Rainmaker Productions ... a Sola Entertainment company / Sola Digital Arts / TENH AM / Business Suits Valken Output Strategy / NUDEMAKER DECLASSIFIED

[KR_EP]

Rainmaker Productions is a games company based in Tokyo, Japan.

Focusing on overlooked games and developers, the company’s goal is to bring support to those games and developers in need.

Headed up by games industry veterans, Rainmaker Productions handles game publishing, co-development and development while leveraging its unique partnerships with other anime studios in the Sola Entertainment group.​

---------- COMPANY PROFILE ----------​

COMPANY NAME Rainmaker Productions

CEO Joseph Chou

OFFICE LOCATION Tokyo, Japan​

Rainmaker Productions originally started out as a group of artists, graphic designers and illustrators about 10 years ago. Part of the Sola Entertainment group, it was recently repurposed into a games company (around the end of 2021).
Ollie Barder
オリー・バーダー
Creative Director
RAINMAKER PRODUCTIONS​

重厚な世界感を全身で浴びて暴れ回るのがたまらない。
I can't wait to bathe my whole body in the massive world and go on a rampage.​

---------- GAMES ----------​

Assault Suits Valken Declassified (Switch)
Developer: M2 (ENG)
Publisher: Rainmaker Productions
License: extreme (ENG)
Release Date: 30th March, 2023
US eShop / UK eShop​

The definitive Super NES™ mecha game! Assault Suits Valken is a mecha shoot-em-up released by Masaya in 1992.​

Pilot your Valken mecha across 7 stages.​

The original Assault Suits Valken was censored and edited for its international release as Cybernator. This new DECLASSIFIED version finally offers the original Assault Suits Valken officially translated into English for the first time.

In addition, a recreation of the original 80-page Japanese guidebook has been translated into English and included in this release, of which 40 pages cover the game's backstory.

Following that, this DECLASSIFIED release offers new artwork from the game's character designer Satoshi Urushihara and never before seen production artwork.

The original and arranged soundtracks are also available to play in the game's music player, along with a new interview with Satoshi Nakai about the original game's mecha design.

Additional features include:
- Save and Load states
- Replay recording and playback
- New "Retro Color" screen filters
- Unlockable cheats
- Super Playthrough (No Death / Good Ending)​

赤堀正直* – Masanao Akahori – Assault Suits Valken 重装機兵ヴァルケン (Invictus) CD (EGG MUSIC) Digital Download​

1		It's Happenin'	4:21
2		Beyond The Top	4:50
3		Who's Praying For A Soldier?	2:49
4		Fully Set Up For Penetration	2:00
5		We've Gotta Do It	2:33
6		No Time, No Shield	1:37
7		Mission Completed	0:08
8		Asteroid Run	2:28
9		Face To Face	1:34
10		Not For Peace	1:45
11		Living Possibility	1:33
12		Armed Ghost	2:30
13		Till The Crack Of Doom	3:39
14		In Despair	4:32
15		Looking For The Infinitude	2:57
16		Crashed Burn	0:07
17		Staff Roll	3:10

more to be revealed soon…​

'We have more good news! The French version of Assault Suits Valken Declassified will be released on April 27th. Apologies again for the delay on this'. (Twitter)​

Talking preservation and Assault Suit Valken with Masanori Yagi from M2​

As the development director, Yagi-san describes that “My main duty is to set the direction of the game, create the specifications and then manage the development team to bring the game to completion based on these specifications.” He notes that this includes collecting information on the original game, consulting with the creative director at Rainmaker, Ollie Barder, and “examining additional elements for playing the game on modern consoles.”

However, he also notes “I fell ill in the middle of development this time, so I had to leave the practical side of things to another member of the team who came in to help me and kept an eye on the situation. We believe that we have created a product that can satisfy our users, and this is entirely due to the efforts of Rainmaker Productions and our development staff. On the other hand, if there are any shortcomings, it will be entirely my fault.”

“This game has established a reputation as a masterpiece of mecha action games from the time of its release and remains extremely popular to this day. Aside from the high level of action in the game, it is also an essential title for gamers who are fans of mecha animation in particular, due to the many respects it pays to classic mecha animation. I was just such a user myself (laughs).”

