Japan's anime studios have captured the world's attention. In this program, we go behind the scenes for an in-depth look at the most prominent studios — usually closed to the public — to find out the secrets behind their creativity.
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In a school in northeastern Japan, five friends in the animation club, Aoi, Ema, Shizuka, Misa, and Midori swear to complete a new anime called "Shinbutsu Konkou SHICHIFUKUJIN" with some donuts. Since then, day after day, the five spend all of their time on anime production. The awe of going from rough sketches to animation, and the awkward acting in the after-recording session... The final product was finished at the cultural fair six months later. After they graduated they still pursued animation and swore on some donuts that they would make another anime together.
Did you know that a lot of your favorite anime are based in real-life locations? Join us on a pilgrimage around Japan to the "Sanctuaries" that are the inspiration of some of the greatest anime!
A chronicle of the creative process of the legendary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, a passionate artisan, a steadfast trailblazer, and a father butting heads with his son…
I Am Not An Animal is an animated comedy series about the only six talking animals in the world, whose cosseted existence in a vivisection unit is turned upside down when they are liberated by animal rights activists.
Driven was a motoring television programme launched by Channel 4 in 1998 as a rival to the successful and long-running BBC series Top Gear. The style was similar to its rival, but with additional features such as the "Driven 100", a road test of three cars in the same class, where each car would be given marks for qualities such as practicality, desirability and cost of ownership. The car with the highest total score would be the winner. The programme launched with the concept that the presenters should interact with each other rather than present items on their own, as was then the case on Top Gear. The first series also featured a "headquarters", a racing team truck, set on a former air force base at which cars were put through their paces. These concepts resurfaced in the reborn Top Gear soon after.
Saki tells the story of a girl's mental and emotional growth as she and her fellow teammates battle fearsome rivals, all gunning for the national high school mahjong tournament, and is a cross between sports action and high school drama.
Soul music has conquered the world in the last 50 years - growing from the raw, electric rhythms of the black underclass, it is now a billion dollar industry with R&B and hip hop dominating the world's charts. It's been the soundtrack to some of the most extraordinary social, political and cultural shifts. Together with the civil rights movement, it has challenged white hegemony, helped break down segregation and encouraged the fight for racial equality. This new six-part series, made by the BBC team who produced the critically-acclaimed Lost Highway, Walk On By and Dancing In The Street series, charts the evolution of soul music - with a fascinating combination of rare archive footage and over 100 contemporary interviews. The movers and shakers from the world of soul – such as James Brown, Mary J Blige, Beyoncé and Martha Reeves, - plus some often overlooked talent, track the music that shaped our lives.
This four part series, presented by Andrew Graham-Dixon, explores how drawing has shaped our lives. Join him to discover the history of drawing and its relevance to the modern world.
To save his besieged Abbey, a young mouse novice must learn of his destiny to be the successor to a great warrior.
In this new four-part series, anatomist Dr Gunther von Hagens and pathologist Professor John Lee get right under the skin to reveal the processes in life that tie us to our ultimate fate in death. The two scientists perform a series of autopsy demonstrations at the Institute of Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany, in which they demonstrate the process of finding a cause of death. With the aid of human dissection, live models and scientific models they are able to reveal what disease really looks like and how it works.
The Guardians must save Meridian from the evil sorcerer Phobos and Cedric who are searching for Phobos' sister, the long lost princess of Meridian and true heir to the throne. They later find her and the Guardians then set about saving her from Phobos. When Meridian is freed from evil and true heir takes the throne, a new mysterious sorceress named Nerissa frees Phobos' top henchmen and reforms them as the Knights of Vengeance. Once the Guardians learn more about the sorceress and her evil plan of reuniting former Guardians, they are able to defeat the Knights only to have more powerful Knights, in addition to the former Guardians attack them.
Martin Mystery has a passion for all things paranormal. When he's not at school, this teenage lover of supernatural ooze works undercover for a secret bureau specialising in mysterious phenomena. Together with his older stepsister Diana, Java (a massive caveman lost in time) and Billy (a small green hovering creature), he checks out weird wonders. Martin is always bursting with energy and seldom thinks before he leaps. Diana is his guardian angel – a straight-A student, she brings the brains to their missions. Seen a zombie, alien or ghost? Call Martin Mystery.
