IG Port ( Japanese : 株式会社IGポート , Hepburn : Kabushiki-gaisha Ai Jī Pōto ) is a Japanese holding company that was established on December 1, 2007, as a result of a merger between the Japanese anime studio Production I.G and manga publisher Mag Garden .
86-421: The merger between Production I.G and Mag Garden was announced on July 4, 2007. Production I.G was transformed into a holding company a month ahead of the scheduled merger on December 1, 2007. Along with a name change, it transferred most of its former duties and management to a newly developed subsidiary also named "Production I.G". After the merger with Mag Garden by the stock exchange, IG Port now fully owned
172-679: A holding company , IG Port, which owns Production I.G itself as well as animation studios Wit Studio and Signal.MD . And the studio has continued to change and expand its business format, merging with publisher Mag Garden , establishing electronic content distribution company Lingua Franca, and forming a comprehensive business alliance with Netflix. While other major studios are being acquired one after another by large companies and placed under their umbrella, The studio has remained independent (as of 2024). Since its inception, Production I.G has produced many of Japan's leading creators, including Mamoru Oshii and Kenji Kamiyama . It has also produced
258-517: A time loop , dreams, and reality manipulation, has drawn comparisons to later films including Groundhog Day (1993) and Dark City (1998), and is believed to have influenced these films. Kenji Kamiyama , the director of the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex television series, considers Oshii his mentor, and states that he "totally tried to copy" Oshii's style when creating
344-652: A co-planner for Blood: The Last Vampire (2000) and Blood+ . Oshii also wrote the first tie-in novel for the film entitled Blood: The Last Vampire: Night of the Beasts . It was published originally in Japan in October 2000, and later received an English-translated North American release on 23 November 2005. Oshii is also credited as providing "story concept" for Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG ; he describes his role as supervision of
430-456: A contract with DreamWorks, founded by Steven Spielberg , and succeeded in raising a huge amount of money and securing a promise of worldwide distribution. On the other hand, advertising and publicity in Japan was entrusted to Toshio Suzuki , a producer at Studio Ghibli . Suzuki's power made possible a large-scale advertising campaign that I.G. would not have been able to carry out alone, but it also created some difficulties. Ishikawa's strategy
516-800: A director. The group was composed of Kazunori Itō (screenwriter), Masami Yuki (manga artist), Yutaka Izubuchi (mechanical designer), Akemi Takada (character designer) and Mamoru Oshii (director). Together they were responsible for the Patlabor TV series, OVA, and films. Between production of the Patlabor movies/series, Oshii delved into live-action for the first time, releasing his first non-animated film, The Red Spectacles (1987). This led to another live-action work titled Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops (1991); both films are part of Oshii's ongoing Kerberos Saga . Following Stray Dog Oshii made yet another live-action film, Talking Head (1992). In
602-513: A level of literary and visual excellence." As of 2009, Oshii lived in Atami , Shizuoka Prefecture , Japan with his dog, a mutt named Daniel. When commenting on religion he said "I'm not a Christian, but I've been reading the Bible since my student days". Mamoru Oshii has worked extensively with Production I.G . Every animated film he has made since Patlabor: The Movie (1989) has been produced under
688-538: A limited company in April 1998, and merged with Ing in September 2000. In 2000, Production I.G produced the movie Blood: The Last Vampire , the first full-digital animation in Japan. This was the first time for Production I.G to acquire the original rights to a work. In the 2000s, Production I.G began to produce more TV series, especially those based on popular manga series published in magazines such as Shōnen Jump . This
774-613: A long time" and its revenue from licensing business "has not made up for the shortfall." The company finalized the transfer of the studio, with its cost amounting ¥300 million, on April 1, 2019. IG Port earned more than ¥10 billion in revenue for the first time in a single fiscal year when the company reported ¥11.872 billion in revenue on July 14, 2022, for the fiscal year starting in June 2021 and ending in May 2022. The company's profit decreased by 99% to ¥5 million, which
860-455: A montage sequence in each of his movies, typically two-minutes long, muted of dialogue and set against the backdrop of Kenji Kawai 's music. Recurrent imagery include reflections/mirrors, flocks of birds, and basset hounds similar to his own. The basset hound was seen most prominently in Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence , and was a major plot point in his live-action film Avalon . Oshii
