Set in early 19th century Japan during the Edo period, this animation brings to life the story of O-Ei, the daughter of the ukiyo-e master, Katsushika Hokusai (globally famous for his piece The Great Wave). O-Ei is no doubt an inheritor of both her father’s stubbornness and his talent, and her art is so powerful that it leads her into trouble.
This new animation from director Keiichi Hara (Colorful) is a tale of a free-spirited woman overshadowed by her larger-than-life father. Based from the original manga Sarusuberi by Hinako Sugiura, an adaptation which Hara, a huge fan of the series, called ‘a dream come true,’ the film brings Sugiura’s comic and worldview to the big screen, creating a wonderfully detailed recreation of Edo life through combining hand-drawn 2-D with 3-D techniques. The film scooped three awards at the 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, including the Satoshi Kon Award for best animated feature film.
