The next Studio Ghibli -- _Gedo Senki_, aka _Tales from Earthsea_, based on LeGuin

http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/earthsea/poster.jpg

Tagline:

Once Man and Dragon were one.
Man chose Land and Sea,
Dragon chose Wind and Fire.

Why was Miyazaki Snr opposed to Goro working on Earthsea - does he explain anywhere?

I don't know if I can wait for this though -- it'll probably take years for them to get it out in amerikkka, no?

Also, the farthest shore is my least favorite of the original trilogy (i.e. it is just "really great" instead of "the best thing ever"), but this is still so exciting I might explode.

agreed. but maybe the one that lends itself to adaptation most easily.

I have to say I really do like that essay from the translator -- to quote a key bit:

In both cases I feared exerting even more influence than I already have. As the translator, I have already greatly influenced the readers of the Japanese version of the Earthsea series. Unintentional though it may be, I am forcing them to accept my take, my interpretation. The Japanese version of the Earthsea series is the Earthsea series as read out loud by me and performed by me.　My influence does not need to go beyond the books. My feelings were that I should not impudently meddle any further than that. Other than the books, whether the story should become a play or a film, the work must be completely entrusted to the new creators. In the first place, I am a total amateur in those fields.

　Plus, when I saw the Tokyo Engeki Ensemble performance of “A Wizard of Earthsea”, I was overpowered by the strength and richness of the group’s interpretation. Seeing how my individual understanding was easily surpassed by that of a group, I learned the limitations of my own apprehension. It was not at all like a sense of devastation or defeat. It was like becoming aware of a certain inevitability―-a crisp, refreshing sensation. While watching the play, I thought to myself “Yes, even Ursula Le Guin herself doesn’t seem to realize the richness of her work. The work’s horizons stretch out far beyond the author’s intentions.”

But the whole essay really is excellent.

What peeved me the most, and there were a fantastic number of things that peeved me, was that there was only one black character in it. One of my earliest memories of reading the book as a child was the realisation that most of the character were black and all the ones who were considered odd looking were white - this meant a lot to me as one of the few black kids in my school in the mids 70s.

http://www.ghibliworld.com/images/gedosenkiposter3.jpg

http://www.stampede-entertainment.com/monstermakers/a-goro-1-l.jpg

Eh what?! Never heard of that, what was it?

Anyway. Hadn't heard about the Ghibli film until today, now I'm pretty excited. Although The Farthest Shore is a bit of an odd choice - Tombs of Atuan is my fave but I don't see why they wouldn't have started with the first one.

When can we see "Gedo Senki" or "Tales of Earthsea" in America?

When the contract with the TV people for their film and rights runs out: not before 2009. Alas! There are dogs in the manger.

! Ready up the import ordering, then...

Did anyone else see this?

I thought it was just about as three star as all the reviews seem to say. Actually, maybe less. I got kind of bored by the end. I liked that the lead slaver dude looked like Tony Parsons, though.

The story didn't ring much a bell, even though I have read The Wizard of Earthsea. Was it based on other books, loosely adapted, or is my memory for books just really bad? I fear it may be the latter.

Ah, right. I have answered my own question:

The movie is loosely based on a combination of plots and characters from the third and fourth books of the Earthsea series, The Farthest Shore and Tehanu, by Ursula K. Le Guin. (Some plot/character elements from the first book are also used, eg the Shadow.)

I remember the Shadow as a darker thing in the book.

Out on DVD and I was planning on getting it since there seems no way it'll be released over here any time soon, sadly.

Oh right, yeah, licensing things mentioned above.

One slightly annoying thing was that the showing I went to was advertised as subtitled (and the box office guy even did his company policy "you know it's a japanese film with subtitled" disclaimer) but then ... it wasn't. I was treated to Timothy Dalton instead.