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Japanese giant monster fantasy film Brush of the God is making landfall here in the United States, Bloody Disgusting has exclusively learned, with Srs Cinema giving the film a theatrical, digital, and physical media release. Brush of the God is the directorial debut of late great tokusatsu special FX master Keizō Murase, who passed away last October at age 89.

The Srs Cinema team reminds, “Keizō Murase was known for his legendary effects work in various classic Japanese science fiction/fantasy films and television series including Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera, DaiMajin, UltraMan, and Kamen Rider.”

In the new film, written by Takeshi Nakazawa with Nobuhiko Ishii based on a story by Keizō Murase, “Special effects modelmaker Kenzo Tokimiya has passed away. Akari, who did not have good memories of her grandfather’s work, visits a farewell party for his fans with mixed feelings. There, she meets her classmate Takuya, a hardcore tokusatsu fan.

Following a prolonged absence, tokusatsu veteran Keizo Murase returned to film as a sculptor for Daisuke Sato‘s wonderful short film “Howl from Beyond the Fog.” Recently, he’s made his directorial debut with the independent feature “Brush of the God.” Originally conceived as a story written by the director, it has now been adapted, with a screenplay by Takeshi Nakazawa, and Sato producing and directing the special effects. With a small budget, the project would receive additional funding through donations on Motion Gallery and Kickstarter. The final product is a movie with a promising setup but underwhelming payoff.

Brush of the God is screening at Asian Pop Up Cinema

Renowned special effects model artist Kenzo Tokimiya passes away, and a memorial service is held for him to honor his legacy. His work is on display, and his daughter is organizing the event. One of the attendees is Kenzo’s grandaughter,...

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2024 is nearly over, and while this year saw the release of many brilliant movies, in this article, we are only discussing the best fantasy movies that came out. Fantasy is one of those genres that invokes something magical in all of us, from the heroic journey in The Lord of the Rings films to the coming-of-age fantastical story in Harry Potter, and maybe that’s why this genre has one of the most loyal fan bases. So, let’s find out which fantasy movies released in 2024 were the absolute best.

If Credit – Paramount Pictures

If is a fantasy comedy film written and directed by John Krasinski. The 2024 film follows Bea, a young girl who discovers she can see imaginary friends of other people. She soon sets out on a magical adventure to find human kids to pair them with forgotten imaginary friends.

Netflix’s animated film, The Imaginary takes you back to your childhood days, when we used to create our own imaginary friends and play with them all day long. They were our best friends, and we had the best adventures together. But why do they disappear as we get older? Is it because of work pressure and life’s complexities piling on, so much so that we don’t even bother finding an escape route to dwell in our imaginary world? Or is it because someone steals our imaginary friends from us? Maybe it’s Mr. Bunting, the nemesis of the imaginaries, who sucks out their lives to feed his own purpose. Amanda and her imaginary friend Rudger face troubles as he tries to hunt them down too. Did he succeed, or did other imaginary friends like Zinzan and Emily help them? We will get to know all about that...

Adapted by director Yoshiyuki Momose (a former animator at Studio Ghibli) and screenwriter Yoshiaki Nishimura (a former producer at Studio Ghibli) from a popular British children’s novel of the last decade, the Studio Ponoc production The Imaginary undermines much of its breathless talk of imagination by transparently and schematically tracing the footsteps of children’s entertainment titans. Its opening act introduces us to a pastel-colored, Ghibliesque English city where a lonely yet free-spirited little girl named Anna lives with her hardworking single mother in an adorably quaint family-run bookshop. She is quite imaginative: we know this because we see literal magic emanate out of her CD player when she puts on her favorite song, before flashily animated fantasy sequences literally morph her real-world surroundings into colorful (if generic) fantasy settings. First off: a Christmas land with reindeer, sleds, and yetis in the attic.

The story is not framed from Amanda’s point of view,...

Studio Ponoc’s latest animated feature, “The Imaginary,” is set to release on Netflix on Friday, July 5, 2024. This fantasy-adventure film, directed by Yoshiyuki Momose of “Spirited Away” fame, promises to bring a fresh perspective to the concept of imaginary friends.