Feature: “There Is A Deep Respect For Japan's Proud Mecha Anime Culture Hidden In Every Conceivable Part”​

M2's Masanori Yagi talks Assault Suits Valken Declassified:
“I felt really emotional thinking that 30 years had already passed,” he reveals. “It's been a while since mecha action games have entered the 3D era, but it also seems that nowadays the fascination of 2D games is being re-evaluated. Valken is a 2D mecha action game with a universal appeal that transcends time. In that sense, I think the 30th anniversary was just right as a milestone.”

“The first thing I would say is that it has an outstanding feel as a mecha action game,” Yagi enthuses. “The movement by walking is full of a sense of gravity that is typical of mecha. Jumping is also different from jumping in ordinary games, with a unique floating feeling when the verniers are blown. The altitude and distance can be adjusted with the timing of pushing the buttons, testing your piloting technique. You can also roller dash for high-speed movement, and when you combine these controls to control the seemingly sluggish assault suit at will, it just becomes a lot of fun.”​

ASS-117A ヴァルケン ブースターユニット装着型【リニューアルVer.】
Assault Suits Valken ASS-177A "Renewal Version" plastic kit from PLUM (¥7800)​

‘Timed to coincide with the Assault Suits Valken (Cybernator) reissue planned for the end of the month, this revised reprint of PLUM's 2013 Valken kit offers a more game-accurate color scheme, the addition of the booster unit upgrade and some small tweaks for easier construction. There may or may not be a smaller, cheaper, quicker-to-assemble alternative in the pipeline, too, but I'm sure many of you would be most satisfied with the full-fat version.’

Retro Re-release Roundup, week of March 16, 2023 - GSK (Retronauts)

そんな人にとって刺さる多くのエッセンスが詰め込まれた一本なので、まだ本作を未体験の方もぜひプレイして、少年の心を宿してほしい
If you haven't experienced this game yet, please play it and let your boyish heart be in it.​

Aiming to provide quality art for the high class--Started!​

The world-renowned film director Shinji Aramaki, game creator Hifumi Kono, and film producer Joseph Chou have come together to form a new company called "RAINMAKER PRODUCTIONS Co. The new company, RAINMAKER PRODUCTIONS, Inc. was established to provide high-quality art in the video and game fields.

According to the press release, the new company's business will include "design development for video, games, and advertising," "design direction," and "management of creators. management of creators. We will keep an eye on the company's future development.

[Participating Artists]
荒牧 伸志 - Shinji Aramaki
上野 拡覚 - Hiroaki Ueno
大屋 和博 - Kazuhiro Ohya
大久保淳二 (出雲重機) - Junji Okubo (Izumo Heavy Industries)
キム・ヒョンテ - Hyung Tae Kim
高倉 武史 - Takeshi Takakura
竹内敦志 - Atsushi Takeuchi
塚本 陽子 - Yoko Tsukamoto
天神 英貴 - Hidetaka Tenjin
松田 大介 - Daisuke Matsuda
山田 正樹 - Masaki Yamada
山根 公利 - Kimitoshi Yamane
etc...

Establishment Comments
Representative Director / Shinji Aramaki 荒牧 伸志
I established this company because I wanted to make broad use of the connections I have built with artists through my past film productions, as well as the design and video development skills and flow that my team has accumulated. There are many unknowns, but I have assembled a team of artists and staff that I can rely on from the start, so I think I will follow my instincts and get started.

Director / Hifumi Kono 河野一二三
In all my years of game development experience, I have often dreamed of a company that I could consult with. I hope this new company will help improve game visuals in Japan.

Chief Executive Officer / Joseph Chou
As someone who has worked with Japanese creators to create visuals for the world, I am thrilled that a network has been created to support the talent and creativity of these creators. I hope that this company will serve as a bridge between Japanese artists and companies from around the world, and provide a place where great art and smooth management can come together in harmony.

Source: Famitsu (via DeepLTranslation)

Auto translation is amazingly terrible with everything names, have researched all the participating artists mentioned but wish to confirm (able to cross reference this image was hiding in plain sight, eventually to confirm its the EXP concept artist), so any help from Japanese speakers is greatly appreciated. Any mistakes or handy resources, please let me know. Believe 河野一二三 is none other than the NUDEMAKER in the naked flesh, Hifumi Kono (Clock Tower, Steel Battalion, Infinite Space, Root Film) which lines up with Junji Okubo & Night Cry crediting Joseph Chou as Producer, plus Sola Digital Arts gets a mention, also part of Sola Entertainment, with Joseph Chou is Founder & CEO. He's credited on OG The Evil Within, in which case he's my kinda Special Thanks guy. Real interesting possibilities for licensed & original works but hey, an M2 remaster of a Mecha Classic with a new, true to the original localisation is as a good a place to start as any.