946-460: A non-executive director of the company. On June 1, 2012, Wit Studio , I.G's subsidiary animation studio, was founded, with the studio's first project being Attack on Titan , which I.G assisted in producing. IG Port invested 66.6%, while George Wada and Tetsuya Nakatake who were in the planning section of Production I.G invested 21.6% and 10.0%, respectively. In 2017, IG Port created Lingua Franca, an electronic distribution service company, as
SECTION 10
#17328736504311032-552: A number of acclaimed feature films , television series, OVAs ( Original Video Animations ), ONAs ( Original Net Animations ), and video games . Its representative works include the Ghost in the Shell series, the Psycho-Pass series, Blood: The Last Vampire and its derivative works such as Blood+ , the animation sequences of Kill Bill Vol. 1 , Eden of the East , Guilty Crown , Kuroko's Basketball , and Haikyu!! It
1118-422: A prime contractor and could invest somewhat, but was still just an animation production company, cut into a client position previously dominated by TV stations, publishing companies, and advertising agencies. Traditionally, it has been common knowledge that once an animation studio produces and delivers a work and receives payment for it, its relationship with the work ends, and any further profits are monopolized by
1204-418: A restructuring which led to the second incarnation of the studio being formed. Ishikawa was president and CEO of the studio until August 2022 when that position was given to George Wada with Ishikawa remaining as chairman of the company. Production I.G went through a number of structural changes, not only stepping up from subcontractor to prime contractor to financier of animation production, but also changing
1290-512: A result, it was decided that The Matrix , directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski , would be produced, and Production I.G produced the animation sequences for Quentin Tarantino 's Kill Bill Vol. 1 . When pitching the idea for The Matrix to producer Joel Silver , The Wachowskis showed him Ghost in the Shell anime film and told him they wanted to make a similar movie. Quentin Tarantino liked Blood: The Last Vampire so much that he himself visited
1376-552: A result, the Japanese title was changed from Ghost in the Shell 2 to Innocence . Furthermore, most of the investors have changed from the original lineup. This was an unthinkable situation, and the project could have been scrapped, but Ishikawa was able to renegotiate the contract with his remarkable negotiating skills. In May 1995, Production I.G established a subsidiary studio, Xebec . In 1997, Production I.G invested in Bee Train ,
1462-485: A single volume in 2005. In 2006 Kerberos Panzer Jäger was broadcast in Japan as a 20-year celebration of the saga. The same year, Oshii revealed his plan to release an anime/3DCG adaptation film of the drama in 2009, the Kerberos Panzer Blitzkrieg project . In late 2006, Oshii launched a Kerberos saga crossover manga series titled Kerberos & Tachiguishi . In addition to his directing work, Oshii
1548-480: A studio founded by Kōichi Mashimo, and also established Production I.G.,LLC, an overseas subsidiary based in Los Angeles. The company co-developed and co-produced the television series IGPX, directed by Mitsuru Hongo , with Cartoon Network in 2005. This was the first collaboration between an American cable network and a Japanese anime studio. Production I.G was recapitalized and became a joint-stock company from
1634-424: A subsidiary and changing its name to IGzwei accordingly. On August 30, 2022, George Wada, who founded Wit Studio, was promoted from Executive Vice President of Production I.G to CEO, while Ishikawa resigned as CEO to become Chairman. Wada also continued to serve as president of Wit Studio. Daisuke Chiba Hiroshi Morioka Mamoru Oshii Mamoru Oshii ( 押井 守 , Oshii Mamoru , born 8 August 1951)
1720-423: A wholly owned subsidiary, with Kyohei Shinpuku as its president. On June 5, 2017, Production I.G launched Tate Anime (vertical anime), an anime distribution app optimized for viewing on smartphones. It was completely renewed in 2018 and replaced with a new app, Anime Beans, with expanded functions, including the ability to deliver Yoko anime (horizontal anime), and more content available for viewing. The service
1806-592: A writer, Oshii has worked as a screenwriter, and occasionally as a manga writer and novelist. His most notable works as a writer include the manga Kerberos Panzer Cop (1988–2000) and its feature film adaptation Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999). For his work, Oshii has received and been nominated for numerous awards, including the Palme d'Or and Leone d'Oro (Golden Lion). He has also attracted praise from many directors, including James Cameron , Steven Spielberg and The Wachowskis , especially for his work on Ghost in
