A brand new series from the legendary animedirector Shinichiro Watanabe is in the works at Adult Swim and features an exciting collaboration. Widely acclaimed for his revolutionary seriessuch as Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, and Samurai Champloo, Watanabe is distinguished by hisinnate sense of style, musicality, and setting the stage for narrative brilliance with aunique mood that immerses audiences into each world with stories that feature profound depthand emotional maturity. Many consider Cowboy Bebop to be one of thegreatest animes of all time underscoring its undeniable mark on pop culture. So to hear that another series is in the worksfrom such a titan in the anime world is sure.
To fill fans with eager anticipation howeverthis time Watanabe is teaming up with the director of the John Wick franchise and thestudio behind Attack on Titan to develop a new and potentially groundbreaking projectcalled Lazarus. In this video I’d like to discuss what weknow so far about this exciting new series and explore how this collaboration could potentiallypave the way for the next legendary anime. Lazarus was first announced in July 2023 atthe “Toonami on the Green” event during Comic-Con International. The official synopsis of the show as revealedby Adult Swim reads: The year is 2052 – an era of unprecedented peace and prosperityprevails across the globe.
The reason for this: mankind has been freedfrom sickness and pain. Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Dr. Skinnerhas developed a miracle cure-all drug with no apparent drawbacks called Hapuna. Three years later, the world has moved on. But Dr. Skinner has returned – this time,as a harbinger of doom. Skinner announces that Hapuna has a shorthalf-life. Everyone who has taken it will die approximatelythree years later. Death is coming for this sinful world – andcoming soon. As a response to this threat, a special taskforce of 5 agents is gathered from across.
The world to save humanity from Skinner’splan. This group is called “Lazarus.” Can they find Skinner and develop a vaccinebefore time runs out? Along with this announcement a trailer forthe new series was unveiled. There is no dialogue in the teaser but theessence of Watanabe’s signature style is immediately apparent with the harmonious fusionof electro jazz, fluid and spellbinding action, and the promise of a narrative experiencethat’s compelling as well as visually and audibly enthralling. The protagonist, adorned with wavy black hairand piercing sharp eyes, sports a stylish.
Jacket reminiscent of the iconic fashion ofWatanabe’s previous leads. The trailer goes on to tease viewers witha range of characters, each promising intriguing depth and complexity, a common facet of Watanabe'sworks. The action choreography is a particular standout from the trailer, mirroring the rhythmic flow of the soundtrack. Through a riveting prison break sequence,we follow a young man's frenetic escape, with exhilarating yet smooth action sequences thatwill likely be a hallmark of the show. In a collaboration that appears to be matchmade in heaven, John Wick director Chad Stahelski has joined the show to design the action sequenceswith his stunt company, 87 Ronin.
Over the years Stahelski's John Wick serieshas redefined Hollywood action with the raw intensity of its meticulously crafted fightsequences. His involvement could elevate the series'action pieces to new heights and could infuse Lazarus with an even more refined and cinematicfeel. Watanabe's ability to create profound emotionallandscapes, paired with his own penchant for stylish, action-packed sequences, makes thiscollaboration with Stahelski even more tantalizing. Together, these two titans of their respectiveindustries have the potential to blend the rhythmic flow of John Wick's combat with thedepth and artistic flair of Watanabe's narrative style, promising an experience that couldredefine standards for both anime and action.
Cinema. MAPPA, the studio celebrated for the criticallyacclaimed series such as Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen, is the animation powerhousebehind the new project. In partnership with Adult Swim, Sola Entertainmentwill produce, who are simultaneously spearheading projects like “Rick and Morty: The Anime”and “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”. Lazarus is set to debut on Adult Swim's Toonamiblock in the US, where it will broadcast all its episodes. Though a specific streaming strategy hasn'tbeen unveiled, it's typical for Adult Swim.
Productions to be accessible on Max, giventheir shared affiliation with Warner Brothers Discovery. It's anticipated that Lazarus will followsuit. Additionally, like many other shows, there'spotential for it to appear on Hulu a day after its Toonami premiere. As of the making of this video there havebeen no announcements for the voice actors, but as Watanabe is also famous for the incrediblevoice talent he’s collaborated with in his past projects it’ll be exciting to hearwhose voices will help to bring these new characters to life.
Watanabe's projects have also been synonymouswith evocative musical landscapes, a facet for which he's particularly celebrated. Of notable acclaim is his collaboration withthe legendary Japanese composer Yoko Kanno. Their partnership gave birth to memorablesoundscapes, ranging from melancholic jazz to riveting electronic orchestral pieces,which breathed life into the narratives. In his upcoming project, “Lazarus,” Watanabeappears poised to uphold this musical tradition. Venturing into new territories, he's collaboratingwith esteemed artists like American Jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, British electronic musicproducer Floating Points, and British music producer DJ Bonobo.
With such a lineup, the musical element of”Lazarus” shows promise to be as intrinsic and celebrated as in his previous works. Currently there is no official release datefor Lazarus but such an announcement generally occurs closer to the time of its intendedpremiere window. Considering there is already a trailer forthe series it’s suspected that it will release in the early part of 2024. Watanabe is set to direct all episodes ofLazarus and in a recent press release revealed his excitement for this new endeavor saying:“As I embark on this creative journey, I can’t help but feel that this project willserve as a culmination of my career so far.
I hope you enjoy it.” With “Lazarus,” Watanabe appears to be threadingfamiliar territory but also charting new paths, with a story that seems poised to grapplewith the trajectory of humanity’s future, merging elements of science fiction, espionage,and high-octane action. The synergy of Watanabe's genre-blending genius,top-tier action choreography, backed by an epic soundtrack could make “Lazarus” a standout,blending emotional depth with visceral excitement. As a culmination of Watanabe’s impressivecareer coupled with exciting new collaborations, this project has the makings to break newground and become the next pillar in the world of anime and pop culture itself.
But I’m curious to know what you think aboutthis new anime series Lazarus. Are there any particular story elements oraspects of its production that excite or concern you? What do you think about this collaborationbetween the Cowboy Bebop and John Wick directors? Let me know your thoughts in the comment sectionbelow. I hope you enjoyed this video. Leave a like if you did and be sure to subscribefor more sci-fi and fantasy news and lore. And if you’re looking for other ways toshow your appreciation you can check out my patreon page where members get access to exclusiveperks.Thank you all so much for your support.
And as always have a very nerdy day.
Thank you for staring at this video! If you happen to ride my thunder material, please deal with into yarn supporting me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdcookies
The premise strikes a chord in my memory of Babylon 5: Campaign
Bebop became once a once in a technology work. It became once a remark without a motivation to attain bigger than live to remark the tale the pangs of starvation, esteem, and loneliness.It became once the tremendous remark on the tremendous time that resonated with males and women folks world large searching for to search out a mirror to the hardships of their very hold lifestyles.This could perchance per chance well moreover very neatly be irregular to peek Watanabe spend lightning in a bottle twice, particularly with a shooter. Bebop became once before every little thing a cleave of lifetime of people searching for to live in a elaborate world with drama and fling sprinkled in. Even though he's made some correct anime post Bebop, none hold reached the equivalent renown as Bebop. However, we’re on the cusp of a generational change, so per chance their is a gamble to lift the minds of people taking a peek to hold their story educated. Im involving to peek what that story is however it could perchance per chance per chance moreover very neatly be hard because I decrease the cable years within the past.