Miyu Distribution has begun streaming the short animated film “Yamanaka Sadao ni Sasageru Manga Eiga ‘Nezumikozō Jirokichi'” (a manga film dedicated to Sadao Yamanaka) — known simply as “Nezumikozō Jirokichi” — on the Bang Bang YouTube channel. The film runs 24 minutes and includes English subtitles.
A Short Film Dedicated to a Legendary Japanese Animation Director
This short film is directed by Rintaro, the acclaimed director known for works such as Galaxy Express 999 and Metropolis, and is presented in the style of “silent animation.” It pays tribute to the behind-the-scenes story of Nezumikozō Jirokichi – Edo no Maki by Sadao Yamanaka, a towering figure in Japanese animation who died at only 28 years of age in 1938. The film honors Yamanaka’s efforts in creating that work, and his pivotal role in transforming Japanese animation from the era of silent film to the era of sound film.
Yamanaka’s original film Nezumikozō Jirokichi – Edo no Maki tells the story of Nezumikozō Jirokichi, a thief who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, and Osuzu, a townswoman who must raise her young child alone after losing her husband.
Production Credits
This short film was produced through a collaboration between GENCO, Studio M2, and the French animation studio Miyu Productions, with a core team that includes:
- Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira) as character designer
- Toshiyuki Honda (Metropolis, Tokyo Babylon) as music composer
- Mami Koyama in the role of Benshi (silent-film live narrator)
Path to International Festival Screenings
The film had its world premiere at the Niigata International Animation Film Festival in March 2023 — marking Rintaro’s first new directorial work in 14 years. That same July, it was screened at the 27th Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Canada.
Since then, it has also been selected for screening at the Animation International Film Festival Asia and the Lumières Festival in France, shown at the Japan Film Festival Los Angeles in September 2024, and screened at Eureka’s Shibuya theater in Tokyo in November 2024 — before finally being made freely available on YouTube for fans worldwide.
Source: ann_jp
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