Rojin Z (1991)

Country of Origin: Japan
Year of Production: 1991
Running Times: 80 mins
Format: colour/35mm
Ratio: 1.66:1
Sound: stereo

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Tokyo Theaters Co Inc/The Television Inc/Movic Co Ltd/TV Asahi/Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc
Executive Producer: Laurence Guinness
Producers: Yasuku Kazama, Yoshiaki Motoya, Yasuhito Nomura

SCRIPT
Script/Original Work: Katsuhiro Otomo

DIRECTION
Director: Hiroyuki Kitakubo
Assistant Directors: Toshiaki Hontani, Sadami Morikawa

ANIMATION
Animation Director: Fumio Iida
Character Planning: Hisashi Eguchi
Mechanical Designer: Katsuhiro Otomo

PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography Director: Hideo Okazaki

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Eiko Nishide

MUSIC
Music: Bun Itakura
Main Theme: Michio Ogawa

SOUND
English Language Sound Designer: Carl Macek

DESIGN
Art Director: Hiroshi Sasaki

VOICES
Chisa Yokoyama (Haruko)
Rica Matsumoto (Tomoe Satô)
Shinji Ogawa (Terada)
Tamio Ôki (Professor Tachibana)
Chie Satou (Nabuko Ôe)
Kôji Tsujitani (Mitsuru Maeda)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE VOICES
Nigel Anthony (3rd ACHE)
Barbara Barnes (Nobuko)
Sean Barrett (1st ACHE)
Toni Barry (Haruko)
Jana Carpenter (Norie)
Blair Fairman (2nd ACHE)
John Jay Fitzgerald (Hasegawa)
Adam Henderson (Maeda)
Peter Marinker (reporter)
Nicolette McKenzie (Haru)
Ian Thompson (Ian)
Allan Wenger (Terada)

PLOT SUMMARY

In the early 21st century, the "agedly challenged" or ACHEs are becoming a very real strain on Japan's economy and drastic measures are called for. Dubious researchers Terada, from the Ministry of Public Welfare and Hasegawa from the Nishibashi Corporation have developed the Z-001, a computerised mechanical bed designed to cater for the every need of the incontinent, infirm or insensible elderly. Using the wrinkly Mr Takazawa as a test subject, the project invokes the wrath of cute young trainee nurse Haruko who questions the ethics and humanity of the Rojin-Z project and vows to rescue Takazawa from the research lab.

CAPSULE REVIEW

Somewhat infuriating some sections of the anime community because it wasn't a re-working of Akira (1988), this hysterical yet touchingly poignant movie marked Otomo's return to animation after a brief dalliance with live action in Warudo apaatoment hora (1991). Rôjin Z is a smaller-scale, more personal film than Akira, eschewing that movie's metaphysical concerns in favour of a satirical swipe at modern society's treatment of its aging population. That's not to say that the film is totally serious and preaching from its animated pulpit. Far from it. Otomo is clever enough to realise that if you want to deliver a message, you do it with wit and inventiveness, qualities that Rôjin Z possesses in abundance.

AVAILABILITY

Germany
Theatrical Distributors: Rapid Eye Movies

UK
Theatrical Distributors: Manga Live
Video Distributors: Manga Video

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Kit Parker Films Inc (1996)
Video Distributors: US Manga Corps; Software Sculptors Inc
DVD Distributors: Image Entertainment (ID 4409 CTDVD)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Canada
Rating: PG

France
Rating: U

Germany
Rating: 12

UK
Rating: 12; 15

USA
Rating: PG-13 (for language and sexual content)

TIMELINE

1994
June
24: UK - theatrical release

1996
January
5: USA – theatrical release (in New York City)

April
Day Unknown: USA – wider theatrical release

1997
September
27: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)

1998
August
26: USA - DVD release (Image Entertainment (ID 4409 CTDVD))

1999
August
6: UK - television broadcast (on FilmFour)

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Oldman Z
Roujin Z - French/US video title

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique May 1996 p.60 (USA)
review

Empire no.61 (July 1994) p.44 (UK)
illustrated review

Mangazine no.4 (February - April 1994) p.11 (UK)
review

Sight and Sound vol.4 no.7 (July 1994 pp.52, 53 (UK)
illustrated credits, review

Sight and Sound vol.4 no.11 (November 1994) p.63 (UK)
note

Videoscope no.18 p.27 (USA)
review

KEYWORDS

animation, anime, artificial intelligence, helicopters, twist endings

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009