SECTION 20
#17328736504311892-533: Is Mamoru Oshii's lifework, created in 1986. A military science fiction franchise and alternate history universe, it spans all media and has lasted for more than 20 years since his January 1987 radio drama While Waiting for the Red Spectacles . In 1987, Oshii released The Red Spectacles , his first live-action feature and the first Kerberos saga film. The manga adaptation, Kerberos Panzer Cop , written by Mamoru Oshii and illustrated by Kamui Fujiwara ,
1978-399: Is a Japanese filmmaker, television director and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of acclaimed anime films, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer (1984), Angel's Egg (1985), Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993), and Ghost in the Shell (1995). He also holds the distinction of directing the first ever OVA , Dallos (1983). As
2064-556: Is a prolific screenwriter and author of manga and novels. As well as writing the Kerberos series of manga, Oshii wrote the script for the manga Seraphim 266,613,336 Wings originally illustrated by Satoshi Kon . Their collaboration was difficult due to artistic differences over the development of the story and Seraphim was not completed. Part one was serialised in 16 instalments in the May 1994 through November 1995 issues of monthly Animage . Following Satoshi Kon's death in 2010 it
2150-412: Is also known in the video game industry for developing intros, cut-scenes and artwork for games such as Bandai Namco 's Tales series. Furthermore, it has also spawned such influential animation studios as Wit Studio and Signal.MD, and its influence on the Japanese animation industry is immeasurable. Production I.G's works have received critical acclaim outside of Japan, with Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in
2236-554: Is especially noted for how he significantly strays from the source material his films are based on, such as in his adaptations of Urusei Yatsura and Ghost in the Shell . In their original manga versions, these titles exhibited a mood that was more along the lines of frantic slapstick comedy ( Urusei Yatsura ) or convivial dramedy ( Ghost in the Shell ). Oshii, in adapting the works created a slower and darker atmosphere especially noticeable in Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer . For
2322-439: Is under production, with Oshii serving as director. In June 2019, Oshii announced Vladlove , a comedy series that he described as a "girl-meets-girl story" about a vampire. The project also departs from the Japanese anime world's production committee system because Oshii is backed by a single investor, real estate company Ichigo Inc. Oshii has stated his approach to directing is in direct contrast to what he perceives to be
2408-613: The Ghost in the Shell movie, Oshii elected to leave out the humor and character banter of Masamune Shirow 's original manga. This example can also be seen at Patlabor 2: The Movie , in which Oshii eschew the slice-of-life aspect of the original source's in favor of a more political thriller focused story. "Oshii's work... steers clear of such stereotypes in both image and sexual orientation," wrote Andrez Bergen in an article on Oshii that appeared in Japan's Daily Yomiuri newspaper in 2004. "His movies are dark, thought-provoking, minimalist diatribes with an underlying complexity; at
2494-677: The Golden Lion in the Venice Film Festival . Subsequent to The Sky Crawlers , Oshii wrote the screenplay to the Production I.G film Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai , which has been described as possibly the first ever anime documentary. In 2009, he wrote and directed the live-action feature Assault Girls and served as creative director for the Production I.G-produced segment of
2580-580: The JASDAQ stock exchange. With the funds raised through the IPO , Production I.G founded a new studio capable of producing the latest 3DCG animation at the time, and co-founded FILM LIP, a studio capable of digital editing, with Fuji Television . In 2007, Production I.G, Inc. changed its trade name to IG Port Inc. and at the same time established a new subsidiary under the name Production I.G. Inc. The company name and its function as an anime studio were taken over by
2666-686: The Stand Alone Complex series. Many have also noted the similarities in the Helghast design from the Killzone series of video games to the Kerberos Panzer Protect Gear, first seen in the 1987 film The Red Spectacles . Asked of these observations, Guerrilla Games , video game developer for the Killzone series, did not address the similarities. The developers contend the Helghast design
IG Port - Misplaced Pages Continue
