The Green Cat
| The Green Cat | |
|
Cover art from the DVD release of The Green Cat | |
| 緑の猫 (Midori no Neko) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy, Mystery |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Osamu Tezuka |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | Omoshiro Book |
| Published | August 1956 |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by | Osamu Tezuka |
| Studio | Tezuka Productions, Maki Productions |
| Released | October 10, 1983 |
| Runtime | 25 minutes |
The Green Cat (緑の猫 Midori no Neko) is the first anime episode in the Lion Books series. It was the anime industry's first attempt at releasing an OVA through famous director Osamu Tezuka.
Concept
The original concept was to make 26 new anime episodes and canvass them for sale without any broadcast contract with TV stations.[1] The Green Cat is regarded as the first attempt to produce an Original Video Animation release on October 10, 1983. If the episode was finished independently on October 10, 1983 with no other episodes to follow in production, it very well could have been qualified as the first anime OVA. Because there is uncertainty as to whether the VHS was actually available for sale at the production end date, Dallos is credited to be the first official OVA released by the industry. The Green Cat is known to be screened in the "4th Tezuka Osamu Fan Club Meeting" on October 10, 1983.[2]
Story
Ban Shunsaku co-manages a shop with his friend Yushi in the US. One day, Yushi is killed by a gang, and Ban Shunsaku takes his bereaved son Sango over to bring him up. Ban, who is going back to Japan, witnesses a flying saucer. Immediately after that, a green cat appears before Sango.
Sango and the cat disappear from the ship bound for Japan. Time passes, and Ban discovers the identity of the cat: it is a space creature. It takes possession of young men, and deprives them of their sense of self-reliance in exchange for fulfilling their desires.
Sango, haunted by the cat, becomes very influential in the underworld. Ban tries to recover the sense of self-reliance in Sango by killing the cat.
The story was taken directly from the 5th subtitle of the 1950s Lion Books manga.
DVD
It was re-released as a DVD on March 21, 2003 on the same disk as Rain Boy.
Staff
Original Story and Director: Tezuka Osamu
Screenplay, Storyboard, Rendition, and Animation Director: Nishimura Hiroshi
Producer: Matsuya Takamasa
Assistant Producer: Kubota Minoru
Art Director, Art Board, Background: Miyamoto Seiji
Shooting Director: Sugaya Nobuyuki
Original picture: Yoshimura Masaki, Seya Shinji, Kano Kaoru, Noma Toshi
Motion picture: Tezuka Productions Co., Ltd.
Picture Checker: Seya Shinji
Finishing: Maki Pro, E&G, Enomoto Hiroshi
Color Design: Hasegawa Hiroshi
Special Effects: Maekawa Seiji
Editing: Inoue Kazuo
Sound Director: Kawamura Tsunehira
Music: Koroku Reijiro
Music Selection: Toujoubeppu Sei
References
- ↑ Tezuka Info. "Tezuka Info." The Green Cat. Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
- ↑ Tezuka Accomplishments. "Tezuka Accomplishments." The Green Cat Screening. Retrieved on 2006-12-12.