Based on A.F. Harrold’s children’s novel of the same name, “The Imaginary” follows the story of Rudger, an imaginary friend created by a young girl named Amanda. The film explores their adventures together until Rudger finds himself separated from Amanda and in the Town of Imaginaries, a place where forgotten imaginary friends reside.

In a recent interview, writer and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura revealed intriguing details about the film’s creative process. One standout scene features a space opera fantasy where characters navigate a rocket seemingly built from cardboard. Nishimura explained, “That cardboard world [with] Cruncher of Bones, that character coming to the story really starts developing that cardboard board world even more.

The Imaginary has beautiful animation and characters, but falls short with a weak script and lackluster storytelling. Studio Ponoc struggles to break away from Studio Ghibli connections, hindering originality. Despite stunning visuals, The Imaginary lacks depth, with a slow narrative and an underdeveloped villain.

The Imaginary comes from an incredibly talented team of creatives, but fails to spark the imagination. While the animation and storytelling appear very similar to the renowned Studio Ghibli movies, The Imaginary has an ambitious premise that is severely let down by a weak script and looser story threads. Yes, it is beautiful, and there is potential for some of the meaning to be lost in translation, but Studio Ponoc's second attempt to deliver a feature-length animated movie is a far cry from Spirited Away.

The Imaginary (2024)

Director Yoshiyuki MomoseRelease Date July 5, 2024Writers Yoshiaki Nishimura, A.F. HarroldCast Issey Ogata, Kokoro Terada, Atsuko Takahata, Riisa Naka, Rio Suzuki,...

Last November, Netflix released Blue Eye Samurai. The series earned a lot of praise for its stellar writing, characters, and voice acting. It also has a unique animation style that incorporates motion capture. Mizu is the main character, and she is a half-Japanese half-white samurai who wishes to kill the four white men in Japan. One of these men is her biological father. Blue Eye Samurai fans might have to wait a while for season two, but there are a few great anime that they can watch in the meantime.

Many of these anime are perfect for Blue Eye Samurai fans because they also feature skilled samurai. Some of them also have some type of revenge plot. One series in particular stands out because of its powerful female cast. In the end, Blue Eye Samurai fans will like these anime because of their respective characters and action sequences.

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Studio Ponoc has released a new trailer for its upcoming fantasy film, The Imaginary.

As detailed on Anime News Network, the film is an adaptation of A.F Harrold and Emily Gravett's 2014 children's novel of the same name. The trailer showcased an animation style reminiscent of Ponoc's legendary predecessor, Studio Ghibli. A host of new cast members have also been revealed; Kokoro Terada, who previously played the role of Selim Bradley in the live-action Fullmetal Alchemist film series, will star as Rudger. Rio Suzuki, who starred as Dororo in the 2019 adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's titular manga series, will portray Amanda. The Imaginary's Japanese theatrical premiere is set for Dec. 15.

Related: The Boy and the Heron Producer Says the Anime Is the Most Expensive Japanese Film Ever Made

While Ponoc unveiled a brief teaser for The Imaginary in 2021, this latest trailer delves deeper into the film's premise. As an "Imaginary," young...

"Humans forget us. There's no getting around that. There is but little time for you." Studio Ponoc in Japan has unveiled an official trailer for their latest fantasy adventure movie called The Imaginary, their second feature after Mary and the Witch's Flower previously (and the anthology project Modest Heroes). Based on the novel "The Imaginary" by A.F. Harrold, this was originally set to release in 2022 - we featured the first teaser trailer back in 2021. After being delayed for a few years, it's now set for open in Japan in December 2023, and sometime in 2024 for the rest of the world. An imaginary friend must return to his creator before he is forgotten or captured by an evil man who can see imaginary friends. "Can a boy who isn't there survive without a friend to dream him up?" The main Japanese voice cast includes Kokoro Terada, Rio Suzuki, Sakura Ando, Riisa Naka,...