Uriel
This journey isn't ov--AARGH!
Production I.G Presents...
Award-winning anime creator and director Mamoru Oshii (Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell, The Sky Crawlers) developed and wrote the film. As the website states, the film deals with "the fact and fiction about the Niten Ichi-ryū of Musashi Miyamoto, the seeker of the way of the invincible sword." Miyamoto is a legendary swordsmen who pioneered the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū style of two-sword fighting and wrote The Book of Five Rings, a book that has been compared to Sun Tzu's The Art of War for its insight on tactics and strategy.
Mizuho Nishikubo, an animation director for Oshii's Ghost in the Shell films, Patlabor 2: The Movie, The Sky Crawlers, and the anime sequence in Kill Bill: Volume 1, is in charge of the actual direction of the film. Samurai Champloo and Kill Bill: Volume 1 animation director Kazuto Nakazawa, designed the characters, while Kazuchika Kise (Blood+, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, Ghost in the Shell films) is supervising the animation process.
While I have known about this movie for some time (as I expect many of you havel) there has yet to be a thread dedicated to it.
Mamoru Oshii is one of the greats in my eyes, and while his philosophy doesn't necessary translate well in a few of his films, I'm hoping Musashi will be one of the good ones. Musashi himself is a good vessel for philosophy, but it won't be a mine-field of thought -- there will be action too. Nishikubo has impressed me in the past with his cinematographic eye and from the trailers it already looks to be a visual treat.
I have my reservations though, like the translation: "Last Samurai" =\ I hope you'll look forward to it with me, at least!
Impressions and news to follow in this thread from now on =)