2752-404: The economic bubble , but it was a difficult time for the animation industry to create new anime. Original animation projects that may or may not be successful were particularly difficult to pass, and there were few opportunities for young talent to demonstrate their abilities. Ishikawa therefore planned Zillion to provide them with a place to play an active role. Ishikawa, already a freelancer ,
2838-401: The "new" Production I.G, Mag Garden, and Xebec as its subsidiaries. On September 19, 2014, IG Port announced that it would be forming a new animation production subsidiary, named Signal.MD , with a capital of ¥ 30 million. The company stated that the goal of the new subsidiary would be to "develop technology for full digital animation and smart devices" and "build the foundation for
2924-485: The Hollywood formula, i.e. he regards the visuals as the most important aspect, followed by the story and the characters come last. He also notes that his main motivation in making films is to "create worlds different from our own." Mamoru Oshii's films typically open with an action sequence. Thereafter, the film usually follows a much slower rhythm punctuated by several sequences of fast action. Oshii also frequently inserts
3010-587: The Japanese-Polish feature Avalon (2001), which was selected for an out of competition screening at the Cannes Film Festival . His next animated feature film was the long-awaited sequel to Ghost in the Shell , titled Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence . Four years in the making, the film focuses on Batou as he investigates a series of gruesome murders, while trying to reconcile with his deteriorating humanity. Though it received mixed reviews, Innocence
3096-473: The Shell reaching #1 on the U.S. Billboard Top Video Sales Charts in 1996, and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence was the first Japanese animation film to be nominated in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival . Hiroyuki Okiura 's Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade and Hiroyuki Kitakubo 's Blood: The Last Vampire have also been highly acclaimed. Those works have also influenced famous Hollywood creators. As
3182-488: The Shell and went as far as to screen it to producer Joel Silver to show him what kind of film they wanted to make for The Matrix . Indeed, various scenes from Ghost in the Shell have been seemingly lifted and transposed in The Matrix . Ghost in the Shell was also the chief inspiration for the video game Oni . His 1984 anime film Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer , which experimented with concepts such as
3268-859: The Shell . Oshii has said he had an interest in Christianity and the Bible from an early age. In an interview with Animerica magazine in 1996 that "I really liked the Bible when I was a little boy. And when I was a student, at one point I was planning to enter a seminary, but I didn't. Even now, though, I read the Bible sometimes." As a student, Mamoru Oshii was fascinated by the film La Jetée by Chris Marker . He also repeatedly watched European cinema , such as films by Federico Fellini , Ingmar Bergman , Michelangelo Antonioni and Jean-Pierre Melville . These filmmakers, together with Jean-Luc Godard , Andrei Tarkovsky and Jerzy Kawalerowicz , would later serve as influences for Oshii's own cinematic career. He
3354-481: The Shell 2: Innocence (2004). To this day, Oshii maintains skeptical, but respectful, views of each of Takahata and Miyazaki's films. Though he has been critical of Miyazaki's attitude towards his workers, he also claims that he would feel "strangely empty" and "it would be boring" if both Miyazaki and Takahata stopped making films. In the late 1980s, Oshii was solicited by his friend Kazunori Itō to join Headgear as
3440-475: The Shell 2: Innocence on the studio's own , rather than relying on the publisher or other companies in Japan. In order to obtain production financing from major Hollywood film companies, he and Director Oshii traveled to the U.S. with a screenplay and negotiated directly with them without going through a major Japanese advertising agency. Ishikawa narrowed down the list of negotiating partners to DreamWorks , Warner Bros. , and 20th century Fox , and finally signed
3526-434: The animated short film anthology Halo Legends . In 2010, Oshii announced his next film will be an adaptation of Mitsuteru Yokoyama 's Tetsujin-28 manga. The Tetsujin-28 project turned out to be a live action film called '28 1/2'. In 2012, Oshii announced that he was working on a new live-action film. He will be writing and directing the military science-fiction thriller Garm Wars: The Last Druid . The film's trailer
IG Port - Misplaced Pages Continue