Popetown is a controversial animated sitcom, billed by its producers as "Father Ted meets South Park", following the doodles and scribblings of a student at school during a lesson. His drawings depict the life of Father Nicholas, who lives in a Vatican City parody referred to as "Popetown". He is charged with being the handler for the Pope who is a complete nincompoop with the emotional and mental maturity of a four-year-old. Father Nicholas must keep the Pope out of trouble, and make sure the general public does not find out that the Holy Father is a drooling idiot. Other characters include a priest who is a sexual deviant, and a trio of corrupt cardinals who secretly run Popetown and attempt to get rich behind the Pope's back. These and other elements caused the show to be extremely controversial.
The Fountain of Life is the source of all life forces in the Bosco World. Princess Apricot, who is supposed to become Queen of Fountainland-the Guardian of the Fountain of Life-is kidnapped by villains who aim to rule the Bosco World. If Princess Apricot can't take the queen's throne by the next solar eclipse, the Fountain of Life will dry up. The animals living in the forest of Bosco, including Frog, Otter and Tortoise, decide to help Princess and take her to Fountainland in order to protect their peaceful life in the Bosco World. So begins the journey in a balloon full of dreams, hope, adventures, and love!
Fievel's American Tails is an American/Canadian animated television series, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, Nelvana, and Universal Cartoon Studios. It aired for one season in 1992, and continued Fievel's adventures from the film An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. In 1993 and 1994, MCA/Universal Home Video released twelve episodes on six VHS video-cassettes, two Laserdisc volumes. These have been the only home video releases of the cartoon, at least in the United States. In the United Kingdom, 12 episodes were released on six video-cassettes in 1995, but were in a different episode order to the United States and Vol.4 features the only episode that hasn't been released in the United States. Episodes have been released on DVD in France, Germany, and Italy. Universal currently has no plans to release the show on DVD in the United States, as of November 19, 2009.
Dateline NBC, or simply Dateline, is a weekly American television newsmagazine series. It was previously the network's flagship newsmagazine, but now focuses mainly on true crime stories with only occasional editions that focus on other topics.
A young girl named Dora goes on adventures with her red boot-wearing monkey named Boots.
Postcards from Buster is a children's television series for children aged 6–12, containing both animation and live-action that originally aired on Public Broadcasting Service. It is a spin-off of the Arthur cartoon series. The show stars Arthur's best friend, 8-year-old rabbit Buster Baxter. Inspired by a 2003 episode of Arthur entitled "Postcards from Buster", the television series was produced by Cinar and Marc Brown Studios. It first aired October 11, 2004, on PBS Kids Go!. Buster's interests include eating anything, reading comic books, and playing video games. Buster's personality is that of a fairly intelligent and curious child. He also believes that extraterrestrials are real. Buster's parents are divorced; in this series, Buster is seen with his father, Bo Baxter.
Major real-life air disasters are depicted in this series. Each episode features a detailed dramatized reconstruction of the incident based on cockpit voice recorders and air traffic control transcripts, as well as eyewitnesses recounts and interviews with aviation experts.
Sana Kurata has a charmed life. Not only is her mother is a famous, award-winning writer, but she's the star of the hit TV comedy "Child's Toy" while still in the fifth grade. But Sana's biggest concern is Akito Hayama, a pint-sized hellion who's organized the boys in their grade-school class into a mass of unending noise and violence. With the help of Rei, her manager, chauffeur and "pimp," Sana is determined to win back control of the classroom from her new arch-enemy. But as her crusade continues, Sana moves further into Akito's life, and finds that he might not be entirely bad...or entirely safe.
Jay Sherman is a TV movie critic who is forced to review the most pathetic films which he always rates as "It stinks." In addition to the film parodies, the show also deals with his personal life: working for a tyrannical media mogul boss, his lovelife and his family.
The former "Rugrats" tots now face preteen issues and dilemmas.
Sarah Crewe, the young daughter of a wealthy Englishman in India, starts attending a prestigious boarding school in London. However after a series of unexpected tragic events, she is forced to become a maid at the school.
Various original cartoons by some of today's top animators.