JP Switch eShop Chart for the period of Mar 27 - Apr 09, 2023
35./51. Assault Suits Valken DECLASSIFIED {2023-03-30} (JPY 2500.0)

US Switch eShop Chart for the period of Mar 27 - Apr 09, 2023 (also covers Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru)
380./497. Assault Suits Valken DECLASSIFIED {2023-03-30} (USD 24.99)
Thanks to @Pooroomoo & all for compiling Nintendo eShop charts.

SOLA DIGITAL ARTS INC.​

Creating Digital Art​

No One Has Ever Seen​

...except Action RPG “ELDEN RING” - Creation of storyboards for the event scenes within the game: Shinji Aramaki

or TEKKEN 7 Arcade Game Opening movie // maybe "ARGYLE SHIFT" VR Attraction // definitely "Shin Godzilla" Special Contents for PlayStation® VR (delisted >_<)​

Board Members:

Joseph CHOU - Chief Executive Officer / Producer

Shinji ARAMAKI - Chief Creative Officer / Director
TOMISABURO HASHIMOTO - Chief Operating Officer / Producer​

Makiko Nagano - Chief Finance Officer / Studio Manager

Employees - 110 (as of December 2021):

Ollie Barder - Creative Director, Sola Digital Arts & Rainmaker Productions. Writer & Forbes Contributor among many other roles (see below)
Koji Morikawa - SOLA DIGITAL ARTS Inc. - Pipleline Enginer, RAINMAKER PRODUCTION - Technical Director

Rainmaker Productions News:

Assault Suits Valken DECLASSIFIED Interviews and Reviews {2023.03.27}
Assault Suits Valken Declassified Timed Sale and M2 Stream Update {2023.05.23}

Useful Links:

The making of Clock Tower: "The most important thing for me was the stillness" with Hifumi Kono - Sara Elsam (Retro Gamer)
Interview with Hidetaka Tenjin - Andrew Osmond (Anime News Network)
Interview: The Crew of Cowboy Bebop, 20 Years Later (panel included mechanical designer, Kimitoshi Yamane) - Kalai Chik (Anime News Network)
Speed Painting - Kazuhiro Oya (Youtube)
Interview with Oliver Barder - Ross Locksley (UK Anime Network)
'Steel Battalion' Mecha Designer Is Making A New Line Of Industrial-Themed Toys - Ollie Barder (Forbes)

“The long ten seconds to death begins now…”

TENH Animation Magic​

International Co-production Animation Film "The Monkey Prince (Tentative)" to be Produced (2018.10.25)
(Location: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; President: Katsuhiro Takagi; hereinafter "Toei Animation"), Sammy Corporation (Location: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Harunori Satomi; hereinafter "Sammy"), SOLA ENTERTAINMENT Inc. (Location: Nakano Ward, Tokyo; President: Joseph Chow; hereinafter "SOLA"), Marza Animation Planet Inc. (Location: Hong Kong, President: Jeffrey Chan) to produce an international co-production animation film titled "The Monkey Prince (tentative)".

Inspired by the Chinese classic "Journey to the West," the film is a family-oriented animated film with an eye on the global market, with Naoto Oshima, character designer of the world-famous video game title "Sonic the Hedgehog," as the original story and character designer. This film integrates the strengths of Japan, China, and the U.S., including Japanese content, Chinese CG animator technology and market strength, and American storytelling, and will challenge the overseas market. With the generous cooperation of China's Bona Film Group, this film has already been officially certified as a China co-production.

The film is directed by John A. Davis ("Jimmy Neutron: I am a Genius Inventor! ) and the screenplay was written by J. David Stemm & David N. Weiss ("Shrek 2," "The Smurfs," etc.). Both have been nominated for U.S. Academy Awards and have worked on many of Hollywood's most prominent family-oriented franchises. In addition, Japanese creator Takao Noguchi, who has worked on DreamWorks and Sony Pictures Animation films in the U.S., will serve as both character designer and associate director. Chuck Williams, a former Disney/Pixar producer affiliated with Marza, will also participate in the project from the planning and development stage, bringing his experience in merging Disney and Pixar to the project and playing a role in fusing the Japanese, Chinese and American animation production cultures. Based on American production methods, the project will build a new foundation for animation production by incorporating them into Japan's unique production system and integrating them with China's technical capabilities, which now support Hollywood blockbusters.