3612-513: The character designs of Yoshitaka Amano . A producer of the film, Toshio Suzuki , later founded the renowned Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata . Following the release of the film, Miyazaki and Takahata began collaborating with Mamoru Oshii on his next film, Anchor . The film was canceled early in the initial planning stages when the trio had artistic disagreements. Despite their differences, Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli would later help Oshii with his production of Ghost in
3698-410: The company generate revenue through the operation of the copyrights for original works, so he decided to follow suit. However, he chose a name that was as unobtrusive as possible and not reminiscent of I.G, so as not to alarm the large companies that were already in the copyright business. For Patlabor , Production I.G was a subcontractor for the first film in 1989, but was promoted to prime company for
3784-434: The company name because he thought it would make it easier to get work and out of consideration for Tatsunoko, which had trained him. The company name was changed to Production I.G in 1993. After becoming independent, I.G's work was mainly subcontracted to other studios for a while. Soon after becoming independent, I.G received an offer from Studio Deen to subcontract the production of Mamoru Oshii's Patlabor OVA and
3870-467: The early 1990s, Oshii was approached by Studio Ghibli to direct an animated film adaptation of Ken'ichi Sakemi 's novel Bokkō . Animator Katsuya Kondo even drew image boards, but the project was cancelled again due to a conflict between Oshii and Miyazaki. In 1995, Mamoru Oshii released his landmark animated cyberpunk film, Ghost in the Shell , in Japan, the United States, and Europe. It hit
3956-497: The film Ghost in the Shell , which was released in Japan in 1995. When this video was released in the U.S., it was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. Billboard magazine 's Sell Video category in 1996, and the studio became known as one of the top animation studios in the world, both in name and reality. The film would go on to spawn a Ghost in the Shell franchise that includes sequel and reboot films, television series, original video animation, and original net animation. Ishikawa says this work
4042-633: The first OVA , Dallos , in 1983. In 1984, Oshii left Studio Pierrot. Around this time, Oshii was hired to direct a movie for Lupin the Third for summer 1985, for which he started writing a column in Animage magazine in December 1984. However, his proposal for it was very eccentric, with the producers from Yomiuri TV and Toho opposed his vision of the film, saying that it "made no sense". The film had been widely advertised with Oshii's name attached to it, and with
4128-447: The first Patlabor movie but was stopped by Izubuchi and others. Oshii was eventually able to revisit Lupin in Lupin the 3rd Part 6 in which he wrote the script for two episodes of which the second, "Darwin's Bird" reused some elements from the cancelled movie. Moving to Studio Deen , Oshii wrote and directed Angel's Egg (1985), a surreal film rich with Biblical symbolism, featuring
4214-447: The future. Ishikawa therefore founded Ing Co., Ltd. in 1990, a planning and production company that handles copyright business. In the anime industry, studios cannot make a profit if they only subcontract production. Ishikawa therefore established Ing with the idea of earning income not only from anime production but also from copyrights, and the studio invested in its works. During his time at Tatsunoko Productions, Ishikawa had seen how
4300-444: The movie, and with these hits, I.G solidified its position in the industry. However, Ishikawa began to feel dissatisfied with the fact that even though his company, a subcontractor, actually produced the works, it was only credited as a production partner in the end credits, while the name of the main contractor came to the forefront, and he also began to think that the studio would not be able to survive on low-budget subcontract work in
4386-452: The offer. Meanwhile, in 2005, there were talks of a Kenta Fukasaku and Oshii collaboration. It was announced that Oshii would write the script for a film titled Elle is Burning , as well as provide CGI consultation, while Fukasaku would direct. Although Oshii completed the script, the film was ultimately shelved because, among other problems, the large budget it would require. Oshii's next film, The Sky Crawlers (2008), competed for
SECTION 50
#17328736504314472-429: The original manga, it is able to take the initiative when forming the production committee, including the ability to issue usage licenses to each of the participating companies. This allows Production I.G to develop a wide range of Ghost in the Shell anime franchises, including animation TV series, games, and movies. Ishikawa's decision was successful and brought in a fairly large amount of money for Production I.G, and
