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| Written by The Curmudgeon |
Last time we had a chat about the inevitable train-wreck that will be the live-action remake of Cowboy Bebop (1998) that nobody asked for (click here for more on that). But hey, what about adapting something live-action into animation?
Well, I say “adapting.” Rather, an animated spin-off riding
the coattails of a cult classic.
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| Blade Runner: Black Out 2022 (2017) |
Late last month, it was announced that an anime set in the world of Blade Runner (1982) is in the works. Might this be banking on the critical success of 2017’s Blade Runner: 2049 (2017)? Or, might it be because we finally reached Blade Runner time in November 2019, when the 1982 film was set?
The real question is: who cares, so long as it’s good?
A few lines up, I used the phrase “riding the coattails.”
That was a little cynical of me, but then again, cynicism is my default setting
since the…accident.
…
In either case, sometimes I just need to slap myself on the
wrist and remind myself that there is still hope.
Blade Runner: Black Lotus is the working title, with no
specified release date – yet. However, given the very little that we currently
know, there’s actually plenty of reason to expect something great. Let’s start
from the beginning, shall we?
In terms of plot, we know that it’ll be set in 2032, 17
years prior to the events of 2049. Apparently, there will be recurring
characters from both the 1982 film and it’s sequel. Other than that, the plot
remains a mystery until we dig up more info.
What really matters is the names currently attached to the
project. Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama are rostered to direct the first 13
episodes. If those names don’t sound familiar, Aramaki is most notable for
Appleseed (2004) – a cyberpunk title set during the aftermath of a quasi-World
War 3.
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| Appleseed (2004) |
Including noteworthy motifs such as cyborgs and biorobotics,
it’s easy to draw thematic connections to ol’ Blade Runner. While I can’t speak
for its quality, having not seen it, the rest of the man’s directorial career
can be described as ‘meh’ at best. Kenji Kamiyama, on the other hand, was the
chief writer of the stellar Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(2002-2005). While Kamiyama certainly has other reputable titles to his name,
like Eden of the East (2009) (and I guess he did background art for Akira back in
’88), that Ghost in the Shell affiliation is a big deal.
If you aren’t familiar with the anime monolith that is the
Ghost in the Shell franchise, I’ll summarise as quickly as I can: generally
speaking, the overarching story revolves around an android cop called Major
Kusanagi, who pursues various sci-fi, technology-related crimes, with the help
of her trusty spec-ops unit of detectives and military folk. The Stand Alone
Complex instalment is set in 2030, whereby cybernetic prostheses are common
amongst the average citizenry. Kusanagi and her team – as usual – catch
criminals, do sci-fi detective work, there is much rejoicing.
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| Still from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002-2005) |
I’m not going to stake any MAJOR claims (get it?) as to
whether Blade Runner directly influenced Shirow Masamune’s original 1989 GitS
manga. After all, the two shared a decade, and it’s not like the former saw
immediate success. It’s safe to say that Blade Runner’s cultural relevance took
time to plant its roots. Nevertheless, the two franchises have obvious
aesthetic overlaps. Both cyberpunk, both musing the nature of humanity in a
world co-inhabited by synthetic ‘people.’ There are, perhaps, similarities to
be drawn between Major Kusanagi of GitS and 2049’s Officer K – a couple of
stoic, ambiguously-human peas in a pod. It’s also worth noting, at this point,
that Masamune is responsible for the 1985 Appleseed manga…funny how these
things come full circle.
But as far as Ghost in the Shell is concerned, it can’t be
understated that Stand Alone Complex is good. Really, really good. Perhaps the
best entry to the series, but that’s a conversation for another day. Indeed,
Black Lotus is in pretty safe hands with Kamiyama if his credentials have any
sway in the matter.
Finally, Shinichiro Watanabe is stepping in as Black Lotus’s
creative producer. Personally, I think this is nothing but a good thing.
Watanabe can be thanked for Cowboy Bebop and Space Dandy (2014), and if you
don’t know my feelings towards those two televisual delights, let me put it
this way: if I could liquidise Cowboy Bebop, inject it into my bloodstream, and
then wear Space Dandy like a sickening mask made of human skin, I would.
Regardless of my personal opinions on Watanabe’s career, one
can’t deny the cross-cultural monolith that is Cowboy Bebop. More importantly,
it, too, carries atmospheric similarities with Ridley Scott’s 1982 film. Both
Bebop and Blade Runner pose sombre, philosophical visions of the future, set
against the backdrop of a post-industrial civilisation – a civilisation which
is portrayed as dilapidated, discoloured, and downright depressing at the worst
of times. The two works also draw heavily from film noir, delivering a
particularly anachronistic vibe, despite their science-fictional overtones.
More importantly, Watanabe’s affinity for Blade Runner is
self-evident in his beautiful and atmospheric Black Out 2022 (2017) short film.
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| Still from Blade Runner: Black Out 2022 (2017) |
The short was developed as a prequel of sorts for 2049, and
serves as an excellent demonstration of Watanabe’s suitability for producing
Black Lotus. Set 3 years after the events of the first movie, Black Out 2022
sees a couple of replicant terrorists (or freedom fighters[?]) hatch an
enormous attack to erase masses of archival data – data which would be used to
hunt and “retire” other replicants. The biggest criticism I would levy against
Black Out 2022 is that it’s a little light in the character department – a
minor disappointment at the time, given the 1982 film’s conflicted and
three-dimensional characters in Roy Batty and Rick Deckard. That said, the
short was obviously commissioned to expose a particular piece of information
which could be referenced in 2049, and to expect in-depth characters on top of
that, and in such a brief running time, would be unfair criticism, I guess.
Furthermore, the characters will likely see more attention in the full 13
episodes, 30 minutes-a-pop, although that’s just speculation. What matters is
that the short showcases Watanabe’s incredible grasp of the Blade Runner
aesthetic – dripping in pools of thick shadow that punctuate the murky, neon
colour palette.
If you ask me, we’ve got a lot to look forward to with Black
Lotus. Are you excited, too?
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