The film production will be carried out mainly by TENH ANIMATION MAGIC, a joint venture established by Toei Animation, SOLA, and an affiliate of Sammy and Sanzigen (Galaxy Graphics Co., Ltd.), in cooperation with top creators from Japan, China and the United States.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

THE MONKEY PRINCE
Co-created and designed by SONIC THE HEDGEHOG creator Naoto Ohshima. The film is the highest budgeted CG anime feature in Japan, written and directed by 2-time Oscar-nominated artist David N. Weiss.
Produced with Toei Animation (Dragon Ball, One Piece, Saint Seiya).​

RELEASE DATE​

In Production​

FORMAT​

CG Animated Feature Film​

DIRECTOR​

David N. Weiss​

PRODUCTION STUDIO​

TENH Animation Magic​

2023/05/10 RECRUITMENT

Urgently Required!!​

The following positions are urgently required for the "The Monkey Prince (tentative)" project, a big-budget theatrical animated feature film produced by our affiliate TENH ANIMATION MAGIC.
Urgent Recruitment
・Effects Artist
・Character Effect
・Compositor
Click here for details.

China's Bona Film Group teams with Toei Animation on 'The Monkey Prince' (Screen Daily, 2018)
China, Japan Studio Giants Team on Big-Budget Animation ‘The Monkey Prince’ (Hollywood Reporter, 2018)
The Monkey Prince CG key art & plot synopsis (Teaser Trailer, 2019)

 

[DrWong]

Joseph Chou and Shinji Aramaki have been working together for many years now, since the 1rs Appleseed movie at least. I met them for the first time in 2008.

 

[KR_EP]

Joseph Chou and Shinji Aramaki have been working together for many years now, since the 1rs Appleseed movie at least. I met them for the first time in 2008.

For the first time? Do tell! Meant to reply sooner but was hoping they'd be some RainMaker Productions news to go with it (MORE MASAYA!). However we do know Shinji Aramaki & Ollie Barder will be guests at Otakon 2023 (July 28 - 30, 2023) for anyone here attending in case they announce/discuss anything (tie in game!!!). I have updated the OP with Sola Digital Arts job listings for the TENH Animation Magic led CG production of The Monkey Prince for Toei. But wait there's more! Well not much more but still something is better than nothing...right

"It was also my idea to destroy the floor and other objects by shooting them with the machine gun," adds Satoshi Nakai. "I remember the coder being annoyed with me, saying, 'That's a pain to code!' It goes back to Leynos. If a bullet hits a gasoline tank, it explodes like you would expect. And if a bullet hits a cannon, the cannon also becomes damaged or destroyed, but not the wall. That seemed odd to me. I thought, if that's the case, then why not also shoot out the floor? I remember the programmer hating the idea. But I suggested making minor things destructible in every stage, and we talked about how that had never been done before.”

Source: THE MAKING OF Cybernator / Assault Suit Valken - A Legendary SNES Epic. by John Szczepaniak (Japansoft: An Oral History via Read Only Memory) on Time Extension is worth a read in full.

Assault Suits Valken Declassified Timed Sale and M2 Stream Update (link includes timestamp of M2 stream about the remaster), while the image gallery now remembers progress. HYPE!

JP Switch eShop Chart for the period of May 08 - May 21, 2023
53./00. Assault Suits Valken DECLASSIFIED {2023-03-30} (JPY 2500.0) (is 40% off) via (Some) Out of Top 50 rankings post by @ktpoison
JP Switch eShop Chart for the period of May 15 - May 28, 2023
21./53. Assault Suits Valken DECLASSIFIED {2023-03-30} (JPY 2500.0) (is 40% off)
JP Switch eShop Chart for the period of May 22 - Jun 04, 2023
44./21. Assault Suits Valken DECLASSIFIED {2023-03-30} (JPY 2500.0) (was 40% off)

Note the overlap in fortnightly periods for eShop store rankings. Still it was good to see the game eventually chart once discounted. Time for a retail edition to give it a Mecha Sales Booster?!

 

[DrWong]

Intetview with both in Paris in 2008 for Appleseed and again in 2012 at Annecy festival for Harlock 3D. He was at Annecy again this Year with K. Kamiyama for their LOTR anime film project.