4558-508: The original manga. Because of this, none of the animation studios wanted to have a publishing division, but Mag Garden was the perfect publisher for Production I.G to add to its group because it was not large enough to make those major publishers wary or hostile. In September 2010, Production I.G moved its headquarters to Musashino, Tokyo . In 2010, IG Port acquired an 11.2% stake in Tatsunoko Production and Mitsuhisa Ishikawa became
4644-409: The production of animation aimed at children and families". It was established in October 2014, with Katsuji Morishita of Production I.G serving as its president. On November 20, 2018, IG Port announced that the production operations of Xebec would be transferred to Sunrise , citing that the studio's primary business (production for animation and other on-screen works) "has been running a deficit for
4730-452: The production. After Zillion , he could have disbanded the team, but he sensed that everyone wanted to continue working together with this group, so he started I.G Tatsunoko. The company was formed by merging the Zillion production team and Studio Chime, which was run by Takayuki Goto, who designed its characters, with the cooperation of Kyoto Animation. Animator Kazuchika Kise also joined
4816-474: The project based around him, they could not make the film without his proposal getting approved, and it was cancelled. He would later go on to reuse themes and concepts he had come up with for the movie in later works such as Angel's Egg , Ghost in the Shell , and multiple Patlabor movies. Oshii said that creating Ghost in the Shell allowed him to "finally get over Lupin" but continued to use elements from it in future films such as 009 RE:CYBORG , which
4902-413: The publishing company, television station, or advertising agency that has invested in the work and holds the copyrights. Anime studios need a lot of money to continue to produce high-quality works and to pay their animators, directors, and other staff appropriately, but it was impossible to do so under such conditions. Therefore, Ishikawa decided to become an investor. Ishikawa decided to produce Ghost in
4988-488: The request. On December 15, 1987, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, a producer at Tatsunoko Production, established IG Tatsunoko Ltd., the predecessor of Production IG, with Takayuki Goto, who had organized Studio Chime. It was in the form of an independent Tatsunoko production branch led by the staff who participated in the Tatsunoko-produced TV series Zillion . Japan was experiencing a booming economy at that time thanks to
5074-592: The same time he pushes the perimeters of technology when it comes to the medium itself. Character design plays equitable importance." Oshii also wrote and directed several animated movies and live-action films based on his personal political views, influenced by the Anpo protests of the 1960s and 1970s in which he participated. The Anpo protests were protests during 1960s Japan against the US-Japan Security Treaty . The first film to touch on this political background
5160-483: The second film in 1993, and even invested in the film. After that, Ishikawa continued to use Ing as a company responsible for matters related to contracts and funding, and invested in I.G works under the Ing name. Neon Genesis Evangelion was the only non-I.G studio's work that Ing invested in, and Ishikawa said that investing in this blockbuster work turned out to be a very good result for the studio. Production I.G produced
5246-476: The series. Beautiful Dreamer was also written by Oshii with no consultation from Takahashi and was a significant departure and an early example of his now contemporary style. Beautiful Dreamer is also notable for experimenting with concepts such as a time loop , where a high-school class relives the same day over and over again, as well as dreams and reality manipulation. In the midst of his work with Studio Pierrot, Oshii took on independent work and directed
SECTION 60
#17328736504315332-414: The studio and asked Production I.G to participate in the production of the film. However, Production I.G was very busy at the time and was in no condition to accept the request, so Ishikawa initially declined the request. Then Tarantino began sending drafts of screenplays to the studio one after another without asking. As Ishikawa read them, he gradually became interested in the film and eventually accepted
5418-401: The studio early on. Hideaki Hatta, President and CEO of Kyoto Animation, who encouraged Ishikawa to become president, supported him in establishing the company and even invested in it. The company name "I.G" was named by Takayuki Goto, after the initials "I" of Ishikawa, the head of the production team, and "G" of Goto, the head of the animation studio. It was Ishikawa's idea to put Tatsunoko in
