The announcement of japanese director Mamoru Oshii working on a 3D short-anime film was pretty attracting. Even quite frustrating, as this commissioned work was intended for a professional audience only. But somehow, this short is (unofficially?) available online!
Cyborg 009: The Reopening, is based on the manga of the same name, telling the story of humans-turned-cyborgs fighting an evil organization planning to destruct the world. Don’t get too excited, it’s basically a 4min45sec demo-reel directed by Mamoru Oshii for Panasonic, and it looks more like a teaser than a real work (even though, that’s just it, there’s nothing more coming)
It feels incomplete, but on the other side, Cyborg 009 offers dynamic & fluid action scenes, playing with depth of field which reinforces 3D effects. Even with this 2D version, the short-film has this immersive feeling. Quite nice, considering character models look outdated & some shots seem to come straight from Ghost in the Shell or Sky Crawlers (aka Oshii-action-scenes-digest).
What’s next for Mamoru Oshii?
Sources: Catsuka, @animeresearch