 

[KR_EP]

ASSAULT SUITS VALKEN RETURNS TO SNES® CONSOLES FOR MASSIVE MECH ACTION!​

Following the critically-acclaimed Assault Suits Valken DECLASSIFIED Switch release from earlier this year comes this SNES version of the game originally released, in redacted form, as Cybernator — and specifically, this cartridge version uses a second, entirely different localization to the DECLASSIFIED version, and seems to instead be based off the old Aeon Genesis fan translation. Curious...​

Source: Retro Re-release Roundup, week of October 5, 2023 (GSK via Retronauts)​

ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATED SNES® TITLES RETURNS FULLY TRANSLATED​

If you played Cybernator back in the day, you could be forgiven for not knowing that you had actually received one of the most impactful entries into the Assault Suit series. Renaming and changing the name for Western audiences was not uncommon with even the first in the series, Assault Suit Leynos, being renamed to Target Earth. Developed by Masaya Games with a team led by producer Toshiro Tsuchida (creator of Arc the Lad and Front Mission series), Assault Suits Valken would have players experience intense mech armor battles, an in-depth weapon upgrade system, and a gripping story wracked with political turmoil. Now, we are releasing it in both a collector's edition as well as a deluxe edition to celebrate a game that is close to celebrating its 30th anniversary. As such, in our continued efforts for game preservation, each copy sold will donate a portion to our friends at the Video Game History Foundation.

Limited physical print run of the Classified Cybernator version on SNES by Retro-Bit available to pre-order until November 5, 2023 with copies being sent out in Q1 2024. Curious indeed.

Joseph Chou and Shinji Aramaki have been working together for many years now, since the 1rs Appleseed movie at least. I met them for the first time in 2008.

Interview with both in Paris in 2008 for Appleseed and again in 2012 at Annecy festival for Harlock 3D. He was at Annecy again this Year with K. Kamiyama for their LOTR anime film project.

Many thanks for providing details of your interview with Joseph Chou & Shinji Aramaki Interview in 2012, if you have article photos, the full interview and/or details for the interview back in 2008 please let me know so I can include them with the OP. Likewise if you have links to more recent written articles such as for Mars Express, I'm more than happy to plug it here.

Mad Movies issue #269 (December 2013)
"Albator – Corsaire de l’espace" (Kyaputen Hârokku aka Harlock: Space Pirate)

COMING SOON​

Ninja Kamui (E&H Productions/Sola Entertainment) anime series for Adult Swim is also receiving a G.Rev developed game published by Rainmaker Productions - details TBA. Intriguing choice of developer that's for sure! Not been picked up elsewhere, the developer updated its Job Page on January 18, 2023. Really interested to learn more, archival studio CEO interviews below.

■Openings for Positions
1： 3D Graphic Designer
Job Description Creation of graphics (modeling, motion) for home and smartphone game applications
Number of applicants: A few, both new graduates and mid-career

2: Planner
Job description: Progressing the production of game applications for home use and smartphones.
Currently, the main work is production progression rather than planning.
Number of applicants: A few for mid-career only

​

Interview with G.Rev CEO, Hiroyuki Maruyama​

GotNext: I understand that many of you are former Taito employees. What inspired you to leave a large, successful company like Taito to form your own company?
Hiroyuki Maruyama: There were many reasons, but the biggest one was that Taito had halted its internal arcade development, except for games designed for large cabinets. We held out hope for a comeback, and pressed onward for about 2 years, but after speaking with the higher-ups, we were told it wouldn't happen. So we resigned, and decided to take on the responsibilities of making arcade games ourselves.

GN: So what exactly does "G.rev" mean?
HM: Officially it's an abbreviation of "Game Revolution", but it actually comes from somewhere else... Its true origin remains a secret.​

Source: Indie Spotlight: G.rev interview by Travis Fahs | April 17, 2006​

“As I embark on this creative journey, I can’t help but feel that this project will serve as a culmination of my career so far. I hope you enjoy it.”​

- Shinichirō Watanabe.​

Adult Swim Greenlights Anime Legend Shinichirō Watanabe’s New Series “Lazarus”
Produced by Sola Entertainment and animated by Studio MAPPA, “Lazarus” will feature high-octane action with sequences meticulously designed by Chad Stahelski, renowned stuntman and director of the “John Wick” film franchise, and brought to the screen by Watanabe. Additionally, as many familiar with Watanabe’s oeuvre will expect, “Lazarus” will also feature a captivating score by a collection of renowned jazz and electronic artists including jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington (West Coast Get Down); producer, DJ, and musician Floating Points (Floating Points Ensemble); and producer, DJ, and musician Bonobo.

