This is a small poster for the movie Princess from the Moon, which, in Japanese, is titled The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (竹取物語) like the folktale it’s based on. It was directed by Kon Ichikawa (市川 崑) and released in 1987.
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, which I like to refer to as the legend of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫) is one of the traditional Japanese stories I believe to have had the greatest impact on the Showa magical girl genre.
It’s been many years since I watched the anime movie Arcadia of My Youth,by director Tomoharu katsumata.I remember with fondness this movie.So it hit me hard when I read that the Legendary Creator Leiji Matsumoto died,on February 13 .
The prolific man was born with the given name Akira in 1938 at Kurume City,Fukuoka Prefecture, and he debuted as a manga artist in 1953 with Michibachi no Bōken (Honeybee's Adventure) while he was still in high school. After graduating high school, he moved to Tokyo and became popular in the 1950s as a shōjo manga creator under a pen name. He then adopted his most famous pen name, Leiji Matsumoto, in 1965.
His notable works include Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999, and Queen Emeraldas — all of which inspired multiple anime or live-action adaptations — and he contributed designs and created the tie-in manga for Space Battleship Yamato. He also supervised animated music videos for French electronic pop group Daft Punk's Discovery album, and the videos were strung together into the INTERSTELLA 5555 film. His designs and works have influenced multiple generations of artists around the world.
Below Emeralda
In 2001 Matsumoto was awarded the "Medal with Purple Ribbon" honor, and in 2010 he was awarded with the "Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette." In 2012 he received the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) decoration from the French government.
Matsumoto was hospitalized in Turin, Italy in November 2019, but his condition eventually stabilized the following day. The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported that it was suspected that he had a stroke at the time of his collapse and that he was in serious condition. He was discharged that December.
My conclusion
The man was an outstanding Creator who made his dream Real.He was making mechanical designs that varieded from sleek warships(inspired by early 20th century dreadnoughts) to fantastical space trains.he created marvelous space opera series,with supporters even today. His characters similarly ranged from cartoonish or caricatured designs to grounded, realistic figures.To me he’s a Great Sensei,who died proud for brilliant manga,anime he crafted:)
Il manga Queen Millennia (La regina dei mille anni) di Leiji Matsumoto viene ristampato in edizione limitata in Giappone
L'edizione limitata a 4.000 copie celebra il 70º anniversario del debutto artistico del defunto autore.
Info:--> https://www.gonagaiworld.com/il-manga-queen-millennia-la-regina-dei-mille-anni-di-leiji-matsumoto-viene-pubblicato-in-edizione-limitata-in-giappone/?feed_id=348307&_unique_id=63ff009a86eb5
#Lareginadeimilleanni #LeijiMatsumoto #Manga #QueenMillennia #新竹取物語1000年女王特装版
The other folktale, besides Urashima Tarou (浦島太郎), I also think a lot about The Story of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の伝説) as being a particularly major influence on the magical girl genre. This story is also often called The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (竹取物語), but that title places the emphasis on Kaguya’s adoptive father rather than on her.