netflix, you can certainly expect the noise to keep going, although tack on something else impressive…say, the latest official teaser trailer for Warring States period drama, Kingdom and you’re pretty much left with your head spinning at this point.
Director Sato Shinsuke has had quite the competition in the past few years. 2017 saw the release of at least four live-action anime adaptations of popular manga properties, so it was a pretty loaded year and particularly with Bleach being thrown in the mix.
It took quite a while but the promotional rollout of this latest induction from Sato, who also hails the summer festival crowd with Inuyashiki, also brings a fuller, more visible cast list to the live-action realm of BLEACH that includes the raft of warriors and mystics that entail this inaugural venture. Provided it measures accordingly I’d say a sequel would be great to see spawn after this.
Indeed, the desktop version of this article looks a lot better so if you’re on mobile, feel free to switch that shit. At any rate though, Japan locals are officially two months out from bearing witness to what a live-action adaptation of Kubo Tite’s highly beloved manga, BLEACH, looks like on the big screen.
BLEACH Set Stills And Character Reveals
I wouldn’t rest too long on actor Fukushi Sota if you’re minding this year’s intake of live-action manga fare. More footage is finally rolling out in the tiniest bits from his latest, Kubo Tite’s BLEACH, hailing from director Sato Shinsuke of GANTZ and Library Wars fame and for that, we get a thirty-second glimpse of what last year’s twenty-second teaser was all about.
Indeed, it’s Fukushi reunited with Blade Of The Immortal co-star Sugisaki Hana re-enacting the pivotal moment in which a Ichigo, high school delinquent who can see ghosts is embued with supernatural powers by Rukia, a Soul Reaper injured from battling a “Hollow”. That’s the big creature meeting its demise and for an anime adaptation, there’s a good chance this production did what it felt needed to make such a film happen, especially for a manga with fifteen years of source material…
Talk about playing it close to the chest.
Expect more casting and more footage updates before its July 20 Japan release.
Director Sato Shinsuke is someone you’ve probably been keeping your eye on for the new year if you have an eye for live-action manga adaptations. He’s got two rolling out this year and first on the menu is Inuyashiki based on Oku Hiroya’s 2014 publication.
It’s a damn good package too, ripe with the use of an unlikely hero pitted against formidable odds. Actors Kinashi Noritake and Satoh Takeru lead the way for a story telling of an old man forced to face a looming threat in the form of a vindictive high school student following an explosion that renders them with extraordinary abilities by way of bionic implants.
Late December saw a teaser and as of this week, the official trailer has arrived courtesy of Toho for an April 20 release. Peep it below in addition to the official poster!
Much to its credit, last year’s teaser looked pretty damn cool in achieving its desired effect. Actor Fukushi Sota is set to star as Kurosaki Ichigo, a high school student who is mysteriously able to see and interact with ghosts. When he harnesses the powers and abilities of a Soul Reaper named Rukia amidst her whirlwind battle with an otherworldly demon called a “hollow”, the two form a reluctant alliance to tackle the beasts, setting off an incredible adventure of self-discovery between epic, brutal, interdimensional battles against superior foes among many factions.
Famed actor Satoh Takeru stars as Hiro among our cast of principles and with a date readying for April 20. Check out the teaser!
It’s pretty odd. It’s been nearly a year since we learned that Blade Of The Immortal co-star Fukushi Sota was to star in an adaptation of manga author Kubo Tite’s longstanding property, Bleach, for Warner Bros. Japan. We’ve seen at least a few behind the scenes pics of Fukushi in costume while much has been little ado with who else would join the cast.
I reckon with the film’s 2018 date approaching that this may change and hopefully that will change. It has a noteworthy director in Sato Shinsuke whose partial credits include The Princess Blade, Library Wars, zombie hit thriller I Am A Hero and hit manga adaptation Death Note: Light Up The New World, the latter which hits the Fantasia floor later this month.
With Bleach, its legacy hasn’t been that of complete success, but it stood as a terrific read and viewing for the manga and anime crowd in its initial years since 2001, brimming with color, vibrance and energy. The core story here lies centrally with Kurosaki Ichigo, a high school student whose ability to see and interact with ghosts isn’t as life-changing as the moment he crosses paths with Kikuchi Rukia, a Soul Reaper among many from a distant dimension known as the Soul Society.
Injured in the heat of battle with an afterworld demon called a Hollow, Rukia accidentally transfers the entirety of her power unto Ichigo. It gives him both a fighting chance, as well as a new identity and responsibilities to uphold with Rukia now left powerless and unable to return to her dimension, forging an alliance between two reluctant friends at the start of the first of many perilous journeys to come.
That’s pretty much the gist of the role Fukushi is playing while we await on what the remainder of the cast will entail. For now though, we finally have a full-on glimpse of what Fukushi’s portrayal will look like in live-action form ahead of the film’s Summer 2018 release with a fresh new teaser and one-sheet. Check it out below!
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