Sola Entertainment making waves for sure, fantastic line up for the OST (check bandcamp, discogs & youtube for all three musicians). Lazarus game on the way too? Sola Quickfire Time.

Kōkaku Kidōtai SAC_2045 Saigo no Ningen (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 The Last Human) November 23, 2023
Second Compilation film, co-direction & joint project by Production I.G & Sola Digital Arts.

Otakon's "Shinji Aramaki on Bubblegum, Bikes, and Bungie" panel
Director Shinji Aramaki Discusses Unreleased Aliens vs. Predator: Annihilation Anime
Shinji Aramaki previously acknowledged a May 18 IGN report on the project in a Twitter post and added, "It was completed almost 7 years ago, and unfortunately I don't know why they didn't release.”

Clock Tower Creator Didn't Know About Its Upcoming Re-Release
"Regarding the Clock Tower remake, I have not heard anything about this project and am not involved in it. I also do not know what it will be like. So I cannot comment on this project.”

Hifumi Kono not being involved or even informed about the re-release of Clock Tower is a bad look. Hopefully its rectified in the near future. Would like to see him directing again post Root Film, either as NUDE MAKER or for Rainmaker Productions. Speaking of which, rights permitting, could the latter reissue/remaster/remake titles from the former...Infinite Space? Steel Battalion 1/2!

 

[brutaka3]

H​

ifumi Kono not being involved or even informed about the re-release of Clock Tower is a bad look. Hopefully its rectified in the near future. Would like to see him directing again post Root Letter, either as​

NUDE MAKER​

or for Rainmaker Productions. Speaking of which, rights permitting, could the latter reissue/remaster/remake titles from the former...Infinite Space? Steel Battalion 1/2!​

Wasn't already feeling good about that remake (I try to be open to anything but the trailer showing animated scenes with an style that doesn't match at all the tone of the game and being made by WayForward who also I think as a dev is a bad match for the game), but now knowing they didn't even consulted Kono then I have negative faith in the project.

 

[KR_EP]

​

Speaking of burying the lead, the recent press release for Ninja Kamui - RELEASE DATE Q3 February 10, 2024 mentioned the game title in passing forthe G.rev developed adaptation, Ninja Kamui: Shinobi Origins & its release window, spring 2024. No further details (yet) but as the series debut premiered yesterday (preview here) & is 12 episodes in total maybe it'll be promoted during its run? Means that we might see the rare contemporary example of a game releasing around the same time as the source material. As for what kind of game it is, action run 'n gun (Commando, Ikari Warriors, Ninja Commando)? How about run n' gun n' guts?!? Callin' dibs on a new genre! Occam's Razor: it's a Shinobi Tribute. Ninjas Ain't Telling (Not Yet).

NEW ANIME SERIES “NINJA KAMUI” PREMIERES SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10 AT MIDNIGHT ON ADULT SWIM​

BURBANK (January 17, 2024) – A former ninja clan member swears vengeance upon a mysterious shadow organization that killed his wife and son in the new series “Ninja Kamui,” premiering Saturday, February 10 at midnight ET/PT on Adult Swim’s famed action/anime programming block Toonami. The series comes from “God of High School” and “Jujutsu Kaisen” director Sunghoo Park, whose anime feature “Jujutsu Kaisen 0” is Japan’s 14th highest grossing Japanese-produced film in history.

An explosive story of revenge, “Ninja Kamui” follows a former ninja clan member who is haunted by the brutal murders of his family. Meanwhile, an FBI agent and his rookie partner also work to investigate the murders and uncover a vast global conspiracy.

“‘Ninja Kamui’ is a gripping action series about a hero hell-bent on payback. The ninja of old Japan has been reimagined for the near future,” said Park. “I hope fans will enjoy the intense fight scenes and the human drama with unique characters.”

“Ninja Kamui” features original character designs by Takashi Okazaki (“AFRO SAMURAI”) and a new song from Japanese band coldrain. It is produced by E&H production (“MONSTERS 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation”) and SOLA ENTERTAINMENT (“Lord of The Rings: War of The Rohirrim,” “Blade Runner: Black Lotus”).

A videogame adaptation entitled “Ninja Kamui: Shinobi Origins” will also arrive in spring 2024.

New episodes of “Ninja Kamui” will be available the next day on Max.

