Enshohma
May 26th, 2010, 09:21 PM
Famed artist Matt Frank has just shared some much welcomed news on a brand new kaiju television series from effects director Shinji Higuchi, entitled Monster Magnitude 9, or MM9 for short. Links and more information within:
http://kaijusamurai.deviantart.com/journal/32443299/
My thoughts?
2010 has so far been a great year for giant monsters, and this sudden announcement goes beyond the proverbial cherry on top; Shinji Higuchi is not only on board, but we're getting a whole slew of brand new JAPANESE monsters for fans to enjoy. And even better, ones who firmly stand on their own without Daimajin, Gamera, Godzilla or Ultraman taking the lime-light once again. The series also sounds like an awesome update to the very first Ultra Q series, as well as 1960's Kaiju Eiga in general!
No pictures of the show's guest monsters, but I and others will no doubt keep you informed. Here's the official site BTW:
http://www.mbs.jp/mm9/
UPDATE: Nippon Cinema article on the project:
http://www.nipponcinema.com/blog/shinji-higuchi-working-on-kaiju-tv-drama-mm9-monster-magnitude/
Shinji Higuchi (44), known as the “Heisei special effects king” for his work on the Heisei era Gamera trilogy, is supervising the production of his first TV drama. The show is called MM9 (Monster Magnitude 9) and is set in an alternate version of modern-day Japan in which monster attacks are the norm and are treated as another form of natural disaster. The show is based on a story by sci-fi writer Hiroshi Yamamoto which was originally serialized in Tokyo Sogensha’s “Mysteries!” from 2005-2006 and published as a book in 2007.
The project was first hinted at through an April Fools joke which presented it as a “sci-fi epic” called XX9. Higuchi released a photo of the cast dressed up in traditional sci-fi outfits and wielding futuristic rifles.
The show centers around a special “living creatures” division of the Japan Meteorological Agency which predicts the appearance of monsters. When an attack does occur, a team of monster specialists called “Kitokutai” is sent to the front lines, even if the Japan Self-Defense Force is unavailable. As ordinary public servants, these unsung heroes have no weapons, and must rely only their skills, knowledge, and experience to minimize the damage caused by monsters.
Anna Ishibashi (17) and Machiko Ono (28) are the show’s two main stars. Ishibashi plays Sakura Fujisawa, a rookie member of the team, and Ono plays Mikazuki, the member responsible for Fujisawa’s training. The rest of the cast includes Issei Takahashi, Yasuhi Nakamura, Satoru Matsuo, Sarutoki Minagawa, Takako Kato, and Yutaka Matsushige.
The show’s screenplay was written by Kazunori Ito (Patlabor, Gamera) and some of the directors include Tomoyuki Furumaya (Bushido Sixteen), Kiyotaka Taguchi (Gehara), and Ataru Oikawa (Tomie).
The late-night MBS drama will begin airing weekly in Japan from July 7, 2010.
Sources: Sports Hochi, Official website
Big thanks to Hiroshi Sagae, a designer and sculptor who’s a member of the show’s crew.
http://kaijusamurai.deviantart.com/journal/32443299/
My thoughts?
2010 has so far been a great year for giant monsters, and this sudden announcement goes beyond the proverbial cherry on top; Shinji Higuchi is not only on board, but we're getting a whole slew of brand new JAPANESE monsters for fans to enjoy. And even better, ones who firmly stand on their own without Daimajin, Gamera, Godzilla or Ultraman taking the lime-light once again. The series also sounds like an awesome update to the very first Ultra Q series, as well as 1960's Kaiju Eiga in general!
No pictures of the show's guest monsters, but I and others will no doubt keep you informed. Here's the official site BTW:
http://www.mbs.jp/mm9/
UPDATE: Nippon Cinema article on the project:
http://www.nipponcinema.com/blog/shinji-higuchi-working-on-kaiju-tv-drama-mm9-monster-magnitude/
Shinji Higuchi (44), known as the “Heisei special effects king” for his work on the Heisei era Gamera trilogy, is supervising the production of his first TV drama. The show is called MM9 (Monster Magnitude 9) and is set in an alternate version of modern-day Japan in which monster attacks are the norm and are treated as another form of natural disaster. The show is based on a story by sci-fi writer Hiroshi Yamamoto which was originally serialized in Tokyo Sogensha’s “Mysteries!” from 2005-2006 and published as a book in 2007.
The project was first hinted at through an April Fools joke which presented it as a “sci-fi epic” called XX9. Higuchi released a photo of the cast dressed up in traditional sci-fi outfits and wielding futuristic rifles.
The show centers around a special “living creatures” division of the Japan Meteorological Agency which predicts the appearance of monsters. When an attack does occur, a team of monster specialists called “Kitokutai” is sent to the front lines, even if the Japan Self-Defense Force is unavailable. As ordinary public servants, these unsung heroes have no weapons, and must rely only their skills, knowledge, and experience to minimize the damage caused by monsters.
Anna Ishibashi (17) and Machiko Ono (28) are the show’s two main stars. Ishibashi plays Sakura Fujisawa, a rookie member of the team, and Ono plays Mikazuki, the member responsible for Fujisawa’s training. The rest of the cast includes Issei Takahashi, Yasuhi Nakamura, Satoru Matsuo, Sarutoki Minagawa, Takako Kato, and Yutaka Matsushige.
The show’s screenplay was written by Kazunori Ito (Patlabor, Gamera) and some of the directors include Tomoyuki Furumaya (Bushido Sixteen), Kiyotaka Taguchi (Gehara), and Ataru Oikawa (Tomie).
The late-night MBS drama will begin airing weekly in Japan from July 7, 2010.
Sources: Sports Hochi, Official website
Big thanks to Hiroshi Sagae, a designer and sculptor who’s a member of the show’s crew.