5504-443: The studio needed to move from being the one who was given permission to produce works to being the one who had the right to grant permission. He approached Kodansha , the publisher of the original Ghost in the Shell manga, and obtained permission to produce three forms of production: an anime TV series, a movie, and a video game. Since Production I.G has a direct contract with Kodansha for the rights to produce anime adaptations from
5590-400: The studio subsequently expanded its activities. After that, Production I.G began to get involved in the copyright business and grew into a company that was not just a production company, but also an investor. In the 2004 film Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence , Ishikawa took a major risk to change the scheme of the Japanese animation business. He planned to make Production I.G, which had become
5676-540: The studio. He also worked closely with screenwriter Kazunori Itō ; they made five films together, beginning with The Red Spectacles and ending with Avalon . His closest colleague, however, is music composer Kenji Kawai . Kawai has composed most of the music in Oshii's work, including ten of his feature films. According to Oshii, "Kenji Kawai's music is responsible for 50 percent of [his] films' successes" and he "can't do anything without [Kenji Kawai]." The Kerberos saga
5762-543: The subsidiary, and the listing was maintained under the name IG Port. Mitsuhisa Ishikawa was also the representative director of Production I.G and IG Port. In the same year, IG Port acquired Mag Garden, a publisher specializing in comics, which publishes the monthly Comic Blade , as a subsidiary. The norm in the animation industry is for anime studios to obtain permission from major publishers such as Shueisha , Kodansha, Shogakukan , and Kadokawa to adapt popular manga into anime, and then produce anime adaptations based on
5848-407: The supervision of his mentor, Hisayuki Toriumi. Mamoru Oshii's work as director and storyboard artist of the animated Urusei Yatsura TV series brought him into the spotlight. Following its success, he directed two Urusei Yatsura films: Urusei Yatsura: Only You (1983) and Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer (1984). The first film, though an original story, continued much in the spirit of
5934-517: The top of the US Billboard video charts in 1996, the first anime video ever to do so. Concerning a female cyborg desperate to find the meaning of her existence, the film was a critical success and is widely regarded to be a masterpiece and anime classic. Additionally, Oshii said that creating Ghost in the Shell allowed him to "finally get over Lupin" After a 5-year hiatus from directing to work on other projects, Oshii returned to live-action with
6020-402: The very scheme of the animation business in Japan. The studio has implemented a series of measures that break with industry norms, such as investing in productions that are unprecedented for a animation studio, entering the copyright business, establishing a finance company, establishing overseas subsidiaries, and negotiating directly with major Hollywood movie studios . The studio established
6106-496: Was also influenced by his father, who was a cinephile. In 1976, he graduated from Tokyo Gakugei University . The following year, he entered Tatsunoko Productions and worked on his first anime as a storyboard artist on Ippatsu Kanta-kun . During this period at Tatsunoko, Oshii worked on many anime as a storyboard artist, most of which were part of the Time Bokan television series. In 1980, he moved to Studio Pierrot under
6192-499: Was attributed to "unifying its income from streaming projects and licensing sales with its amortization expenses". The company stated that the decrease in net income should return to normal in the upcoming fiscal year. Production I.G Production I.G, Inc. ( Japanese : 株式会社プロダクション・アイジー , Hepburn : Kabushiki-gaisha Purodakushon Ai Jī ) is a Japanese animation studio . Headquartered in Musashino , Tokyo Production I.G
6278-405: Was directed by Kenji Kamiyama , a student of Oshii, that Oshii was originally supposed to direct and had him participating in the scriptwriting for, which was also heavily influenced by the themes of Oshii's Lupin, which reused some of its plot, and The Next Generation Patlabor: Shuto Kessen , which reused the ending he originally had in mind for Lupin. He originally wanted to use this ending for
6364-463: Was entrusted with the work as a Tatsunoko Production branch separated from the company. Takashi Nakamura , Kōichi Mashimo , Takayuki Goto (later Production I.G board member), Hiroyuki Okiura and Kazuchika Kise (later Production I.G board member) who were at Anime R and Mu in Osaka at the time, as well as Mizuho Nishikubo and Mamoru Oshii helped in the production. Kyoto Animation also participated in