Quick round up on all Sola Digital things for 2024, a certain Hyperactive Hypergalactic Monkey stops Monkeying About, plus Robot Recruitment. Finally there's talk of a John Wick anime...

Release Date(d)

Spoiler: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirim

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirim
A prequel to director Peter Jackson’s The Lord of The Rings trilogy, this theatrical anime takes place two centuries before the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Maintaining J.R.R. Tolkien’s characters and world, the story follows Helm Hammerhand and the creation of Helm’s Deep.
RELEASE DATE
December 13, 2024
FORMAT
Animated Feature Film
DIRECTOR
Kenji Kamiyama
SCREENPLAY
Jeffrey Addiss
Will Matthews
MUSIC
Kamasi Washington, Floating Points, Bonobo
PRODUCTION STUDIO
Sola Entertainment / TBA

Release (Un)Date(d)

Spoiler: Rick & Morty: The Anime

Rick & Morty: The Anime
This stand alone spin-off anime series written and directed by Takashi Sano (who previously directed anime shorts; Rick and Morty: Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil), Rick and Morty vs Genocider *available via Adult Swim below*, once again adds a unique Japanese twist to the highly popular series.

RELEASE DATE
Q1 2024
PLATFORM
Adult Swim, Max
FORMAT
Anime Series
DIRECTOR
Takashi Sano
ANIMATION PRODUCTION
Telecom Animation Film
PRODUCED BY
Sola Entertainment

Spoiler: LAZARUS

LAZARUS
From the famed director of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, Shinichiro Watanabe’s new anime series teams up with John Wick director Chad Stahelski to tell the story of “Lazarus”, a special task force to save humanity from a new threat in the year 2052.
Adult Swim collaborates with MAPPA (Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man) and Sola in this sci-fi action anime.
RELEASE DATE
Q4 2024
PLATFORM
Adult Swim
FORMAT
Anime Series
DIRECTOR
Shinichiro Watanabe
ACTION DIRECTOR
Chad Stahelski
MUSIC
Kamasi Washington, Floating Points, Bonobo
ANIMATION PRODUCTION
MAPPA
PRODUCED BY
Sola Entertainment

The Monkey Prince - TBA or is it?​

Spoiler: HyperReboot?

Toei Animation Unveils ‘Hypergalactic’ Co-Created By ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ Designer Naoto Oshima; Charades To Launch Sales At The EFM​

Leading Japanese animation studio Toei Animation has announced family feature Hypergalactic, describing the production as its biggest and most ambitious CGI film to date.

The story and characters are co-created by top Japanese artist Naoto Oshima, who designed the hit global franchise Sonic the Hedgehog for SEGA, and Joseph Chou, whose credits include Blade Runner 2022: Black Out, Ghost in the Shelland Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

The English-language animated family feature is directed by David N. Weiss, whose credits include Shrek 2, The Smurfs and Smurfs 2.

The movie will feature the voice talents of Adam Devine (The Righteous Gemstones, The Out-Laws), Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade, Despicable Me), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Sam Raimi’s Spiderman trilogy) and Sam Richardson (Veep, The Afterparty).

The family film follows an adventurous teenage girl (Fisher) and her baby brother in the not-so-distant future, after they liberate the forgotten protector of Earth, Ohkan (Devine), in the hopes that he can help reunite them with their missing parents. Together, the unlikely trio sets off on a surprise-filled journey, discovering the deeper meaning of family along the way.

Charades is representing worldwide distribution rights and will launch sales at the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin this month alongside Iwashina Corporation founder Kevin Iwashina, who is also an advisor to Toei Animation.

Currently in post-production, the main producer of Hypergalactic is Yoshi Ikezawa from Toei Animation and the executive producers are Kozo Morishita, Katsuhiro Takagi and Tim Kwok.

“With Hypergalactic, the hugely talented Game Designer Oshima has created a multicultural adventure tale of epic scale – combining memorable global characters with a Japanese Anime aesthetic and a Western approach to storytelling,” said Toei Animation producer Ikezawa.

Urgent Recruitment!
New big sci-fi robot project launched! On going an active mid-career recruitment!

We urgently need to fill the following positions.(2023/11/10 Update)

• Animator
  Requirements: Must be able to work in our Ichigaya office, with native Japanese or N1 and above.

For details, please see the links for each occupation. We look forward to your application.

Director Chad Stahelski: John Wick Franchise Plans Japanese Anime no studio mentioned but due to working on LAZARUS let's speculate on a potential Sola Digital collab AAAA G.rev STG!

