July 2022 | Otaku No Culture

The Deer King Strides Into Theatrical Release Beginning Today!

Fans of Mononoke Hime will detect a passing similarity in The Deer King, and in what this work does differently is….

GKIDS
Limited Screenings Beginning July 15

The Deer King is more than an adventure set in the wild west. The politics that get involved here are complex, and the plot concerns how one secretive order seeks to restore the delicate balance between man and the natural world. In what’s presented, the wolves and deer we find in this film serve a mysterious master, and as the title implies, the latter are everywhere! They are not supposed to be a resource for people to exploit. Instead, they’re a symbol for protection.

Technically, this anime by Production IG is more of a fantasy. The Empire of Zol and the people from Aquafa are at odds; their war abruptly ended when a plague struck the land and devastated one nation. As a result, the other faction feared catching it. The accord forged is shaky, and this tale looks at the state of affairs when Zol dares to resume the fight.

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Marcel the Shell, Only The Lonely

Marcel the Shell is a sweet coming of age story about how to enjoy life at its fullest, any way the wind blows.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Coming to theatres beginning July 15, 2022

Marcel the Shell is lonely, and as for where his family went, nobody knows. They were taken away when the last human occupants of their home parted ways. It was by accident, and he doesn’t hold ill will, but not even Dean, his new human friend, can help. When this man discovers this strange Fraggle Rock world after he moves in that abode, his reaction is to be kind and film his life as he takes each day as it comes.

Jenny Slate is marvellous as the voice of this chitin. I found her voice brings a sense of wonder and innocence not too different from how other children go wow when discovering the world.

As for whether a slug exists inside the shell, I’m fairly sure there’s nothing. He’s as alive as those black soots from My Neighbour Totoro and I liken him to a fairy. Plus, I’m willing to say that this stop-motion and live action film by Dean Fleischer-Camp (who also co-stars) owes a small debt to this Studio Ghibli film. He found a home that’s very rustic.

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Thor: Love and Thunder and It’s Connection with The Eternals

Ever since Taika Waititi said he’d return to make Thor Love and Thunder, fans everywhere had high expectations, and he certainly delivered!

Thor: Love and Thunder Poster

Spoiler Alert

MCU’s Phase Four should’ve started with The Eternals and continued into Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness before the latest. No matter how hard I’ve tried to rewatch those Disney/Marvel films prior, I simply turn it off after ten minutes. Plus, ever since Taika Waititi said he’d return to make Thor: Love and Thunder, fans everywhere had high expectations, and he certainly delivered!

Not only did the story bring Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) back, but also, we get to see what has become of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) since joining the Guardians of the Galaxy. And when considering this director brings the same boisterousness from Ragnarök to this latest, I’m excited!

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Taking the Heat in Ninjago Crystallized’s Latest

The Crystal King is actively recruiting in LEGO NInjago Crystallized’s latest pair of episodes!

Ninjago Crystallized Teletoon Canada
Saturday 9:00AM (PST)
Spoiler Alert

The next pair of episodes in Ninjago Crystallized shows the team given due process in court and serving time. But as the trailers have shown, they’ll be out in no time. In “Ninjago City vs the Ninja,” we watch the boys given due process before getting tossed away. Despite Dareth’s best attempts to convince Judge William Toughbutt otherwise, with a nice recap of everything they’ve done for the good of the populace, this representative of the law thinks otherwise.

In this episode, we examine the cost of rebuilding a city. From town to a young city, and later a metropolis, the technical advances between iterations have been noticeable throughout the 15-season run. Someone needs to be writing the paychecks, and we don’t know of any Bruce Wayne personality. There’s only two characters I can think of who are rich enough. One is Cyrus Borg and the other is Milton Dyer.

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At Fantasia 2022, There’s More Than Five Must See Animated Picks

Trying to boil the list of nine animated feature films listed in Fantasia 2022’s Film Festival’s guide down to five top picks is tough!

Fantasia Film Festival

Trying to boil the list of nine animated feature films listed in Fantasia 2022’s Film Festival’s guide down to five top picks is tough! Honestly, since there are two weeks to enjoy this event, I’d say go see them all. But that would be cheating.

Even more importantly, this year has a Korean Animated Film Spotlight! The short films and special documentaries offered makes this list count seven items instead of the typical top five. Plus, the folklore from this region is unique, and to see these tales get animated will not doubt be phantasmagorical. I suggest checking out the dedicated website page to see what’ll be offered.

One film not on the list because I’ve already seen it is Girl From the Other Side. I saw it at another event, and reviewed it already. It doesn’t mean people should skip it. Instead, I highly recommend it.

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Wild and Carefree. Pompo the Cinephile on Home Video!

Pompo the Cinephile is coming to home video this Tuesday, and it’s a wonderful film to add to any collection.

GKIDS & Shout! Factory
Release Date: July 12, 2022

Pompo the Cinephile is coming to home video this Tuesday, and it’s a wonderful film to add to any collection. I’ve reviewed this film when it debuted at Fantasia Film Festival, and what I’ll look at is the bonus material. There isn’t a lot of added footage save for the commentary, storyboards and a nice looking postcard.

Here, Takayuki Hirao talks about the Hollywood directors whom he really wanted to pay homage to. Also, He explains why he started this movie with a huge musical number.

This animated movie looks at what goes on behind the cameras. The added commentary discusses differences between the Japanese way of making films to Hollywood and gives some afterthoughts to why the team like certain scenes more than others. Here, second unit director, Kenji Imura and editor, Tsuyoshi Imai not only break down how a few scenes were layered but also discuss what drives a few characters, especially Gene. He’s the focus in this piece, and Pompo is along for the ride.

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