Attacker You! is the story of ambitious and energetic 13-year-old junior high schoolgirl You Hazuki (variously known as "Mila," "Jeanne" or "Juana" in Western dubbed versions of the anime), who moves to Tokyo from Osaka to live with her father Toshihiko, a cameraman recently returned from Peru, and attend school. You's mother is not in the picture, having left when You was very young. Also living with You and her father is her younger brother Sunny, who is very attached to his older sister and tends to follow her everywhere she goes, including to school and to her volleyball matches. You is also curious about Kyushi Tajima, the pretty blonde woman whom she sees covering volleyball games on television, and about why her father becomes very angry whenever You mentions her.
Eiichirō Maruo (nicknamed "Ei-chan" for his grades being straight "A") is an honor student, bookworm, and is not interested in anything other than studying. In order to solve his problem of lacking physical strength, he enrolled a tennis school and soon found the fascinating side of tennis. Being a tennis newbie lacking physical strength, he supplement his shortcomings with his excellent observing and analyzing skills.
The future-fantasy world of Remnant is filled with ravenous monsters, treacherous terrain, and more villains than you can shake a sniper-scythe at. Fortunately, Beacon Academy is training Huntsmen and Huntresses to battle the evils of the world, and Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang are ready for their first day of class.
On Earth in the near future, humanity faced imminent destruction from mysterious giant creatures known as "Huge." The entire world unites against the Huge, and successfully develops weaponry known as "CHARM" (Counter Huge Arms) by combining science and magic. CHARM exhibits high rates of synchronization with teenaged girls, and the girls who use CHARM are viewed as heroes called "Lilies." Throughout the world, "Garden" military academies are established to train Lilies to face the Huge and to serve as bases to protect and guide people. Riri Hitotsuyanagi managed to pass the exam to enter the prestigious Garden known as Yurigaoka Girls' School. She entered in an attempt to find Yuyu Shirai, a girl who rescued her in her past. This is a story about Riri and other girls who aim to become Lilies at one such Garden.
Two kids whose families own businesses in a shopping arcade that's scheduled to shut down are thrown into a series of dimensions, each one a parody of some form of anime or video game, and try to find their way home.
During a summer camp, 15 children, 8 males and 7 females, find a grotto by the sea. Deep within they discover working computers and some electronic equipment, and later the owner, a man called Kokopelli. Kokopelli claimed to be a programmer working on a brand new game, in which a large robot has to defend the Earth against fifteen alien invasions. He persuades the children to test the game and sign a contract. All but one of them signs; barely a moment later they mysteriously awaken on the shore believing what happened was just a dream.
Six studios and seven directors adapt the early works of Tatsuki Fujimoto, the mastermind behind "Chainsaw Man," into an anime anthology. Each episode is an anime adaptation of a short story he drew from ages seventeen to twenty-six, including the first manga he ever submitted for competition. Watch as vivid tales of young love, chaos, madness, and the bonds between people unfold in each episode.
The adventures of a larger-than-life red dog on Bridwell Island.
The mischievous adventures of a young Ikkyū during his stay at Ankoku Temple. He relies on his intelligence and wit to solve all types of problems, from distraught farmers to greedy merchants.
In Japan in the year 2035, an accident known as the "Burst" occurs during a research project, spawning an out-of-control artificial life form called "Matter" that has spread throughout the Kurobe Gorge. The research city that was once hailed as the hope for humanity is cordoned off by the government. Two years later, 15-year-old Aiko Tachibana, who lost her family in the Burst, learns something unbelievable from Yuya Kanzaki, a new student at her school. A secret is hidden within her body, and the answer to the puzzle lies at the "Primary Point" that was the center of the Burst. Aiko resolves to infiltrate the restricted area, escorted by a team of divers and with Yuya as her guide. When boy meets girl with the fate of humanity in their hands, what new truth will come to light?
Solomon fights the harmful use of witchcraft using a database of witches, which includes those who have obtained the power of witchcraft through genetics and others who carry the gene in order to arrest or eliminate them should their powers "awaken". The series focuses on one STN-J member, Robin Sena.
A project where a number of women in different costumes show their panties while they make a disgusted face.
Martha, a beloved family dog, is accidentally fed alphabet soup — this gives her the power of speech and the chance to speak her mind to anyone that will listen.
Hiroshi Shiba is a car racer who is mortally wounded in a laboratory accident, but restored to life by his father, Professor Shiba.