Wasn't already feeling good about that remake (I try to be open to anything but the trailer showing animated scenes with an style that doesn't match at all the tone of the game and being made by WayForward who also I think as a dev is a bad match for the game), but now knowing they didn't even consulted Kono then I have negative faith in the project.

Healthy scepticism is warranted in this case, WayForward has been inconsistent while the cut scenes reminded me of the nightmares I still have about the Broken Sword remasters, but who knows maybe the original will be playable without them. I'd have liked to have seen MS2 work on it, or failing that have Digital Eclipse include Clock Tower in its Gold Master Series with various interviews, trivia & playable builds included as with The Making of Karateka. Still possible that it could produce a NUDEMAKER: The Hifumi Kono Story along the lines of the Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story. That would be not only cool. It'd be Mondo Cool! Rainmaker Productions could help out securing the rights to various NUDEMAKER & Kong directed titles for inclusion...I want it! Ok so let's end on something from the archives, a brief snippet of a lengthy interview with Hifumi Kono by Heidi Kemps from back in 2015 that is worth a full read.

Interview: Hifumi Kono of Nude Maker and Project Scissors/NightCry​

How did you manage to sell a concept like Steel Battalion to Capcom?
When Mikami-san asked me to pitch a couple ideas, I submitted proposals for a couple of typical action games I thought Capcom would like. But Mikami-san said “these aren’t the kind of games I’m looking for from Hifumi Kono.” So I stuck my hand into my bag and pulled out my single-page pitch that would eventually become Steel Battalion.

I don’t think something like Steel Battalion would have a chance of making it to market today.
Even back then, only Mikami-san believed in bringing that sort of thing to market (Mikami: )

Moving forward, what is it that you most want to accomplish with NightCry?
One of the goals I have is to establish this new title as a franchise. We want to expand on this concept. If we’re able to prove that crowdfunding can work for us, I would like to create games in other genres with a solid following as well. Maybe a nice new sci-fi game!

So like an Infinite Space 2, then?
That’s right! *laughs* (Me: )

 

[KR_EP]

Rainmaker Productions A Solar Entertainment Company (or should that be Sola Gameworks - Rainmaker Productions as they now have a new Youtube page from the one used for Assault Suits Valken Declassified) continues to be careful of who they trust with its marketing, as if their life was literally ticking away with boost gear counting down the seconds until it’s game over.

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NINJA KAMUI: SHINOBI ORIGINS​

Nintendo Switch™

May 30, 2024​

©Rainmaker Productions ©G.rev Ltd.
©SOLA ENTERTAINMENT/Sunghoo Park​

Interested in the combination of side-scrolling & static first person sections yet some of the 3D visuals need work. GSK (Co-Host blog/Retronauts) delves deeper into the world of G.REV:

Ninja Kamui: Shinobi Origins trailer & TV spot

• their overall direction for the game was ''00s-era arcade ninja action game", and their chosen genre designation is "2D-style side-scrolling shageki ACT"—they [G.rev] point out that the nuance behind using "shageki" (which translates to "marksmanship") rather than "shooting" should become clear to anyone who plays the game
• the BGM's by Keishi Yonao, who last worked with G.rev on Strania and whose other works include Mad Stalker and the Asuka 120% series

Moving from a game with no time to wait (and little time to address my above concerns) to one where a wise old man working at Rainmaker Productions once said wisdom is key, how about SEGA licensed remaster? If it's a question of time and money then maybe focus on remastering and/or remaking titles as with its debut by M2 rather than creating new ones. Border Down HD by G.rev?

GamesSpot: How slow-paced is the gameplay? Does it require patience and a keen eye for detail?
Hifumi Kouno: There is no time limit in the game, so players can take as much time as they like. By doing this, and taking the time to explore even the places that might appear to be worthless, players will encounter various sub-events or unexpected characters. Patience is not strongly required, but wisdom is, as I mentioned previously.

GS: Is there scope for an Infinite Space sequel or perhaps a series?
Atsushi Inaba: If we had a chance we would love to make a sequel. There is no meaning to making original titles if we don’t make sequels/series from what we learned in developing the new IP. However, this is only after we receive good feedback from the market. Above all, Sega is the IP holder so it’s up to them.

Hifumi Kouno and Atsushi Inaba Talk Infinite Space

by Laura Parker (January 4, 2010)​