6450-458: Was founded on December 15, 1987, by producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and character designer Takayuki Goto as I.G Tatsunoko , a branch studio of the animation giant Tatsunoko Production , changing its name to the current Production I.G in September 1993. The letters I and G derive from the names of the company founders. Since 2007, Production I.G is a subsidiary of the IG Port holding company, causing
6536-428: Was inspired by the gas masks of World War I, though this does not account for the similarity in the glowing red/orange eyes between the two designs. James Cameron is another filmmaker who has voiced his admiration for Oshii, stating at one point that Avalon was "the most artistic, beautiful and stylish sci-fi film." He also praised Ghost in the Shell , stating it was "the first truly adult animation film to reach
6622-401: Was launched on December 18 worldwide except for China . The app ended service on March 31, 2023. In 2018, Production I.G and Wit Studio entered into a comprehensive business partnership with Netflix for anime productions. On November 20, 2018, IG Port sold Xebec to Sunrise . Prior to that, Xebeczwei, a subsidiary of Xebec, was transferred to Production I.G on January 12, 2018, becoming
6708-460: Was partially reissued in a special memorial supplement of Monthly Comic Ryū and published in comic book form the same year. Oshii has since worked on a Seraphim Prologue , the Three Wise Men's Worship Volume , with illustrations by Katsuya Terada , released by Tokuma Shoten as another Ryū supplement. Oshii also wrote the screenplay of Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade and is credited as
6794-550: Was released in International Film Festivals starting in France. In 2000, the second part of the manga (Acts 5~8) was serialized, then published and compiled as a second volume. After the manga's completion and publishing as volumes 1 and 2, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade was finally released in Japan during the same year. In 2003, Kerberos Panzer Cop' s sequel, Kerberos Saga Rainy Dogs was serialized, then compiled as
6880-472: Was released in September 2014, and the premiere screening was held the following month at the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival . He followed with the live-action film Tōkyō Mukokuseki Shōjo , a suspense thriller released in July 2015. In March 2017, Toonami began airing Sand Whale and Me , a live-action micro-series directed by Oshii. In 2018, it was reported that an anime film adaptation of Chimera
6966-490: Was selected to compete at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for the coveted Palme d'Or prize, making it the first (and thus far, only) anime to be so honored. Oshii was approached to be one of the directors of The Animatrix , but he was unable to participate because of his work in Innocence . Following Innocence , Oshii also contemplated directing a segment for the anthology film Paris, je t'aime , but ultimately declined
7052-470: Was serialized in 1988 until 1990. Acts 1~4 of Kerberos Panzer Cop was compiled in 1990 as a single volume. In 1991, the live-action film adaptation of the tankōbon was released as StrayDog Kerberos Panzer Cops . In 1999, the Oshii-scripted Jin-Roh : The Wolf Brigade , the anime feature film adaptation of the manga's first volume, was directed by Oshii's collaborator Hiroyuki Okiura , and
7138-414: Was the biggest turning point for the studio. In Japanese anime production, manufacturers which are involved in the manufacturing, sale and distribution of video software , television stations , publishers and advertising agencies form a production committee, and animation studios generally join after the committee is formed. Since this would not be profitable enough for the studio, Ishikawa decided that
7224-542: Was the live-action film The Red Spectacles . This film, set in the same world as the Oshii-scripted film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999), is about a former member of the special unit of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force dealing with a fascist government. Many of his works include references to Christianity and the Bible . The Wachowskis are known to have been impressed with Ghost in
7310-404: Was the result of Ishikawa's focus on creating a business scheme and leaving the animation production site to younger staff and producers, giving priority to their wishes. In 2004, Bee Train acquired the shares held by Production I.G and ceased to be an equity method affiliate of Production I.G. Mitsuhisa Ishikawa also resigned from Bee Train's board. In 2005, Production I.G. Inc. went public on
7396-415: Was to first work with a major global distributor to make Ghost in the Shell 2 a hit in the U.S., where the first Ghost in the Shell video sold well, and then import it back to Japan, but Suzuki rejected this. He suggested that the film be a hit in Japan before the rest of the world and that the studio forget about the success of the previous film and make it not as a sequel but as a completely new film. As
#430569