Strongly influenced by Osamu Tezuka, Rintaro's work combines cutesy character designs with dark and epic storylines. He's one of the more renowned Japanese animation directors of the 80s, and his oeuvre is well worth seeking out.
Movies
Neo-Tokyo (together with Robot Carnival, another 1987 anthology sporting promising names) helped to pave the way for a respectable stream of animated anthology films coming out of Japan.
Armageddon: The Great Battle with Genma
Very bombastic and completely over the top. It felt like a mix of Dragon Ball Z and Akira, rightfully considered an anime classic though a little overlooked in recent years. The animation looks nice, the plot is insane and the action is loud and bold. Not quite consistent throughout, but definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen it already.
A solid oldskool horror anime. Much like the live action adaptation, this is a film that keeps things well within bounds of the acceptable, but not without flexing its muscles once in a while. The animation is decent, the designs are distinctive and the mix of horror and fantasy is effective. I had a lot of fun with this one.
Pretty cool and short horror film by Rintaro. The animation is a bit limited and a little more context about the characters and settings would've been appreciated, but the art style is nice, the horror elements are mysterious and the film oozes atmosphere. Well recommended if you're looking for a shorter anime.
My second Hi no Tori film, quite a bit better than the other one (2772) I've seen. That's no doubt due to Rintaro's involvement, one of the more interesting anime directors of the 80s. The Karma chapter sports a pretty typical religious plot, it's Rintaro's atmospheric execution that elevates this film. Akanemaru is a sculptor looking for the Phoenix, hoping to immortalize this majestic bird as one of his creations. On his quest, he bumps into Gao, a bandit who steals his food and clothes. Years later, the two will meet again. They are both very different men now, working on an assignment for the emperor. The animation is somewhat basic, but the art style is attractive enough, and Rintaro makes good use of the soundtrack to give the film some extra flair. The story moves about rather quickly, with just 60 minutes on the clock, that's no real surprise. A very solid animated film, fans of Rintaro's work won't be disappointed by this one.Read all
An epic Rintaro adventure, kicking off a series of Madhouse films that would give 80s anime a global signature. There are clear references to the Madhouse greats here, the style just wasn't quite as established or elaborate yet. Fans of the production house are sure to have a good time with The Dagger of Kamui. Taro is a young orphan whose family is brutally murdered. He manages to take revenge on the killer, years later he finds out that he actually killed his own father, and that the man who set him up is the real culprit. Taro wants revenge, which sends him on a quest that will take him all the way to the USA. It's interesting to see an anime move from ninjas to cowboys, Rintaro sure takes his time to set everything up too. The film is adventurous, the action is pretty flashy, but the runtime is a bit much and the quality of the animation wasn't quite there yet. It's a nice 80s anime, but Madhouse would improve the formula considerably in the years to come.Read all
Adieu, Galaxy Express 999: Last Stop Andromeda
Rintaro's sequel to the first Galaxy Express 999 is quite tricky. It's very different in tone, even though both films share quite a few similarities. It's almost a reimagining of the same source material. Hence, it's not going to be for everyone, especially not for those expecting a straight-forward sequel. Personally, I really liked the approach. This second film is quite a bit darker and more dystopian. Online reviews are quick to link to to The Empire Strike Back (understandably so), but there are also traces of The Matrix here, and the work of René Laloux (Fantastic Planet) is never far off. In the end though, it's really just a core Rintaro project. The film is epic in scope, a welcome surprise as older animations are usually a bit more singular. The art style betrays the film's age, but the animation itself is still pretty impressive and there's no lack of creativity here, so much in fact that it's as much fantasy as sci-fi. A bit long in the end, but it's easy to see how these films helped to build Rintaro's reputation. Good stuff.Read all
Galaxy Express 999
