Old-School Studs
Posted by garnetfenghuang on January 6, 2009
Osamu Dezaki will be directing a new anime based off of The Tale of Genji, the Heian novel written by Lady Murasaki.
Like all amazing literature, it is bound–not by thread–to be transcribed into different mediums. The Tale of Genji has numerous manga adaptations, Yoshitaka Amano has done paintings and illustrations based off of the characters and story (the art book is available in English from Dark Horse), and now the renowned anime director Osamu Dezaki will be in charge of directing the newest anime adaptation, Genji Monogatari Sennen Ki Genji (translated, “The Tale of Genji Thousand Year Journal Genji”–the final “Genji” is written in English in the Japanese title). Originally to be an adaptation of Waki Yamato’s Asaki Yume Mishi, one of the many manga based on the Tale, but it’s been decided that Sennen Ki will be based off of the original story itself. Sennen Ki will premiere on January 15th in Japan.
The Tale of Genji is about the son of the Emperor and Kiritsubo–his forbidden love, who dies before Genji turns 4. Genki gets cast out as a commoner but rises his way up to power again, but not without bedding many women, some of whom you’d never think a nobleman would bed. So, in short, the Tale encompass Genji’s life from his birth to his death. This historical novel was written approximately a thousand years ago, which is where the anime gets its name. You can watch a short 14-second ad for the anime here.
